Patents Assigned to Weatherford U.K. Limited
  • Patent number: 11976531
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in a well borehole packing operation takes the form of a downhole packer and comprises a body and a seal member. In use, the apparatus is run into a borehole as part of a downhole completion assembly. On reaching the desired location, the apparatus is activated to urge the seal member into sealing engagement with the borehole, and thereby isolate an annular region between the apparatus and the borehole. A conduit is disposed within the body and is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the apparatus, the conduit configured to transport a borehole packing material, such as gravel slurry, through the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventor: Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 11879312
    Abstract: A screen assembly, such as a downhole/sand screen assembly, comprising first and second screen portions or screens longitudinally coupled together, wherein there is provided a fluid flow path between the first and second screen portions or screen. Optionally, the first and second sleeves are coupled or connected by a centraliser or further sleeve or screen, and/or optionally by or via first and second support ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephen Reid, Andrew McGeoch, Matthew Manning, Daniel George Purkis
  • Patent number: 11802454
    Abstract: An anchoring apparatus for use in a wellbore, comprises at least one movable wall engaging member for engaging a wall of a wellbore, wherein the at least one movable wall engaging member is movable from a retracted position to an expanded position to engage the wall, and from the expanded position to a retracted position to disengage the wall. Provision of one or more wall engaging members being movable from an expanded position to a retracted position allows the anchoring apparatus to be retrieved from the wellbore, and in particular, from an open hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Philip C G Egleton, Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 11753902
    Abstract: Downhole apparatus is provided for location in a fluid-filled bore, such as a well bore. The apparatus comprises a tubular body comprising a plurality of cylindrical chambers for containing a compressible substance, and pistons mounted in the chambers. A lock arrangement is provided and has a locking configuration for retaining the pistons in the chambers and an unlocked configuration in which bore fluid pressure may translate the pistons through the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Derrick Docherty, Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 11480017
    Abstract: A releasable connector apparatus has a connector mandrel to be coupled to a conveyance and a housing to be coupled with a downhole tool. A socket is defined within the housing for receiving the mandrel. A latch arrangement operable within the socket has a latch member and is moveable relative to the housing between a connect position (in which the latch is locked relative to the mandrel to prevent removal of the mandrel from the socket), and a disconnect position (in which the latch is unlocked relative to the mandrel to permit removal of the mandrel from the socket). A cavity defined within the housing is sealingly isolated from the socket. An actuator mounted within the cavity is coupled to the latch arrangement to move relative to the housing between a first position (in which the arrangement is in its connect position), and a second position (in which the arrangement is in its disconnect position).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Graeme Robert Huxtable
  • Patent number: 11434728
    Abstract: A completion system apparatus having a body comprising a throughbore and lateral flow ports for providing access through a wall of the body and a valve arrangement including a first, uphole, valve assembly and a second, downhole, valve assembly. The valve arrangement is configurable between a first, open, configuration in which passage of fluid through the axial throughbore is permitted and a second, activated, configuration, the valve arrangement in the second, activated, configuration preventing passage of fluid in the first, downhole, direction so as to direct the fluid through the lateral flow ports while permitting the passage of fluid through the apparatus in a second, uphole, direction so as to permit return passage of the fluid through the apparatus. A bypass arrangement is configured to permit fluid travelling in the second direction to bypass the first valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Mark Presslie, Andrew Franklin, Paul Day
  • Patent number: 11408251
    Abstract: A downhole apparatus comprises a piston mounted within a bore and being reconfigurable from a lock configuration to an unlock configuration in response to a pressure sequence applied within the bore. When the piston is in its lock configuration, a lock is supported by the piston such that the lock partially extends into the bore and engages a lock profile of the piston to restrict movement of the piston in a first direction towards its unlock configuration. In response to a first event of the pressure sequence, the piston is moveable in a second direction to desupport the lock and permit the lock to be wholly received into the bore and allow the piston to move in the second direction towards its unlock configuration in response to a subsequent event of the pressure sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Reid, Ian Jaffrey
  • Patent number: 11352861
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises perforating guns, bypass, and isolator mechanism. The first gun fires upon receipt of a first pressure signal delivered from a first axial side of the first gun. The second perforating gun is mounted on a second axial side of the first perforating gun, and fires upon receipt of a second pressure signal delivered from the first axial side of the first perforating gun. The bypass extends from the first axial side of the first gun to the second gun for communicating the second pressure signal to the second gun. The isolator mechanism is configurable between a first configuration in which the bypass is isolated from receiving a pressure signal to the second perforating gun, and a second configuration in which the bypass is permitted to receive a pressure signal. The isolator mechanism is reconfigurable from the first to the second configuration after the first gun has fired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Neil Anderson, Michael Ronson
  • Patent number: 11261704
    Abstract: Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a method for washing an annulus that at least partially surrounds a casing in a well. The method comprises locating a tool inside a wellbore casing, and flowing a washing fluid from an injection aperture on the tool and into the annulus via a first casing aperture in the casing. An inflow region of the casing is created having a reduced pressure relative to the annulus, and the method involves flowing the washing fluid from the annulus and into the inflow region of the casing through a second casing aperture in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Neil Anderson, Michael Ronson
  • Patent number: 11261700
