A formation tester tool assembly includes a seal member mounted on rigid stabilizer that contacts a borehole wall separately from the seal member, so that seal exposure to a stabilization load that presses the tool against the borehole wall is limited or reduced by contact engagement of the stabilizer with the borehole wall. The stabilizer is provided by a hydraulically actuated probe piston reciprocally movable relative to a tool body on which it is mounted. The seal member is in some embodiments movable relative to the probe piston, for example being configured for hydraulic actuation to sealingly engage the borehole wall while the tool body is stabilized by action of the probe piston.

A downhole apparatus (10; 10) for reducing rotational and linear friction between a downhole tool (100; 100) and/or a downhole tool string and the wall of a wellbore (B) includes an annular body portion (12; 12′) configured for location on a mandrel (102; 102′) of the downhole tool (102; 102′) and one or more rib portions (16; 16′) extending radially from the annular body portion (12; 12′), and configured to engage a wall of the wellbore (B), the annular body portion (12; 12′) and the one or more rib portions (16; 16′) are integrally formed. The annular body portion (12; 12′) is elastically reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the annular body portion (12; 12) defines a first inner diameter and a second configuration in which the annular body portion (12; 12′) defines a second inner diameter configuration, the second inner diameter being larger than the first inner diameter. The annular body portion (12; 12′) is elastically or plastically reconfigurable between the second configuration and a third configuration in which the annular body portion (12; 12) defines a third inner diameter, the third inner diameter being smaller than the second inner diameter.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a rotary steering having a plurality of hydraulically actuated steering pad assemblies and a valve positioned between a primary flow channel of the rotary steering tool and an actuating piston of each of the plurality of steering pad assemblies. The representative valve includes a two-disk valve, with an uphole disk having a single, fixed-area aperture and a downhole disk having a plurality of independently variable-area orifices. Each of the independently variable valve orifices corresponds to one of a plurality of valve ports. In turn, each valve port being is fluidly coupled to, and operable to actuate, a corresponding piston of one of the plurality of steering pad assemblies. The independently variable-area orifices can be manipulated (gradually opened or closed) to vary the pressure drop across the tool, and thereby vary the magnitude of hydraulic force available to actuate the steering pad assemblies.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a standoff assembly for a sucker rod used for sucker rod pumps. The assembly includes an annulus body, a hole that passes through the annulus body, the hole configured to permit a sucker rod to translate through the hole, a sliding material component located along the surface of the hole, and a temporary component; wherein upon elimination of the temporary component, the sliding material component interacts with the sucker rod to reduce sliding friction as the sucker rod translates through the assembly.

Systems, methods, tools, and kits are used to reducing shocks and vibrations in tools, including downhole drilling tools. In at least some embodiments, shock and vibration reduction can be enhanced within tools that include an annular chassis within a collar. Existing locations where a gap exists are identified, and clamps, alignment features, joints, or other components can be modified or included to reduce the gap between the chassis and the collar. This includes on tool in which the chassis includes a flow tube or other tool with an axis that is offset from the axis of the chassis. Minimizing the gap can include providing three-point contact, which stabilizes the internal component within the collar. In a downhole environment, a downhole tool that includes the collar and chassis can perform a drilling or other downhole operation, and the internal vibration within the collar is reduced.

A technique facilitates control over the positioning of a well tool in a wellbore or other type of borehole. A well tool is combined with a centralizer system. The centralizer system has a plurality of extension members which are oriented to extend outwardly, e.g. radially outwardly, from the well tool. The extension members of the plurality of extension members are controllable to enable controlled positioning of the well tool within the borehole. The extension members may be actuated to centralize the well tool along a desired borehole axis.

A sensor device includes a tubular body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a pressure plug on the first end of the tubular body, and a sensor tip on the second end of the tubular body, wherein the sensor tip comprises an open end opposite the tubular body and an optical tip removably positioned through the open end and held in place by a removable cap. The optical tip includes an optical rod and a rod holder. The sensor device further includes an optical fiber extending from the pressure plug, through the tubular body, and into the sensor tip where the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical rod. The pressure plug may include a slack cavity where the optical fiber is in slack under neutral temperature and pressure conditions to withstand expansion of the sensor device under high temperature or pressure conditions.

An openhole interval of a well may be sealed by deploying a liquified phase transformation material to the openhole interval and allowing it to harden. In at least one example, this may be performed in a single step of building and maintaining pressure. The pressure may rupture a membrane, to introduce a fluid into a chamber with a reactive material (e.g. powder) in a delivery chassis, whereupon the fluid may exothermically combine with the reactive material to liquify the solid phase transformation material. The same applied pressure may also deliver the liquified phase transformation material to a deployment chassis, which then distributes the liquified phase transformation material under pressure to the openhole interval of the well. Various delivery chassis, deployment chassis, and related compositions and methods are disclosed as well.

A method of freeing a stuck pipe in a wellbore includes positioning a pipe freeing tool within an annulus of the stuck pipe, the pipe freeing tool including a body and two or more arms coupled to and extending from the body, and activating the two or more arms of the pipe freeing tool to extend outwards from the body to apply a force to the stuck pipe. Another method of freeing a stuck pipe in a wellbore includes determining a stuck point along a drillstring comprising the stuck pipe, and activating a pipe freeing tool coupled to the stuck pipe to apply a force to the stuck pipe, wherein the force moves the stuck pipe away from a surface of the wellbore and towards a center of the wellbore, and the pipe freeing tool includes a plurality of expandable disc elements.

A device for steering a drilling assembly including a sleeve configured to be disposed around a length of a drive shaft configured to be disposed in a borehole in an earth formation. The drive shaft is configured to be rotated. The sleeve is configured to be rotationally decoupled from the drive shaft. Two or more modules are configured to be removably connected to the sleeve. Each of the two or more modules at least partially encloses a biasing element configured to be actuated to control a direction of the drilling assembly. Each of the two or more modules at least partially encloses a communication device for wireless communication.