Patents by Inventor Timothy G. Benish

Timothy G. Benish 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).

  • Publication number: 20150285052
    Abstract: Methods for stimulating a subterranean formation comprising providing a stimulating fluid stream to a casing conduit that is defined by a production casing that extends within the subterranean formation to increase a fluid pressure within the casing conduit. The methods further include locating an isolation device on an isolation sleeve to fluidly isolate a downhole portion of the casing conduit from an uphole portion of the casing conduit and opening an injection port that is associated with the isolation sleeve to permit an injection port fluid flow into the subterranean formation. The methods also include sealing the injection port and creating an uphole perforation in the uphole longitudinal section of the production casing responsive to the fluid pressure exceeding the threshold perforating pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Randy C. TOLMAN, Timothy G. BENISH, Geoffrey STEINER, Kris J. NYGAARD
  • Publication number: 20150285030
    Abstract: Flow control assemblies comprise a housing that includes a housing body that defines a housing conduit, an injection conduit that extends through the housing body, and a ball sealer seat. The ball sealer seat defines a portion of the injection conduit, is defined on an inner surface of the housing, and is sized to receive a ball sealer to restrict fluid flow from the casing conduit through the injection conduit. The flow control assemblies further include a sliding sleeve that is located within the housing conduit and defines an isolation ball seat. The flow control assemblies also include a retention structure that is configured to retain the sliding sleeve in a first configuration and to selectively permit the sliding sleeve to transition from the first configuration to a second configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Randy C. TOLMAN, Timothy G. BENISH, Geoffrey STEINER
  • Patent number: 8899339
    Abstract: Isolation systems for use in a wellbore include two or more tubular segments and at least one coupling assembly. The at least one coupling system is adapted to couple the first and second tubular segments together. The at least one coupling system is further adapted to block at least a portion of the wellbore annulus. The at least one coupling system is further configured as a leaky isolation assembly to separate the wellbore annulus into at least two isolated zones when disposed in the wellbore. At least one isolation zone has at least two outlets including a first outlet through an opening into the tubular and a second outlet past the leaky isolation assembly. The isolation system is configured to provide the isolation with hydraulics during well operation that preferentially drives fluids through the first outlet and at least substantially prevents fluid from passing the isolation assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Randy C. Tolman, Timothy G. Benish
  • Patent number: 8473268
    Abstract: Methods and system for incorporating downhole and surface data with models and adjustment algorithms to back allocate flow rates of commingled zones. The models include fluid flow in the reservoir and wellbore, pressure drop across a choke, and fluid flow in the well completion. The models are coupled with an algorithm for comparing the results from the individual commingled zones to the total cumulative commingled volume and adjusting at least one predicted rate so that they match the measured flow rate over a specified time period. One method utilizes a reassignment factor for the adjustment of the predicted rates. These comparisons and allocation adjustments can be accomplished even when the frequency of the commingled flow rate and cumulative measurements, and the frequency of the predicted rates from the model differ from each other and the specified time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Timothy G Benish, Michael E McCracken
  • Patent number: 8301425
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons is described. In the method, a failure mode for a well completion is identified. A numerical engineering model to describe an event that results in the failure mode is constructed. The numerical engineering model is converted into a response surface. Then, the response surface is associated with a user tool configured to provide the response surface for analysis of another well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Bruce A. Dale, Rahul Pakal, David C. Haeberle, Jason A. Burdette, John W. Mohr, Darren F. Rosenbaum, Marcus Asmann, Scott R. Clingman, Brian W. Duffy, Timothy G. Benish
  • Patent number: 8127831
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons including a wellbore that accesses a subsurface reservoir; a production tubing string disposed within the wellbore; and sand control devices coupled to the production tubing string. At least one of the sand control devices includes a first tubular member having a permeable section and a non permeable section; a second tubular member disposed within the first tubular member. The second tubular member has a plurality of openings and an inflow control device that provides a flow path to the interior. The sand control devices include a sealing mechanism disposed between the first tubular member and the second tubular member to provide pressure loss during gravel packing operations that is less than the pressure loss during production operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: David C. Haeberle, Charles Yeh, Timothy G. Benish, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker, Jon Blacklock
  • Patent number: 7984760
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons are described. The system includes a wellbore that accesses a subsurface reservoir; a production tubing string disposed within the wellbore; and one or more sand control devices coupled to the production tubing string and disposed within the wellbore. At least one of the sand control devices includes a first tubular member having a permeable section and a non permeable section; a second tubular member disposed within the first tubular member. The second tubular member has a plurality of openings and an inflow control device that each provide a flow path to the interior of the second tubular member. Also, the at least one of the sand control devices includes a sealing mechanism disposed between the first tubular member and the second tubular member. The sealing mechanism is configured to provide a pressure loss during gravel packing operations that is less than the pressure loss during at least some of the production operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: David C. Haeberle, Charles Yeh, Timothy G. Benish, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker, Jon Blacklock
