Patents Examined by Richard Alker
-
Patent number: 9371715Abstract: A method and apparatus for centering and engaging a casing against a wellbore. The apparatus comprises a valve body locatable in-line with the casing the valve body having an outer casing extending between first and second ends and a central passage therethrough, and at least one radially movable body extending therethrough. Each radially movable body has an aperture therethrough so as to permit an exterior of the valve body and the central passage to be in fluidic communication with each other. The apparatus further comprises a cylinder and a piston therein operable connected to the radially movable body in selective fluidic communication with the central passage. The method comprises locating the valve body in line with a wellbore casing, pressurizing the casing with a pressurizing fluid and transmitting the pressurizing fluid the cylinder so as to displace a piston located therein and extend the radially movable body.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2011Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Grant George, Shane Sargent
-
Patent number: 9140116Abstract: A method for capturing a sample from a wellbore, comprising the steps of introducing a first message and a second message into a tubing positioned within the wellbore. The first message is directed to a first modem connected to a first sampler device to cause the first sampler device to collect a first sample. The second message is directed to a second modem connected to a second sampler device to cause the second sampler device to collect a second sample.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2011Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Malcolm Atkinson, John Stevens, Adeel Khan, Susanna Fragoso, Laurent Alteirac, Jim Filas
-
Patent number: 9115548Abstract: A method to add a joint of pipe to a conductor string includes securing the conductor string with a spider, grasping an upper end of the joint of pipe with a segmented-ring elevator, engaging a plurality of slips of the elevator with an outer profile of the joint of pipe, raising the grasped joint of pipe from non-vertical to vertical, positioning the vertical joint of pipe atop the secured conductor string, attaching the joint of pipe to the conductor string, releasing the conductor string from the spider, and retaining the joint of pipe and the conductor string with the segmented-ring elevator.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Frank's International, LLCInventors: Jeremy Richard Angelle, Logan Essex Smith
-
Patent number: 9115547Abstract: A method to add a joint of pipe to a conductor string includes securing the conductor string with a spider, grasping an upper end of the joint of pipe with a segmented-ring elevator, engaging a plurality of slips of the elevator with an outer profile of the joint of pipe, raising the grasped joint of pipe from non-vertical to vertical, positioning the vertical joint of pipe atop the secured conductor string, attaching the joint of pipe to the conductor string, releasing the conductor string from the spider, and retaining the joint of pipe and the conductor string with the segmented-ring elevator.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2010Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Frank's International, LLCInventors: Jeremy Richard Angelle, Logan Essex Smith
-
Patent number: 9103182Abstract: A well completion system includes a wellhead, a control line assembly for use in completions that is mounted to the wellhead, and a tubing hanger. The control line assembly includes a cylinder, a main housing assembly, a passage and a metal-to-metal seal. A split lockout ring provides a positive lock to the passage. Control lines enter the tubing hanger and exit via the wellhead. This arrangement on the wellhead provides sufficient height and clearance to allow for the installation of a plurality of control lines.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2011Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: James A. Sinnott, Arlane Christie, Laura Campbell
-
Patent number: 9097086Abstract: A downhole tool that includes a tractor for assisting movement of the tool through deviated portions of a wellbore. The tractor includes a working fluid that damps vibrations in the tractor by adjusting the viscosity in the fluid. In an example, the working fluid is a magnetorheological fluid that has a viscosity that changes in response to applied electrical energy. The working fluid, which may be used for powering actuators on the tractor, may contain a suspension of magnetic particles.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2011Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventor: Khalid Abdullah AlDossary
-
Patent number: 9091149Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, techniques for predicting, classifying, preventing, and remedying drilling fluid circulation loss events are disclosed. Tools for gathering relevant data are disclosed, and techniques for interpreting the resultant data as giving rise to an actual or potential drilling fluid lost circulation event are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2012Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.Inventors: Mark William Alberty, Mark Aston, Juan Carlos Rojas, Randall Sant, Jianguo Zhang
-
