A housing defines a through passage along its length and is configured to support a group of electrical isolators surrounding the through passage to form an electrically isolating break in a drill string such that each isolator of the group of isolators is subject to no more than a compressive force responsive to extension and retraction of the drill string. The housing defines a housing cavity to receive an electronics package having a signal port and is configured for electrical connection of the signal port across the electrically isolating break. A housing lid can cooperate with a main housing body to define elongated slots for purposes of enhancing the emanation of a locating signal. A housing arrangement can support electrical connections from an electronics package to bridge an electrically isolating gap.

Systems and methods for determining azimuth of a wellbore while drilling. A method of drilling a wellbore that includes rotating a drill bit to extend the wellbore into a subterranean formation. The method may further include measuring magnetic toolface with a first magnetometer while rotating the drill bit. The method may further include obtaining a cross-axial magnetic field measurement. The method may further include determining azimuth at a point in the wellbore using at least the magnetic toolface and the cross-axial magnetic field measurement. The method may further include using the azimuth as feedback in the drilling the wellbore.

A borehole geometry sensor and running tool assembly includes a borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly configured to determine a borehole geometry of a wellbore. The borehole geometry sensor and running tool assembly also includes a running tool assembly that is initially detachably engaged to the borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly and configured to run the borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly into a borehole, and disengage the borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly after the borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly is run into the borehole. The borehole geometry sensor and running tool assembly further includes a pulse sub-assembly configured to supply power to the running tool assembly, and transmit data obtained by a borehole geometry sensor of the borehole geometry sensor sub-assembly.

Provided is an inner string, an outer string, and a well system. The outer string, in one aspect, includes an outer tubular configured to extend at least partially around an inner tubular, the outer tubular including a seal surface. The outer string, according to one aspect, further includes two radial orientation slots located along an inside surface of the outer tubular, the two radial orientation slots offset from one another by a distance (d.sub.1), the two radial orientation slots configured to align with an orientation port in the inner tubular that it is configured to engage with to provide two pressure readings indicative of a relative location of the inner tubular to the outer tubular.

Method(s) and apparatus according to which: a bottom-hole assembly (“BHA”) and a drilling rig together attempt to drill a wellbore segment along a planned trajectory while a test scenario is executed on the drilling rig by varying operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig in a predetermined manner during a predetermined time interval; performance characteristic(s) monitored by sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval are then received; the predetermined manner in which the operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig were varied during the predetermined time interval is/are then compared to the received performance characteristic(s) monitored by the sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval; and based on said comparison, the operating parameter(s) of a drilling rig (e.g., another drilling rig) are controlled while a BHA (e.g., another BHA) operably associated with the drilling rig attempts to drill a wellbore segment along a similar planned trajectory.

Method(s) and apparatus according to which: a bottom-hole assembly (“BHA”) and a drilling rig together attempt to drill a wellbore segment along a planned trajectory while a test scenario is executed on the drilling rig by varying operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig in a predetermined manner during a predetermined time interval; performance characteristic(s) monitored by sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval are then received; the predetermined manner in which the operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig were varied during the predetermined time interval is/are then compared to the received performance characteristic(s) monitored by the sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval; and based on said comparison, the operating parameter(s) of a drilling rig (e.g., another drilling rig) are controlled while a BHA (e.g., another BHA) operably associated with the drilling rig attempts to drill a wellbore segment along a similar planned trajectory.

A method and system method for determining motion of a downhole tool and feeding back drilling performance. The method may comprise taking a synchronous tool face measurement of the downhole tool, taking a synchronous pulse-echo acquisition to estimate a shape of a borehole, inputting at least the shape of the borehole, the center trajectory of the downhole tool, the rotational time of the downhole tool, the position of the downhole tool, and the one or more measurements of the downhole tool into an information fusion for drilling dynamics, identifying at least one of a whirl, a vibration, or a stick-slip of the downhole tool, and identifying one or more borehole condition and a drilling efficiency. A system may comprise a downhole tool, at least two transducers, and an information handling system.

A method and system method for determining motion of a downhole tool and feeding back drilling performance. The method may comprise taking a synchronous tool face measurement of the downhole tool, taking a synchronous pulse-echo acquisition to estimate a shape of a borehole, inputting at least the shape of the borehole, the center trajectory of the downhole tool, the rotational time of the downhole tool, the position of the downhole tool, and the one or more measurements of the downhole tool into an information fusion for drilling dynamics, identifying at least one of a whirl, a vibration, or a stick-slip of the downhole tool, and identifying one or more borehole condition and a drilling efficiency. A system may comprise a downhole tool, at least two transducers, and an information handling system.

A system for tracking and guiding a downhole tool underground along a desired borepath. GPS measurements are taken by a GPS unit at desired waypoints on the ground surface that overlays the desired borepath. A planned route for the downhole tool to follow underground is generated from the GPS measurements of the waypoints. A tracker is used to track the location of the downhole tool underground while drilling a borepath. GPS measurements of a series of above-ground locations that overlay the borepath created by the moving downhole tool are taken and sent to the processor. The processor checks for deviation between the GPS measurements of the above-ground locations and the planned route and provides directions to correct the borepath of the downhole tool in response to the deviation.

A system for tracking and guiding a downhole tool underground along a desired borepath. GPS measurements are taken by a GPS unit at desired waypoints on the ground surface that overlays the desired borepath. A planned route for the downhole tool to follow underground is generated from the GPS measurements of the waypoints. A tracker is used to track the location of the downhole tool underground while drilling a borepath. GPS measurements of a series of above-ground locations that overlay the borepath created by the moving downhole tool are taken and sent to the processor. The processor checks for deviation between the GPS measurements of the above-ground locations and the planned route and provides directions to correct the borepath of the downhole tool in response to the deviation.