    Abstract: A downhole fluid control apparatus comprises first and second conduits for providing communication between a pressure source and a downhole device, and a valve provided within a housing and configurable between a first configuration in which the first and second conduits are in pressure communication via the valve, and a second configuration in which the first and second conduits are isolated from each other. The apparatus further comprises an actuator for operating the valve. The actuator is in pressure communication with the first and second conduits and with an ambient region external of the apparatus such that when the pressure within each of the first and second conduits is lower than the ambient pressure the valve is configured in its first configuration, and when the pressure within at least one of the first and second conduits exceeds the ambient pressure the valve is configured in its second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 11220886
    Abstract: A downhole apparatus comprises a housing, a seat mounted in the housing and configured to receive an object such that the object may engage and axially move the seat to operate the downhole apparatus, and a moveable barrier located on one axial side of the seat such that when an object is engaged with the seat a volume is defined between the object and the moveable barrier, wherein the moveable barrier permits said volume to be moved within the apparatus to allow the object to axially move the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Michael John Maclurg
  • Patent number: 11022714
    Abstract: An antenna 200, 300, 400 and associated systems 1400, 1500 and methods of use of an antenna 200, 300, 400 in downhole communication or detection. The antenna 200, 300, 400 comprises a plurality of planar substrates and wherein at least two of the plurality of planar substrates each comprise at least one conductive coil 830A-J, and the plurality of planar substrates are spaced apart. The system comprises a downhole arrangement defining a throughbore, a primary antenna and a secondary antenna. At least one of the primary and secondary antennae comprise a plurality of planar substrates. At least two of the plurality of planar substrates each comprise at least one conductive coil. The plurality of planar substrates are spaced apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Hugh Clarkson
  • Patent number: 11008854
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for downhole data acquisition and/or monitoring is configured to be disposed within a completion (12) and comprises a hanger (36) configured to latch into a control line spool (38), a retrofit valve (40) for location within the subsurface safety valve (16) of the completion (12), and a sensing arrangement (42) including an optical fiber line (44). In use, the apparatus (10) is configured to be run into the completion (12) and is operable to provide data acquisition and/or monitoring capability in the well, including up or near total depth and in particular but not exclusively in the region of the well subjected to an intervention operation, such as a chemical injection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Martin Oliphant, Keith Adams
  • Patent number: 10920510
    Abstract: An anchoring apparatus (110) for use in a wellbore, comprises at least one movable wall engaging member (120) for engaging a wall of a wellbore, wherein the at least one movable wall engaging member (120) is movable from a retracted position to an expanded position to engage the wall, and from the expanded position to a retracted position to disengage the wall. Provision of one or more wall engaging members (120) being movable from an expanded position to a retracted position allows the anchoring apparatus to be retrieved from the wellbore, and in particular, from an open hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Philip C G Egleton, Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 10890053
    Abstract: A screen assembly, such as a downhole/sand screen assembly, comprising first and second screen portions or screens longitudinally coupled together, wherein there is provided a fluid flow path between the first and second screen portions or screen. Optionally, the first and second sleeves are coupled or connected by a centralizer or further sleeve or screen, and/or optionally by or via first and second support ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephen Reid, Andrew McGeoch, Matthew Manning, Daniel George Purkis
  • Patent number: 10883343
    Abstract: A screen assembly, such as a downhole/sand screen assembly, comprising first and second screen portions or screens longitudinally coupled together, wherein there is provided a fluid flow path between the first and second screen portions or screen. Optionally, the first and second sleeves are coupled or connected by a centralizer or further sleeve or screen, and/or optionally by or via first and second support ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephen Reid, Andrew McGeoch, Matthew Manning, Daniel George Purkis
  • Patent number: 10837256
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in a well borehole packing operation takes the form of a downhole packer and comprises a body and a seal member. In use, the apparatus is run into a borehole as part of a downhole completion assembly. On reaching the desired location, the apparatus is activated to urge the seal member into sealing engagement with the borehole, and thereby isolate an annular region between the apparatus and the borehole. A conduit is disposed within the body and is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the apparatus, the conduit configured to transport a borehole packing material, such as gravel slurry, through the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventor: Stephen Reid
  • Patent number: 10711573
    Abstract: A downhole apparatus comprises a piston mounted within a bore and being reconfigurable from a lock configuration to an unlock configuration in response to a pressure sequence applied within the bore. When the piston is in its lock configuration, a lock is supported by the piston such that the lock partially extends into the bore and engages a lock profile of the piston to restrict movement of the piston in a first direction towards its unlock configuration. In response to a first event of the pressure sequence, the piston is moveable in a second direction to desupport the lock and permit the lock to be wholly received into the bore and allow the piston to move in the second direction towards its unlock configuration in response to a subsequent event of the pressure sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Reid, Ian Jaffrey
  • Patent number: 10677028
    Abstract: A downhole artificial lift system comprises a production string for communicating fluid from a downhole location towards surface, a pump arrangement in communication with the production string for pumping fluid along the production string towards surface, and a gas lift arrangement deployed within the production string for delivering a lift gas into the production string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Weatherford U.K. Limited
    Inventor: Martin Oliphant
  • Patent number: 10669826
    Abstract: A wellbore injection system comprises a tubing hanger mountable within a wellbore tubular, an injection conduit supported by the tubing hanger to extend into the wellbore tubular, and an injection valve mountable within the wellbore tubular and arranged in fluid communication with the injection conduit. The injection valve is removable from the wellbore tubular independently of the tubing hanger and injection conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
    Inventors: Rodger Lacy, Shonagh Mackie, William Murray