Patents by Inventor Tim W. Geerits

Tim W. Geerits has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Downhole measurements of mud acoustic velocity
    Patent number: 8130591
    Abstract: One or more acoustic transducers are used to measure ultrasonic velocities in the mud in the interior channel of a drill collar. Corrections may be applied for temperature and/or fine grain drill cuttings to get the ultrasonic velocity in the annulus between the drill collar and the borehole wall. The latter velocity may be used for caliper measurements and for correcting measurements made by formation evaluation sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Tim W. Geerits
  • Controlled source imbalance apparatus, systems, and methods
    Patent number: 8107316
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may include exciting a plurality of signal source pairs having a substantially equal and non-zero acoustic signature amplitude difference in a frequency domain to provide acoustic signal data, and acquiring the acoustic signal data along a selected azimuth. The plurality of signal source pairs may comprise acoustic bender plates, perhaps included in the outer wall of a downhole tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim W. Geerits, James R. Birchak
  • Imaging of formation structure ahead of the drill-bit
    Patent number: 8055448
    Abstract: A downhole acoustic logging tool is used for generating a guided borehole wave that propagates into the formation as a body wave, reflects from an interface and is converted back into a guided borehole wave. Guided borehole waves resulting from reflection of the body wave are used to image a reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Holger Mathiszik, Tim W. Geerits, Thomas Bohlen, Denise De Nil, Daniel Köhn, Olaf Hellwig, Stefan Jetschny
  • Acoustic Imaging Away From the Borehole Using a Low-Frequency Quadrupole Excitation
    Publication number: 20090205899
    Abstract: Acoustic measurements made in a borehole using a multipole source are used for imaging a near-borehole geological formation structure and determination of its orientation. The signal to noise ratio (as defined by the ratio of the signal radiated into the formation to the axially propagating signal) depends upon the type of source (force or volume) and its position in the borehole (on the tool, in the fluid or on the borehole wall).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Tim W. Geerits, Xiao Ming Tang, Yibing Zheng, Douglas J. Patterson, Holger Mathiszik
  • Downhole Measurements of Mud Acoustic Velocity
    Publication number: 20090196120
    Abstract: One or more acoustic transducers are used to measure ultrasonic velocities in the mud in the interior channel of a drill collar. Corrections may be applied for temperature and/or fine grain drill cuttings to get the ultrasonic velocity in the annulus between the drill collar and the borehole wall. The latter velocity may be used for caliper measurements and for correcting measurements made by formation evaluation sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tim W. Geerits
  • Imaging of Formation Structure Ahead of the Drill-Bit
    Publication number: 20080312839
    Abstract: A downhole acoustic logging tool is used for generating a guided borehole wave that propagates into the formation as a body wave, reflects from an interface and is converted back into a guided borehole wave. Guided borehole waves resulting from reflection of the body wave are used to image a reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Holger Mathiszik, Tim W. Geerits, Thomas Bohlen, Denise De Nil, Daniel Kohn, Olaf Hellwig, Stefan Jetschny
  • System and method for monitoring and removing blockage in a downhole oil and gas recovery operation
    Patent number: 7318471
    Abstract: A system and method for determining blockage in a wellbore containing fluid and/or in a formation adjacent the wellbore, according to which energy is generated in the fluid and variables associated with the energy are measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Rodney, Jeroen J. Groenenboom, Wei Han, James R. Birchak, Denis P. Schmitt, Tim W. Geerits, Eugene J. Linyaev