Patents by Inventor Walter E. Friedl

Walter E. Friedl 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).

  • Patent number: 11111748
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Wellbore Integrity Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather, Kenneth Daniel Hora
  • Patent number: 10883359
    Abstract: Methods and tools for cutting a component in a wellbore are include use of a downhole tool that is tripped into a wellbore. The downhole tool includes at least one sensor that determines whether a quality of a cement around casing satisfies a predetermined standard. The casing is cut to remove an axial section of the casing and the at least one sensor determines whether at least a segment of the axial section of the casing remains adhered to the cement after the casing is cut. A casing removal tool can be activated to remove any remaining segments of casing in the axial section. A plug can be formed in the area where the axial segment of the casing was removed. The downhole tool may include a cutting tool with a laser, abrasive jet, or other cutting element shielded from wellbore debris by a fluid stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Wellbore Integrity Solutions LLC
    Inventors: David A. Stokes, James Bain, Walter E. Friedl, Douglas A. Pipchuk
  • Publication number: 20200149364
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather, Kenneth Daniel Hora
  • Patent number: 10538983
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather, Kenneth Daniel Hora
  • Publication number: 20180245450
    Abstract: Methods and tools for cutting a component in a wellbore are include use of a downhole tool that is tripped into a wellbore. The downhole tool includes at least one sensor that determines whether a quality of a cement around casing satisfies a predetermined standard. The casing is cut to remove an axial section of the casing and the at least one sensor determines whether at least a segment of the axial section of the casing remains adhered to the cement after the casing is cut. A casing removal tool can be activated to remove any remaining segments of casing in the axial section. A plug can be formed in the area where the axial segment of the casing was removed. The downhole tool may include a cutting tool with a laser, abrasive jet, or other cutting element shielded from wellbore debris by a fluid stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: David A. Stokes, James Bain, Walter E. Friedl, Douglas A. Pipchuk
  • Publication number: 20160040496
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20160040495
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with a barrier to promote re-circulation of debris and cuttings to the face of the mill. The face of the mill may include cutting elements. A barrier may obstruct the flow of cuttings and debris away from the face to re-circulate the cutting and debris to promote re-milling of the cuttings and debris by the cutting elements of the face of the mill. The barrier may include a hydraulic barrier formed by fluid expelled from nozzles in or above the mill. A secondary attrition system uphole of the mill may also be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of cuttings and debris. After debris and cuttings pass through the barrier, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the cuttings and debris to a finer size before allowing the cuttings and debris to pass into the wellbore annulus for transport to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Lijun Song, Ashley Bernard Johnson, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather