A high pressure foam slurry generator (10), including a source of slurry, a source of gas, and a means for combining the slurry and the gas, which is usually nitrogen. A housing (36) receiving the slurry and the gas has a connector (40) with multiple channels. One channel (42) for the nitrogen gas acts as an inlet and has a bushing with a series of multiple holes through which the nitrogen gas is broken into a plurality of high velocity streams. The slurry with a foamer agent added combines at right angles with the nitrogen gas and is foamed before being pumped through a tubing string into a gas or oil well (14). Also included herein is a process for making foamed slurry by pumping a slurry capable of being foamed to a housing, pumping nitrogen to the same housing, separating the nitrogen into a plurality of high velocity streams, and combin­ing the streams and the slurry in a foaming action. Either the slurry or the nitrogen may have two sepa­rate streams entering the housing as right angles to each other. All of the streams are normally combined at right angles to obtain the proper amount of foaming action.

This invention provides a fluid-handling system for use in underbalanced drilling operations. The system includes a first vessel which acts as a four phase separator. The first vessel includes a first stage for separating solids. Oil and gas are separated at a second stage. A pressure sensor provides signals to a pressure controller, which modulates a gas flow valve coupled to the vessel for discharging gas from the first vessel. The pressure controller maintains the pressure in the first vessel at a predetermined value. An oil level sensor placed in the first vessel provides a signal to an oil level controller. The oil level controller modulates an oil flow valve coupled to the vessel to discharge oil from the first vessel into a second vessel. Water is discharged into a third vessel. Water from the third vessel is discharged via a water flow control valve, which is modulated by a level controller as a function of the water level in the third vessel. Any gas in the third vessel is discharged by modulating a gas control valve as a function of the pressure in the third vessel.

The invention relates to an equipment for boring large diameter holes into rocks.

The equipment comprises a cylindrical core tube (12) having a vertical axis, an upper end (12a) and a lower end (12b), a plurality of hammer (14) provided with percussive bits (14b) for penetrating into the rock, each hammer being secured to the outer face of the core tube close to the lower end thereof so that the bits project beneath the free end (12c) of the tube, pressure fluid means (22) for operating said hammer, pressure fluid feed means for supplying pressure fluid in the vicinity of the bits of said hammer, driving means (16) connected to the upper end (12a) of said core tube for rotating said core tube about the vertical axis thereof and exhaust means (24) connected to said core tube for collecting the pressure fluid supplied in the vicinity of the bits and the rock cuttings transported by said pressure fluid from the bottom of the hole to the ground surface.

In an underground borer with down hammer having a vehicle body 1. a guide stilt 2 standing on the vehicle body, and a rotary machine 4 having its bottom coupled with a screw shaft 3 and a down hammer B. a supply unit 5 is interposed between the rotary machine 4 and the screw shaft 3, a fluid conduit 6 is formed centrally of the screw shaft 3, compressed air conduits 7 and 7' are formed to surround the fluid conduit 6. and a fluid jetting pipe 8 is arranged centrally of the down hammer B to extend until the inside of a bit body 9 so that water may be discharged, along with high-pressure compressed air, from a central portion of the bottom surface of the bit body during boring to cool the bit body, promote anti-wear properties, suppress powdery dirts, reduce noises and increase the boring speed.