MEASUREMENT-WHILE-DRILLING SYSTEM: TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, New Mexico) has developed a system to distinguish contaminated from non-contaminated areas in real time while drilling. In the Measurement-While-Drilling System (MWD), downhole sensors are located behind the drill bit and linked by a high-speed data transmission system to a computer at the surface. As drilling is conducted, data are collected on the nature and extent of contamination. The system is compatible with drilling systems of 1.75 in diameter or larger and has been used with dry compaction boring. This is a directional drilling technique that uses minimal drilling fluids and generates little to no secondary waste. It increases overall system performance by providing higher data rates, surety, and reliability. The unique capability of real-time, high-speed data transmission up-hole during drilling gives this measurement-while-drilling system high commercial potential. Its low cost and generic design, offering maximum flexibility to integrate additional sensors, make it an attractive platform for a variety of downhole sensors. Initially, the downhole sensors of the system consisted of a Geiger-Mueller tube for detecting gamma radiation and thermocouples to monitor system temperatures. These sensors have been commercially available for years. Sandia is developing another sensor, a Gamma-ray Spectral tool, to either replace or supplement the Geiger-Mueller tube to expand the system's capabilities. Directional boring and MWD, however, have many applications. A California natural gas company would like to have gas sensors mounted at the drill bit allowing the directional drill operator to find leaking underground gas lines without unearthing hundreds of feet of pipe. Chemical sensors could also be emplaced under chemical or petroleum plants/factories or storage facilities. These industries want to monitor for leaks that could potentially migrate to the local water supply. Other potential users of this measurement-while-drilling include utility emplacement and oil and natural gas industries. Sandia is making the MWD technology available to companies interested in partnering with Sandia to integrate additional sensors into the MWD system to develop near/term and/or future applications via licensing or cooperative development agreements. For further information, please respond by mail or fax to Kay Carter no later than March 31, 1995 at: Sandia National Laboratories, MS 1380, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1380. Fax: (505) 271-7867. Please indicate the date and title of this CBD notice and the type of partnering agreements your company would be most interested in entering into.

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0675 19950302\SP-0001.MSC)