Lengthening drill string containing an instrument

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line connected electrically to said instrument and extending toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; and a carrier contained in the string and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said coil being so wound as to pay out different turns of said coil successively from the carrier, and from coiled condition to a straightened condition, in response to exertion of a pulling force longitudinally of the drill string between said carrier and line while the carrier is contained in the string, to thereby increase the effective length of the line and compensate for addition of a pipe section to the string.

Claim 3

Apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said carrier includes a hollow body, said coil being contained within said hollow body and including a plurality of layers of said line wound one about the other, a portion of said line which extends from said body being connected to the innermost of said layers of line in the coil in a relation to progressively unwind the line from the interior of the coil.

Claim 4

Apparatus as recited in claim 1, including a binder material retaining said line in said coiled condition and adapted to be progressively broken to release the different turns of the coil successively by the exertion of longitudinal pulling force between the line and said carrier body.

Claim 5

Apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said carrier includes a unit engaging said flexible line and permitting movement of said line from the carrier but offering resistance thereto to maintain the line beyond the carrier in generally linear condition.

Claim 6

Apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said carrier includes a wiper engaging and cleaning the line as it discharges from the carrier body.

Claim 7

Apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said coil is wound essentially about an axis extending longitudinally of the drill string.

Claim 8

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; and a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within and relative to the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string; said coil being so wound as to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition by exertion of a pulling force longitudinally of the drill string between said line and shuttle during and as a result of such movement of the shuttle toward the surface of the earth and while the shuttle remains in the drill string, and in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string.

Claim 9

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; and a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within and relative to the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string; said coil being so wound as to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition by exertion of a pulling force longitudinally of the drill string between said line and shuttle during and as a result of such movement of the shuttle toward the surface of the earth and while the shuttle remains in the drill string, and in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string.

Claim 10

Apparatus as recited in claim 7, including a conductor at the surface of the earth through which said line is connected to said unit, and electrical connector members for connecting said flexible line to said conductor and which are detachable to enable an additional pipe section to be connected into the drill string.

Claim 11

Apparatus as recited in claim 7, including means for pulling said shuttle toward the surface of the earth to increase the effective length of said line.

Claim 12

Apparatus as recited in claim 7, including a second conductive flexible line for connecting said first mentioned flexible line electrically to said unit at the surface of the earth and operable to pull said shuttle toward the surface of the earth to increase the effective length of said first line.

Claim 13

Apparatus as recited in claim 7, including a circulating head through which circulating fluid is delivered to the drill string, and a second conductive flexible line extending through the circulating head for connecting said first mentioned flexible line to said unit at the surface of the earth.

Claim 14

Apparatus as recited in claim 11, including connector means for detachably connecting said second flexible line to said first line electrically, and to said shuttle in a relation to pull the shuttle toward the surface of the earth.

Claim 15

Apparatus as recited in claim 11, including connector means carried by said second line and detachably connectable to said first line and said shuttle, said second flexible line having a portion projecting beyond said circulating head and carrying said connector means and of a length to extend through an added pipe section attached to the circulating head in a relation enabling attachment of said connector means to the first line and shuttle before the added pipe section is attached to the outer end of the drill string.

Claim 18

A device as recited in claim 14, including connector means at an upper end of said carrier detachably connectable to a second flexible line for connecting said first line electrically to said unit.

Claim 19

A device as recited in claim 14, in which said carrier has a portion engageable with a pulling tool by which the carrier can be pulled longitudinally within the drill string and toward the surface of the earth to increase the effective length of said line.

Claim 20

A device as recited in claim 14, in which said carrier includes a hollow body containing said coil in a position of extension generally about the longitudinal axis of the drill string and from the interior of which the line pays out progressively, said carrier including binding material retaining said line in coiled condition and adapted to be progressively broken to release the line from the coil, a friction drag unit for yieldingly resisting movement of the flexible line from said body, a plurality of friction cam elements carried by the body and engageable with a drill string in a relation preventing movement of the body more deeply into the drill string and permitting movement of the body toward the surface of the earth, and a connector structure at the upper end of the carrier body attachable to a second flexible line an a relation enabling said second line to pull the carrier upwardly toward the surface of the earth and connecting said second line electrically to said first line.

Claim 21

A device as recited in claim 17, in which said coil is wound essentially about an axis extending longitudinally of the drill string.

Claim 26

The method as recited in claim 20, in which said shuttle is moved toward the outer end of the drill string by exertion of pulling force thereagainst.

Claim 27

The method as recited in claim 20, in which said drill string has a circulating head and a second flexible line movable with said head and adapted to connect said first line to said unit; said movement of the shuttle toward the outer end of the drill string being effected by exerting pulling force on the shuttle by said circulating head through said second line.

Claim 28

The method as recited in claim 20, including threading a second flexible line through said added pipe section before connection thereof to the remainder of the drill string, and attaching said second flexible line to the shuttle, said step of moving the shuttle within the drill string toward the outer end thereof including pulling said shuttle through said added section of the drill string by pulling force exerted on the shuttle by said second flexible line.

