A drill head assembly may include a sonde housing and a drill bit. Two or more alignment posts protruding from the steering face of the sonde housing may mate with holes on the underside of a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) drill bit and are used to align the drill bit and transfer much of the forces from the drill bit to the sonde housing. The alignment posts reduce the load on the drill bit mounting bolts and help prevent these bolts from breaking while drilling in difficult ground conditions.

Apparatus and method for increasing the torque capacity of threaded connections between tubular members. The apparatus may include a first tubular end coupled with a second tubular end, and a torque member wherein the torque member is torqued against the second tubular member and wherein tapered surfaces are engaged between the torque member and the first tubular member at a tapered surface interface.

A connector for use in connecting a communication element to a transmission line in a wired pipe segment includes a first female end adapted to surround and make electrical contact with a coupler connection that extends away from a communication element of the coupler; a second female end adapted to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable; and an inner connection element formed on an inner surface of the connector adapted to electrically connect the coupler connection and the inner conductor, the inner connection element formed such that it does not completely surround at least one of the inner conductor and the coupler connection.

A system and method for deploying a reverse Y-tool are provided. The system and method may include a first tubing branch in line with production tubing and a second tubing branch offset from the first tubing branch. The Y-tool system may also have a retrievable Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) and an orienting whipstock deployed in the first tubing branch. The orienting whipstock may direct other wellbore components to the second tubing branch. The radius of the second tubing branch is less than a radius of the first tubing branch. A reverse Y-tool mandrel is also provided that includes an upper head comprising an upper connection to production tubing, a middle body comprising a discriminating section profile, and a bottom section comprising a lower connection to production tubing and a lower connection to bypass tubing.

A steering tool for use in a wellbore may comprise a tool housing having a bore and containing a steering cylinder, a steering blade, and a ring valve configured to control fluid flow to the steering cylinder. The ring valve may include a gear housing, a manifold fluidly coupling the bore to the steering cylinder, a valve seat, a valve carrier circumferentially supporting the valve seat, an upper valve housing mechanically coupled to the gear housing, a lower valve housing mechanically coupled to the upper valve housing and reciprocably coupled to the valve carrier, and at least one biasing means positioned between the valve carrier and the lower valve housing and configured to urge the valve carrier away from the lower valve housing.

A steering assembly includes an outer housing and a drive shaft extended longitudinally within the outer housing and defining a plurality of pockets. A plurality of torque transfer features transfer torsional loads from the outer housing to the drive shaft, each torque transfer feature including a shank received within a corresponding one of the plurality of pockets. One or more elastic mounts positioned within each pocket interpose the shank and an inner wall of each pocket.

A multilateral entry tool enables an operator to identify a target lateral wellbore, and efficiently guide a bottom hole assembly (BHA) into the target lateral for diagnostic, servicing or other wellbore operations. The multilateral entry tool provides independent control over both kick-over and orientation mechanisms such that the operator may either pivot the BHA without rotating, or rotate the BHA without pivoting. The BHA may be rotated in either direction, and the degree that the BHA can be pivoted may be fully adjustable. Sensors on the entry tool may penult the operator to verify a successful lateral entry, and the BHA may be straightened to reduce drag as the BHA is advanced into the lateral wellbore.

Methods and apparatus for releasing a lead mill of a BHA from a whipstock in a wellbore include slideably releasing the BHA from the whipstock without relative rotation and without destruction of a retractable bolt. A system includes: a bias mechanism; a retractable bolt at least partially disposed in the bottom hole assembly and biased to a retracted position by the bias mechanism; and a retraction actuator capable of selectably opposing the bias of the retractable bolt. A method includes: coupling a whipstock to a BHA with a retention system, including: a retractable bolt biased to retract into the BHA; and a retraction actuator configured to resist the bias of the retractable bolt; and after the whipstock and BHA have been disposed in a wellbore, activating the retraction actuator so that retraction of the retractable bolt ensues.

A deflection mechanism may include a first incline and a second incline for interacting with legs of a junction assembly to selectively deflect each of the legs in a desired direction in a multilateral wellbore system. The deflection mechanism may include a window assembly for a main borehole of the wellbore and having a selective-deflection profile positioned proximate to an entrance into a lateral borehole extending from the main borehole. One leg of the junction assembly may include a surface profiled corresponding to an angle of the first incline to deflect the leg toward the lateral borehole. Another leg of the junction assembly may include a surface profiled corresponding to an angle of the second incline to deflect the leg toward a whipstock assembly positioned internal to the window assembly.

A whipstock system and methods are disclosed, including a whipstock body, a control unit mounted on or in the whipstock body, the control unit comprising transmitters and receivers operable to receive commands from an external source, activatable components mounted on or in the whipstock body, and a hydraulic system in the whipstock body, the hydraulic system in communication with the control unit, the hydraulic system including at last one hydraulic power unit operable to repeatedly activate and de-activate the activatable components.