A drilling apparatus connectable with a drill pipe and connectable with a drilling assembly comprising a drilling assembly housing, for use in drilling a borehole, including a rotation restraining device actuatable between a retracted position and an extended position, a rotation restraining device actuator for actuating the rotation restraining device between the retracted position and the extended position, a swivel actuatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a swivel actuator for actuating the swivel between the locked position and the unlocked position. A method for drilling a borehole, including connecting a drilling assembly with a drill pipe, wherein the drilling assembly comprises a drilling assembly housing, drilling while rotating the drill pipe and thereby rotating the drilling assembly housing, and drilling while rotating the drill pipe relative to the drilling assembly housing.

A system and method for evaluating a subterranean earth formation as well as a method of steering a drill bit in a subterranean earth formation. The system comprises a logging tool that is operable to measure formation data and locatable in a wellbore intersecting the subterranean earth formation. The system also comprises a processor that is in communication with the logging tool. The processor is operable to calculate multiple distance-to-bed-boundary (DTBB) solutions using the measured formation data, identify DTBB solutions that satisfy a threshold, convert the identified solutions into pixelated solutions by dividing the identified solutions into pixels, generate a formation model based on the pixelated solutions, and evaluate the formation using the generated formation model.

A system and method for evaluating a subterranean earth formation as well as a method of steering a drill bit in a subterranean earth formation. The system comprises a logging tool that is operable to measure formation data and locatable in a wellbore intersecting the subterranean earth formation. The system also comprises a processor that is in communication with the logging tool. The processor is operable to calculate multiple distance-to-bed-boundary (DTBB) solutions using the measured formation data, identify DTBB solutions that satisfy a threshold, convert the identified solutions into pixelated solutions by dividing the identified solutions into pixels, generate a formation model based on the pixelated solutions, and evaluate the formation using the generated formation model.

A mill including a housing having a fluid bypass pathway, a milling feature at a longitudinal end of the housing, a chamber defined by the housing, and a piston disposed in communication with the chamber, the piston defining a fluid passageway initially aligned with the fluid bypass pathway, the piston responsive to pump pressure to move toward the milling feature, the movement misaligning the fluid passageway with the fluid bypass pathway.

A rotary valve can include a housing, a manifold with multiple flow paths can be fixedly mounted to the housing. A rotary actuator with a first surface can be rotatably mounted within the housing, and a valve seat with a second surface can be fixedly attached to the manifold, where the second surface can sealingly engage the first surface. The rotary actuator can include a gap that selectively aligns with respective ones of valve seat ports as the rotary actuator rotates relative to the valve seat, thereby selectively pressurizing one or more actuators. A system and method can include a rotary valve that selectively causes pads to extend at a predetermined orientation in the wellbore to steer a drill bit. The azimuthal orientation of a rotary actuator of the valve can determine which pads are extended and which are retracted as the drill bit rotates.

A method of cleaning a downhole section of a borehole delimited by side walls of a geological formation, the borehole containing a drill pipe having a bottom hole assembly with a drill bit and an electromagnet, and an annulus situated between the side walls and the drill pipe containing cutting debris resulting from drilling. The method comprises deploying a magnetorheological drilling fluid (MR fluid) into the downhole section through the drill pipe, the MR fluid entering the annulus through openings in the bottom hole assembly activating the electromagnet in the bottom hole assembly, the activated electromagnet generating a magnetic field modifies rheological properties of the MR fluid and increasing a transport rate at which cutting debris within the annulus is carried uphole in response to the magnetic field. Methods of providing hole stability and fluid displacement are also disclosed.

Embodiments herein relate to identifying occurrence of a trigger condition related to an existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to simulating, based on identification of the occurrence of the trigger condition, a plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells in a vicinity of the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to determining one or more simulated parameters related to respective ones of the plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells. Embodiments further relate to determining, based on the one or more simulated parameters, a parameter of a sidetrack well that is to be related to the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to outputting an indication of the parameter of the sidetrack well. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.

Embodiments herein relate to identifying occurrence of a trigger condition related to an existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to simulating, based on identification of the occurrence of the trigger condition, a plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells in a vicinity of the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to determining one or more simulated parameters related to respective ones of the plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells. Embodiments further relate to determining, based on the one or more simulated parameters, a parameter of a sidetrack well that is to be related to the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to outputting an indication of the parameter of the sidetrack well. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.

A method and a lateral entry guide tool for deploying a work string in a wellbore defining a window and a lateral wellbore extending from the window are described. The work string and the tool are run through the wellbore to a distance above the window. A locator subassembly is activated to detect the window. The tool is run through the wellbore in a downhole direction from the distance above the window past the window. After the locator subassembly indicates that the tool is past the window, a window entry depth is determined based a depth at which the window was detected. The work string is pulled back to position the tool at the window entry depth. A positioning subassembly is activated. The work string is run through the window while adjusting and calibrating the positioning subassembly as the work string pass through the window into the lateral wellbore.

A drilling dynamics data recorder is positioned within a slot in a downhole tool. The drilling dynamics data recorder may include a sensor package, the sensor package including one or more drilling dynamics sensors and a processor, the processor in data communication with the one or more drilling dynamics sensors. The drilling dynamics data recorder may also include a memory module, the memory module in data communication with the one or more drilling dynamics sensors and a communication port, the communication port in data communication with the memory module. The drilling dynamics data recorder may further include an electrical energy source, the electrical energy source in electrical communication with the memory module, the one or more drilling dynamics sensors, and the processor.