Claim 31

The method as recited in claim 24, including detaching said circulating head from said additional pipe section and disconnecting said second flexible line from said shuttle and said first flexible line after the shuttle has been pulled toward the surface of the earth within said additional section and after drilling has progressed to a point requiring addition of another section of the drill string.

Claim 32

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; and a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string and being constructed to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition during such movement of the shuttle in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string; said shuttle including a body by which said coiled portion of the flexible line is carried, and means carried by said body and engageable with the interior of the drill string and retaining said shuttle body against movement more deeply into the well while permitting movement of the shuttle body toward the surface of the earth.

Claim 33

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; and a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string and being constructed to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition during such movement of the shuttle in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string; said shuttle including a body by which said coiled portion of the flexible line is carried, and means carried by said body and engageable with the interior of the drill string and retaining said shuttle body against movement more deeply into the well while permitting movement of the shuttle body toward the surface of the earth.

Claim 34

Apparatus as recited in claim 26, in which said means include a cam mounted to said body for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis extending generally transversely of the length of the drill string, said cam having a camming surface engageable with the inner surface of the drill string and which is eccentric with respect to the pivotal axis of the cam in a relation actuating the cam more tightly into gripping engagement with the wall of the drill string upon exertion of longitudinally inward force against said body to thereby prevent movement of the shuttle more deeply into the drill string, while by virtue of said eccentricity permitting movement of the shuttle longitudinally of the drill string toward the surface of the earth.

Claim 35

Apparatus as recited in claim 27, including spring means yieldingly urging said cam in a direction to release the gripping engagement thereof against the drill string, and a threaded adjusting fastener for adjusting the range of permitted pivotal movement of said cam and thereby adjusting the frictional resistance to longitudinal movement offered thereby.

Claim 36

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string and being constructed to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition during such movement of the shuttle in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string; said shuttle including a hollow body containing said coiled portion of the flexible line with the coil extending generally about the longitudinal axis of the drill string, binding material retaining said portion of the flexible line in said coiled condition and adapted to be progressively broken to release different turns of the coil successively, a friction drag unit for yieldingly resisting movement of the flexible line from said body, a plurality of elements carried by the body and engageable with the drill string in a relation preventing movement of the body more deeply into the drill string and permitting movement of the body toward the surface of the earth, and a first connector structure on the shuttle body for pulling it toward the surface of the earth; a circulating head connectable to a pipe section to be added to the string; a second flexible conductive line extending through said circulating head for connecting said unit to said first line electrically and having a portion projecting beyond the circulating head and of a length to extend through a pipe section secured to the circulating head; and a second connector structure carried by said second line and detachably connectable to said first connector structure in a relation enabling the shuttle to be pulled toward the surface of the earth by force exerted through said second flexible line and providing an electrical connection between the two lines.

Claim 37

Apparatus comprising: a drill string including a series of interconnected pipe sections; an instrument contained in said string; a flexible conductive line extending from said instrument toward the surface of the earth; a unit at the surface of the earth electrically connected to said flexible line; a shuttle contained in the string near the surface of the earth and carrying a portion of said flexible line in the form of a coil of many turns occupying a distance longitudinally of the drill string shorter than the length of the coiled portion of the line; said shuttle being movable within the drill string toward the surface of the earth when a pipe section is added to the string and being constructed to pay out the different turns of said coil successively from coiled condition to straightened condition during such movement of the shuttle in a relation increasing the length of the line between said instrument and said shuttle to compensate for the increase in length of the string; said shuttle including a hollow body containing said coiled portion of the flexible line with the coil extending generally about the longitudinal axis of the drill string, binding material retaining said portion of the flexible line in said coiled condition and adapted to be progressively broken to release different turns of the coil successively, a friction drag unit for yieldingly resisting movement of the flexible line from said body, a plurality of elements carried by the body and engageable with the drill string in a relation preventing movement of the body more deeply into the drill string and permitting movement of the body toward the surface of the earth, and a first connector structure on the shuttle body for pulling it toward the surface of the earth; a circulating head connectable to a pipe section to be added to the string; a second flexible conductive line extending through said circulating head for connecting said unit to said first line electrically and having a portion projecting beyond the circulating head and of a length to extend through a pipe section secured to the circulating head; and a second connector structure carried by said second line and detachably connectable to said first connector structure in a relation enabling the shuttle to be pulled toward the surface of the earth by force exerted through said second flexible line and providing an electrical connection between the two lines.

Claim 48

A device as recited in claim 34, in which said means include a friction cam mounted to said body for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis extending generally transversely of the length of the drill string, said cam having a camming surface engageable with the inner surface of the drill string and which is eccentric with respect to the pivotal axis of the cam in a relation actuating the cam more tightly into gripping engagement with the wall of the drill string upon exertion of longitudinally inward force against said body to thereby prevent movement of the carrier more deeply into the drill string, while by virtue of said eccentricity permitting movement of the carrier longitudinally of the drill string toward the surface of the earth.

Claim 49

A device as recited in claim 35, including spring means yieldingly urging said cam in a direction to release the gripping engagement thereof against the drill string, and a threaded adjusting fastener for adjusting the range of permitted pivotal movement of said friction cam and thereby adjusting the frictional resistance to longitudinal movement offered thereby.