Patent number: 9074441Abstract: Systems and techniques, including a circle feeder, for the handling of drill cuttings, providing surge storage, rig buffer storage and wet and dry cuttings blending, including temporary storage of drill cuttings, optimizing storage capacity and the efficient and regulated movement of stored cuttings to a discharge port out of the hopper. Systems and techniques, maximize available space, provide optimized surge storage to optimize the use of downstream DPCS (and other transportation devices), provide optimized rig based storage and discharge, minimize or eliminate the occurrence of ratholing, bridging, degradation, segregation, and dehydration within the hopper, control and regulate the flow of cuttings from the hopper to the discharge port from the hopper, and provide metered discharge from the hopper storage, particularly when one hopper is discharging wet cuttings and a second hopper is discharging dry cuttings, and it is desirable to blend the wet and dry cuttings after such metered discharge.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2010Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: KMC OIL TOOLS B.V.Inventors: Craig William Addison, Kenneth Richard Carlsson, Joseph Daniel Farrar, Perry Lyman
-
Patent number: 9051810Abstract: Frac valves used in completing oil and gas wells are provided. The valves comprise a cylindrical housing adapted for assembly into a liner for a well. The valve housing defines a conduit for the passage of fluids through the housing. Preferably the conduit has a substantially uniform diameter. The housing has a port which can allow fluids to pass from the conduit to the exterior of the valve. The port may be shut off or left open by a valve body mounted on the housing. Preferably, the valve body is mounted between inner and outer walls provided in the housing. An actuator is provided to move the valve body between its open and closed positions. It comprises a receiver that is adapted to receive an activation signal. Thus, the valve may be actuated by introducing a transmitter into the housing conduit which transmits an activation signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2014Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: EirCan Downhole Technologies, LLCInventors: Christopher J. Cuffe, John Cuffe, Keith B. Willhelm
-
Patent number: 9022130Abstract: A downhole isolation valve for testing the integrity of a tubular within a wellbore includes a tubular body with an axial through bore having a reduced diameter portion defining a valve seat and a ledge; an inner sleeve, with a closed end configured to seal within the valve seat, a shoulder spaced from that closed end, and a radial outlet positioned between the shoulder and the closed end; wherein in use the inner sleeve is selectively moveable within the bore at a predetermined pressure between a closed position, in which there is no flowpath through the bore, and an open position, in which the closed end is positioned beyond the valve seat to expose the radial outlet to the through bore beyond the valve seat and provide a flowpath through the bore of the outer tubular body.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2010Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Specialised Petroleum Services Group LimitedInventor: George Telfer
-
Patent number: 9022103Abstract: A capture device for a bore hole of a fluid source, has a base plate (6) that can be anchored at the floor, over the bore hole, and has a bore hole opening (8) through which fluid can be streamed out of the bore hole. An ascending pipe (2) is arranged over the bore hole opening (8). Guide baffles (9) are arranged around the bore hole opening (8), and have blades (10) fixed to the top of the base plate (6) so that the guide baffles (6) can be pivoted and displaced. The blades (10) encompass the longitudinal end (3) of the ascending pipe (2) that faces the bore hole opening (8) like a flower and overlap one another, whereby fluid flowing from the bore hole opening (8) can be captured via the blades (10) and discharged to the ascending pipe (2).Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2011Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Valentin RoehmInventor: Valentin Roehm
-
Patent number: 9022146Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus for drilling a wellbore into an earth formation is disclosed, which apparatus, according to one embodiment, may include a drill string configured to be conveyed into a wellbore, wherein an annulus is formed between the drill string and a wellbore wall, a first flow device configured to circulate a first fluid from an annulus to a bore of the drill string, and a second flow device positioned downhole of the first flow device, the second flow device configured to circulate a second fluid from the bore of the drill string to the annulus.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2011Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Baker Hughes IncorporatedInventors: Sven Krueger, Volker Krueger, Jens-Uwe Bruns, Karsten Fuhst, Joerg Breitenfeld
-
Patent number: 9016390Abstract: An actuatable wellbore isolation assembly comprising a housing generally defining an axial flowbore and comprising a mandrel portion, a first end portion, and a second end portion, a radially expandable isolating member positioned circumferentially about a portion of the housing, a sliding sleeve circumferentially positioned about a portion of the mandrel of the cylindrical housing, the sliding sleeve being movable from, a first position in which the sliding sleeve retains the expandable isolating member in a narrower non-expanded conformation to a second position in which the sliding sleeve does not retain the expandable isolating member in the narrower non-expanded conformation, and an actuator assemblage configured to selectively allow movement of the sliding sleeve from the first position to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventors: Takao Tommy Stewart, Robert Lee Pipkin, Eric Bivens, Fraser McNeil, Michael Brent Bailey, Tim Holiman Hunter
-
