Patent ID: 6581699
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A bottom hole assembly for drilling a deviated borehole the bottom hole assembly comprising:a rotary shaft having a lower central axis offset at a selected bend angle from an upper central axis by a bend; a housing having a substantially uniform diameter housing outer surface extending from above the bend to a lowermost end of the housing and without a stabilizer thereon, the housing containing at least a portion of the upper axis of the rotary shaft; a bit powered by the rotating shaft, the bit having a bit face defining a bit diameter; a gauge section rotatably fixed to the bit and having a substantially uniform diameter cylindrical surface spaced above the bit face which is substantially equal to the bit diameter; and the gauge section having a total gauge length of at least 75% of the bit diameter and a portion of the total gauge length which has the substantially uniform diameter cylindrical surface is at least 50% of the total gauge length.