Timothy P Beaton, Age 53Montgomery, TX

6386302, May 14, 2002

Sep 9, 1999

09/392920

Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1026

175406, 175385, 175391

A reamer for drilling a hole having a diameter larger than a pass through diameter in one aspect includes a body having reaming blades affixed at azimuthally spaced apart locations. These blades have cutters attached at selected positions. An outermost surface of each blade conforms to a radially least extensive one, from a longitudinal axis of the reamer, of a pass through and a drill circle, The drill circle is substantially coaxial with the axis. The pass-through circle is axially offset from the drill circle and defines a section wherein the pass-through circle extends from the axis past the drill circle, so that cutters disposed on the reaming blades in the section drill at full drill diameter, while avoiding wall contact at the pass-through diameter. In another aspect, the reamer includes a pilot hole conditioning section including azimuthally spaced apart blades affixed to the body longitudinally ahead of the reaming blades. The pilot blades include a taper at their downhole end, a gauge pad having a diameter substantially equal to the drill diameter of a pilot bit longitudinally ahead of the reamer, and at least one intermediate cutter affixed longitudinally behind the gauge pad.

6464024, Oct 15, 2002

May 16, 2001

09/858380

Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX
David Truax - Houston TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1040

175391, 175399

A bi-center drill bit includes pilot and reaming blades affixed to a body at azimuthally spaced locations. The blades have PDC cutters attached at selected positions. In one aspect, the pilot blades form a section having length along the bit axis less than about 80 percent of a diameter of the section. In another aspect, selected pilot blades and corresponding reaming blades are formed into single spiral structures. In another aspect, shapes and positions of the blades and inserts are selected so that lateral forces exerted by the reaming and the pilot sections are balanced as a single structure. Lateral forces are preferably balanced to within 10 percent of the total axial force on the bit. In another aspect, the center of mass of the bit is located less than about 2. 5 percent of the diameter of the bit from the axis of rotation.

6474425, Nov 5, 2002

Jul 19, 2000

09/619742

David Truax - Houston TX
Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1000

175398, 1754051, 175434

A drill bit including a bit body and a plurality of blades formed in the bit body. The blades are formed, at least in part, from a base matrix material that on one embodiment is impregnated with abrasive particles. One side of the bit is formed, with respect to its axis of rotation, to a smaller radius than the opposite side of the bit. The asymmetry of the bit enables the bit to drill a larger diameter hole than a pass through diameter of the bit. The opposite side defines a contact angle between the bit and a formation. In one embodiment, the contact angle is at least 140 degrees. In one embodiment, a plurality of inserts may be located on the blades to provide gage protection. In another embodiment, the bit may also include a gage sleeve that helps keep the bit stabilized in the wellbore.

6609580, Aug 26, 2003

May 8, 2002

10/141448

Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1026

175406, 175391, 175335

A reaming tool which includes a body having reaming blades affixed thereto at azimuthally spaced apart locations around a circumference of the body is shown and described. The reaming blades each have at least one cutter attached thereto at selected positions and orientations on each of the blades to minimize a net lateral force developed by the reaming tool. The tool includes a pilot hole conditioning section having a plurality of azimuthally spaced apart pilot blades affixed to the body longitudinally ahead of the reaming blades.

6659207, Dec 9, 2003

Jun 5, 2001

09/874922

Carl Hoffmaster - Houston TX
Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1040

175391, 175399

A bi-center drill bit is disclosed which includes a bit body having pilot blades and reaming blades distributed azimuthally around the body. The blades have cutting elements disposed thereon at selected positions. The body and blades define a longitudinal axis of the bit and a pass-through axis of the bit. In one aspect, selected ones of the pilot blades include thereon, longitudinally between the pilot blades and the reaming blades, a pilot hole conditioning section including gage faces. The gage faces define a diameter intermediate a pilot hole diameter and a pass-through diameter defined, respectively, by the pilot blades and the reaming blades.

6742607, Jun 1, 2004

May 28, 2002

10/156727

Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B 1026

175385, 175391

A hole opener including a tool body having upper and lower ends. The upper and lower ends may be coupled to adjacent drilling tools. At least two blades are formed on the tool body and are arranged so that the hole opener is positioned concentric with a wellbore, and cuffing elements are located on the blades. The at least two blades and the cutting elements are arranged to increase a diameter of a previously drilled wellbore.

6880650, Apr 19, 2005

Feb 6, 2004

10/773502

Carl M. Hoffmaster - Houston TX, US
David K. Truax - Houston TX, US
Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX, US

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B007/28
E21B010/32

175263, 175406

An expandable reaming tool including at least two reamer pads connected to a tool body. The reamer pads are adapted to be displaced between a retracted position and an expanded position. At least one spiral blade is formed on at least one reamer pad. A plurality of cutting elements are disposed on the at least one spiral blade. An expandable reaming tool including at least two reamer pads connected to a tool body. The reamer pads are adapted to be displaced between a retracted position and an expanded position. At least one blade is formed on the at least two reamer pads. A plurality of cutting elements are disposed on the at least one blade and at least one gage protection element is disposed on a gage surface of the at least one blade. The plurality of cutting elements are arranged so as to enable the expandable reaming tool to backream a formation in a wellbore.

6883622, Apr 26, 2005

Jun 22, 2001

09/888328

Timothy P. Beaton - The Woodlands TX, US
Thomas L. Young - Perth, AU
David K. Truax - Houston TX, US

Smith International, Inc. - Houston TX

E21B010/26

175171, 175 57

A method is disclosed for drilling a wellbore. The method includes operating a turbine-type mud motor having a bi-center drill bit coupled to it, and applying an axial force to the bit which is selected so that the bit drills in a directionally stable manner. In one embodiment, the motor is a steerable motor operated to maintain a selected trajectory of the wellbore.