  • Publication number: 20110162840
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons including a wellbore that accesses a subsurface reservoir; a production tubing string disposed within the wellbore; and sand control devices coupled to the production tubing string. At least one of the sand control devices includes a first tubular member having a permeable section and a non permeable section; a second tubular member disposed within the first tubular member. The second tubular member has a plurality of openings and an inflow control device that provides a flow path to the interior. The sand control devices include a sealing mechanism disposed between the first tubular member and the second tubular member to provide pressure loss during gravel packing operations that is less than the pressure loss during production operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: David C. Haeberle, Charles Yeh, Timothy G. Benish, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker, Jon Blacklock
  • Publication number: 20110087471
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a reservoir property distinct from a near-wellbore/completion characteristic. The methods include obtaining non-transient well data regarding a measurable characteristic of a well that is used to establish a functional relationship between a reservoir property, a near-wellbore/completion characteristic, and the measurable characteristic of the well. A model that relates the reservoir property and the near-wellbore/completion characteristic is used to generate a modeled near-wellbore/completion characteristic value from an input reservoir property value, or vice versa. The input value and the modeled value are then tested against the well data using the functional relationship. The model is used repeatedly with different input values until a validated reservoir property value and a validated near-wellbore/completion characteristic value are identified that at least substantially satisfy the functional relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Dieter Postl, Jason A. Burdette, Jim H. Lee, Timothy G. Benish, Bruce A. Dale
  • Publication number: 20100299111
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons is described. In the method, a failure mode for a well completion is identified. A numerical engineering model to describe an event that results in the failure mode is constructed. The numerical engineering model is converted into a response surface. Then, the response surface is associated with a user tool configured to provide the response surface for analysis of another well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: Bruce A. Dale, Rahul Pakal, David C. Haeberle, Jason A. Burdette, John W. Mohr, Darren F. Rosenbaum, Marcus Asmann, Scott R. Clingman, Brain W. Duffy, Timothy G. Benish
  • Publication number: 20100276160
    Abstract: Isolation systems for use in a wellbore include two or more tubular segments and at least one coupling assembly. The at least one coupling system is adapted to couple the first and second tubular segments together. The at least one coupling system is further adapted to block at least a portion of the wellbore annulus. The at least one coupling system is further configured as a leaky isolation assembly to separate the wellbore annulus into at least two isolated zones when disposed in the wellbore. At least one isolation zone has at least two outlets including a first outlet through an opening into the tubular and a second outlet past the leaky isolation assembly. The isolation system is configured to provide the isolation with hydraulics during well operation that preferentially drives fluids through the first outlet and at least substantially prevents fluid from passing the isolation assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Randy C. Tolman, Timothy G. Benish
  • Publication number: 20100191516
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that may be utilized to make completion design an integral part of the well planning process by enabling the rapid evaluation of completion performance. This integration may include an earth model and may specify wellpath parameters, completion parameters, and other parameters in a simulation of operations using the earth model. The simulation generates well performance measures, which may be optimized depending on well performance technical limits. The optimization may be used to maximize an objective function. The system may include multiple users at the same or different locations (e.g. over a network) interacting through graphic user interfaces (GUI's).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Timothy G. Benish, Scott R. Clingman, Bruce A. Dale, James E. Holl, Rune Musum
  • Publication number: 20090198477
    Abstract: Methods and system for incorporating downhole and surface data with models and adjustment algorithms to back allocate flow rates of commingled zones. The models include fluid flow in the reservoir and wellbore, pressure drop across a choke, and fluid flow in the well completion. The models are coupled with an algorithm for comparing the results from the individual commingled zones to the total cumulative commingled volume and adjusting at least one predicted rate so that they match the measured flow rate over a specified time period. One method utilizes a reassignment factor for the adjustment of the predicted rates. These comparisons and allocation adjustments can be accomplished even when the frequency of the commingled flow rate and cumulative measurements, and the frequency of the predicted rates from the model differ from each other and the specified time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Timothy G. Benish, Michael E. McCracken
  • Publication number: 20090008092
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons are described. The system includes a wellbore that accesses a subsurface reservoir; a production tubing string disposed within the wellbore; and one or more sand control devices coupled to the production tubing string and disposed within the wellbore. At least one of the sand control devices includes a first tubular member having a permeable section and a non permeable section; a second tubular member disposed within the first tubular member. The second tubular member has a plurality of openings and an inflow control device that each provide a flow path to the interior of the second tubular member. Also, the at least one of the sand control devices includes a sealing mechanism disposed between the first tubular member and the second tubular member. The sealing mechanism is configured to provide a pressure loss during gravel packing operations that is less than the pressure loss during at least some of the production operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: David C. Haeberle, Charles Yeh, Timothy G. Benish, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker, Jon Blacklock