INTERACTIVE ENGINEERING DEMO · CONCEPTUAL MODEL

Directional drilling,
made visible.

Explore how Eric Maidla’s patent portfolio uses torque, pressure, rotation, and feed to control a steerable motor far below the surface.

Left-drag to pan · Right-drag to orbit · Scroll to zoom
MODEL LIVE · 1×NOT TO SCALE · BEND & TWIST EXAGGERATED
LIVE WELL EXTENSION0%
Moderate steering with visible surface/downhole lagSteering vector follows 045° toolface
WHAT CHANGES IN THIS MODECompare the surface command with the separate downhole response.
0 m3,200 m MD
Speed
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01
PHYSICAL FOUNDATION

Steering happens kilometres from the controls

A long elastic shaft in a curved, rough tube

The top drive acts at surface, while a bent mud motor steers at the bottom. Friction lets the drillstring store surface rotation as twist, so surface angle and downhole toolface are separate measurements.

KEY IDEASurface angle is not downhole angle.
CHAPTER1 / 8

Reading the visual: The upper string rocks only to the highlighted moving reactive-torque boundary, which follows behind the advancing bit. The bent housing and red steering arrow hold toolface while the motor-driven PDC bit rotates continuously right/CW. The trajectory uses the same gravity-referenced toolface frame: 0° high side, 90° right, 180° low side, 270° left.

This educational visualization summarizes technical concepts from granted U.S. patents. It is not a legal opinion, infringement analysis, or engineering operating procedure.