Patent number: 9010422Abstract: A wellbore y-block junction comprises a first bore channel, a second bore channel, a deflector selectable to a neutral position, to a first bore channel selected position, and to a second bore channel selected position, a radio receiver, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to command the deflector position to one of the neutral position, the first bore channel selected position, or the second bore channel selected position based on an input from the radio receiver.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventor: Stacey B. Donovan
-
Patent number: 9010415Abstract: Disclosed is an expansion assembly and method to expand tubulars. In embodiments, an expansion assembly for disposition in a wellbore includes an expandable tubular and an expansion tool that has a swage and a thruster. In addition, the expansion tool has a front anchor assembly that has a front anchor having an open position providing an anchoring relationship with the internal wall and a closed position providing the front anchor with a diameter less than an internal diameter of the expandable tubular. The front anchor assembly also has a sensor positioned on an opposing side of the front anchor from the expansion swage providing that while the sensor is positioned inside the internal wall the front anchor may be in an open position or in a closed position while upon exit of the sensor from the end portion the sensor brings the front anchor in a permanently closed position.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Mohawk Energy Ltd.Inventors: Scott A. Benzie, Alessandro O. Caccialupi, Andrei G. Filippov
-
Patent number: 9004158Abstract: An apparatus for restricting movement of sand in an oil well has a production tubing, a working barrel positioned in the production tubing, a tubular member affixed an end of the working barrel, and a seal extending around the tubular member. The seal is of an elastic or an elastomeric material. The seal has an outer periphery contacting the inner diameter of the production tubing. The seal has a plurality of splits formed therethrough. Each of the splits has a generally V-shaped configuration.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2011Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Inventor: Kenneth Havard
-
Patent number: 9004166Abstract: A gas separator for separating gas from a fluid in a production stream in a producing hydrocarbon well is described. The gas separator includes a central tube sized to fit into a well casing of the producing hydrocarbon well and having an input at its lower end for receiving the production stream and perforations at its upper end to allow the production stream to flow into the space between the central tube and the well casing. A suction tube is located inside the central tube, the suction tube is operable to draw fluid from the space between the central tube and the well casing and to deliver the fluid to an artificial lift mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2011Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Spirit Global Energy Solutions, Inc.Inventor: John M. Raglin
-
Patent number: 8991483Abstract: Apparatus and method for collecting and preserving in representative condition a fluid sample from a reservoir which comprises: positioning a sample receptacle in the vicinity of a subterranean zone to be sampled, allowing or causing the sample to first flow into the sample receptacle, wherein the movement of the sample into the sample receptacle is restricted by the movement of a sampling piston, and wherein the movement of the sampling piston is further controlled by the rotation of an electrical motor connected to the sample piston such that the rotation of the electric motor translates to lateral movement of the sample piston, the lateral movement of the sample piston in turn allowing sample to enter the sample receptacle, and wherein once an adequate volume of sample has been collected, reversing the direction of the electrical motor will serve to cause the sample piston to exert pressure on the collected sample.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2012Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Inventor: Cyrus Aspi Irani
-
Patent number: 8978788Abstract: A cutting element for use in a drill bit for drilling subterranean formations includes a cutting body having a substrate including a rear surface, an upper surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the rear surface and the upper surface, and a superabrasive layer overlying the upper surface of the substrate. The cutting element further includes a sleeve surrounding the peripheral side surface of the cutting body and comprising a superabrasive layer bonded to an external surface of the sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2010Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Baker Hughes IncorporatedInventors: Chaitanya K. Vempati, Suresh G. Patel, Jack Thomas Oldham, Danielle M. Fuselier, Jim Powers, Nicholas J. Lyons
-
Patent number: 8973657Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining fluid samples in a subterranean wellbore comprises a carrier assembly configured to be disposed in a subterranean wellbore; a sampling chamber operably associated with the carrier assembly; a pressure assembly coupled to the sampling chamber and configured to pressurize a fluid sample obtained in the sampling chamber, wherein the pressure assembly is configured to contain a pressure generating agent; an activation mechanism configured to activate the pressure generating agent; and a power device operably associated with the carrier assembly and configured to provide an impulse for activating the activation mechanism, wherein the power device is not disposed on the pressure assembly.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2013Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventors: Scott L. Miller, Cyrus A. Irani