Patents Examined by Kristyn Hall
  • Patent number: 11293235
    Abstract: A directional drill stem loader and associated methods are shown. In one example, the drill stem loader operates in a linear motion. In one example, a drill stem gripper is configured to move the completely to one side of a drill stem during a retraction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TT Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Olander
  • Patent number: 11293272
    Abstract: Described herein are coated lift plungers, which have improved hardness, durability, and corrosion resistance, as well as methods of making, reworking, and using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MODUMETAL, INC.
    Inventor: Samuel Lomasney
  • Patent number: 11293236
    Abstract: A robotic apparatus for performing drill floor operations comprises a support arrangement and at least one manipulator arm. The at least one manipulator arm is configured to carry an end effector configured to manipulate one or more of tubing, tools and/or equipment on a drill floor or pipe deck of an oil and gas rig in order to perform a given drill floor operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MAERSK DRILLING A/S
    Inventor: Jesper Holck
  • Patent number: 11286725
    Abstract: A pipe segment includes an outer pipe including a shaft wall, a first connector disposed at a first end of the shaft wall, and a second connector disposed at a second end of the shaft wall opposite the first end. The pipe segment further includes an electrical cable extending through the shaft wall along a length of the outer pipe between the first and second connectors and an inner pipe positioned within the outer pipe and surrounding the electrical cable, the inner pipe being movable axially with respect to the outer pipe, and the outer pipe being movable rotationally with respect to the inner pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ahmed Al-Mousa, Qadir Looni, Ahmed A. Al-Ramadhan
  • Patent number: 11286769
    Abstract: Apparatus for use in sensing temperature in a wellbore, comprising: tubing comprising a plurality of temperature sensor modules provided at locations along the inside of the tubing, said temperature sensor modules comprising temperature sensors provided at least in part by at least one resistive element having electrical properties that vary with temperature; an electrical network configured to electrically connect to the resistive elements to in use allow measuring of the respective electrical properties of the resistive elements to infer a thermal characteristic of the resistive element; and at least one control module electrically connected to multiple temperature sensor modules, via the electrical network, and configured to receive and process an electrical signal associated with the temperature sensor modules to enable inference of the temperature of the resistive elements and the environment to which the tubing is exposed at the location of that resistive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: METROL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Leslie David Jarvis, Shaun Compton Ross
  • Patent number: 11286733
    Abstract: Bottom hole assemblies for deploying fabric can include: a body configured to be attached to a drill pipe; a control tube disposed inside the body at a position controlled by engagement of a cam with a continuous guide path; a set tube, the set tube and the body together defining a pressure chamber with the body defining an inlet port extending between the interior cavity and pressure chamber, the set tube movable between a rolling position and a reaming position; a reamer assembly with at least one first articulated arm with extending between first attachment point on the body and the set tube; and a roller assembly with: at least one second articulated arm extending between the set tube and a second attachment point on the body; and a roller positioned at a joint of each second articulated arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Bodong Li, Chinthaka Pasan Gooneratne, Timothy E. Moellendick, Rami F. Saleh
  • Patent number: 11268355
    Abstract: Downhole hanger systems and methods for hanging a first structure from a second structure in downhole environments are described. The systems include a first structure and a second structure, with the first structure disposed within the second structure. A composite joint is arranged on an outer surface of the first structure. The composite joint is formed of a material configured to be fused to both the first structure and the second structure and form a hanger joint having a shear strength of at least 2 ksi when the material is fused to the outer surface of the first structure and an inner surface of the second structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Zhiyue Xu, Guijun Deng, Oleksandr Kuznetsov, Deepak Kumar
  • Patent number: 11261720
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes computer-implemented method for monitoring a well operation, the method including: accessing a plurality of streams of data received from multiple sources during the well operation, wherein: the multiple sources include a well testing process, a biosteering process, a geosteering process, and a drilling process, and the well operation includes sidetracking and drilling one or more laterals from a motherbore; combining the plurality of streams of data on a single montage with a common horizontal axis to track the one or more laterals from the motherbore; and presenting the single montage on a display device to an operator running the well operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ahmad Azly Bin Abdul Aziz, Ferney Geovany Moreno Sierra
  • Patent number: 11255149
    Abstract: A multifunctional directional wireline core drilling device includes an outer assembly, an inner assembly, a core unjamming mechanism, and a directional coring mechanism. According to the present disclosure, wireline core drilling can be fulfilled; in addition, the directional coring mechanism can truly restore the strike and azimuth of a stratum facture by obtaining a core with an azimuth. By controlling the flow of drilling fluid during drilling, the core unjamming mechanism can effectively reduce core abrasion, generated due to jamming in the core barrel, during drilling, so that the core recovery of a fractured stratum prone to causing core jamming and the drilling efficiency are greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Institute of Exploration Techniques, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences
    Inventors: Longlong Cao, Hengchun Zhang, Wenshi Wang, Jia Yan, Jie Xu
  • Patent number: 11255154
    Abstract: A method of setting a tandem releasable bridge plug system in a casing includes assembling a tandem bridge plug string including a lower bridge plug on a lower, disconnectable connector, an upper bridge plug on an upper, disconnectable connector which both are initially disabled by a lock and unlockable from topsides, and running in the tandem plug string on a drill pipe string until the lower plug is at its setting target depth; setting and shutting the lower plug; disconnecting the upper plug from the lower plug; pulling up the upper plug to its upper setting target depth; enabling the upper plug by releasing the lock; setting and shutting the upper plug; disconnecting the drill pipe string from the upper plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ARCHER OILTOOLS AS
    Inventors: Jan-Ove Fagna, Eirik Andre Revheim
  • Patent number: 11255156
    Abstract: An inner core barrel assembly incorporates an inner core tube. A body is connected to the inner core tube with a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism is configured to maintain a fixed rotational orientation with the inner core tube. The body includes a flow path for liquid within the inner core tube to flow as the inner core barrel assembly descends through a drill string. a core orientation system is contained within the body and positioned within the inner core tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: RELEX INSTRUMENTS ASIA PACIFIC
    Inventors: Andrew Phillip Beach, Nigel Warwick Gaylard, Timothy Merle Price, Richard Kabzinski, James Barry Reilly
  • Patent number: 11255130
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for drilling a wellbore. A method includes: sensing electrical resistance of an insulated conductor extending from a surface of a drill bit to a sensor inside the drill bit; calculating drill bit dimensions based on the sensed electrical resistance; and transmitting sensed electrical resistance, calculated drill bit dimensions, or both uphole to a system for controlling drilling operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Timothy E. Moellendick, Guodong Zhan, Abdulwahab Al-Johar
  • Patent number: 11248422
    Abstract: A method of conducting subterranean drilling operations comprising guiding a tubular with a first guide arranged in a first configuration; coupling an umbilical line to the tubular with an engagement element; guiding the tubular with a second guide; arranging the first guide to a second configuration to permit longitudinal passage of the engagement element past the first guide; and arranging the first guide to the first configuration after the engagement element is past the first guide. A system for conducting subterranean operations comprising a first guide and a second guide disposed at different vertical elevations, wherein the first and second guides are adapted to provide continuous support to a tubular in a lateral direction when the tubular is coupled with an umbilical line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Nabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamie Bergeron, Hendrik Schalk Le Roux
  • Patent number: 11248438
    Abstract: A straddle packer has a multicomponent mandrel with an active mandrel component. A pressure cylinder module reciprocates in opposite directions within a limited range over the active mandrel component. When fluid is pumped through a tubing string into the straddle packer, a piston of the pressure cylinder module is urged in one direction along an axis of the active mandrel component while a cylinder wall of the pressure cylinder module is urged in an opposite direction along the axis to simultaneously compress spaced-apart packers of the straddle packer to a packer set condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: EXACTA-FRAC ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Joze John Hrupp
  • Patent number: 11242743
    Abstract: Provided here are methods and system to detect an untethered device in a wellhead. The untethered device includes a housing, a transducer, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The transducer emits acoustic signals that are received by microphones on the surface of the wellhead. Based on these acoustic signals, the location of the untethered device is determined and appropriate valves may be opened or closed by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Huseyin Rahmi Seren, Max Deffenbaugh
  • Patent number: 11236578
    Abstract: A wellbore isolation tool, e.g., a bridge plug, provides the ability to seal portions of a well from production or to temporarily seal zones of a well from treatment. A bridge plug may include a sealing element supported by one or more segmented barrier devices that operate to prohibit extrusion of the sealing element as the sealing element is subjected to an axial force. The segmented barrier device may operate passively as segments are driven radially outward by the radial expansion of the sealing element when subject to the axial force and driven radially inward by leaf springs when the axial force is removed. Segments of the segmented barrier device may circumferentially overlap and form a generally flat shoulder supporting the sealing element. The segmented barrier device may include a jacket covering the segments, and a sealing element may be supported by a segmented barrier device on each axial end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Phan, Nathan J. Harder
  • Patent number: 11236576
    Abstract: A downhole isolation tool for sealing a casing in a well, the downhole isolation including plural parts made of a composite material, each part having a preset functionality with regard to sealing the casing; and a sealing element configured to seal the casing. At least two parts of the plural parts have a single, combined body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
    Inventor: John Hardesty
  • Patent number: 11230904
    Abstract: A packer assembly includes a tubing string disposed in a wellbore and a packer releasably coupled to the tubing string. The packer includes a housing releasably coupled to the tubing string, a packer slip, a flexible sealing element, a piston coupled to the housing, a locking member, and a mandrel disposed inside the housing. The piston moves to activate the packer slip and the flexible sealing element to set the packer on a wall of the wellbore. The locking member engages the piston to constrain movement of the piston to keep the packer set on the wall of the wellbore. The mandrel connects to the tubing string when the tubing string is released from the housing. The locking member is collapsible to disengage the piston to unset the packer slip and the flexible sealing element responsive to shear force applied by the mandrel to the locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ahmed Al-Mousa, Ahmed A. Al-Ramadhan, Qadir Looni
  • Patent number: 11230889
    Abstract: A reamer used in downhole oil well operations, particularly in reaming while drilling applications includes a plurality of helical blades. Each blade extends along a center axis of the reamer body and includes a sequence of a sloping leading edge, a central blade length, and a sloping trailing edge. Each edge slopes away from the central blade length and toward the center axis. A first series of a first type of cutter are positioned along the central blade length; separate pluralities of a second type of cutter are respectively positioned along the leading edge and the sloping trailing edge. A third type of cutter is positioned in a first transition zone located between the leading edge and the central blade length, an additional instance of the third type of cutter is positioned in a second transition zone located between the trailing edge and the central blade length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Duane Shotwell
  • Patent number: 11225840
    Abstract: A pipe assembly has a hollow inner member nested within a hollow outer member. A series of pipe assemblies are connected end-to-end to form a dual-member drill string useful in horizontal directional drilling operations. The drill string has mutually exclusive first and second fluid paths. Fluid seals, interposed between adjacent inner members of the string, isolate the first fluid path from the second fluid path. Compressed air is delivered into the first fluid path from above ground level, and routed to an underground boring tool. The expelled air and spoils are returned to above ground level by way of the second fluid path. One or more baffle elements are supported on the drill string adjacent the boring tool. The baffle elements are configured to prevent compressed air and spoils from flowing between the walls of the borehole and the drill string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
    Inventor: Floyd R. Gunsaulis