Patents Represented by Attorney David Cate
  • Patent number: 7849923
    Abstract: Elimination of sand entrainment and a significant increase in hydrodynamic permeability of the sand pack in an area near the wellbore are achieved through the use of a sand and/or proppant, and proppant material mixture at the final stage of the fracture filling process, where individual particles of the proppant material have at least one shape of plates, lattices, hollow bars, inside-hollow tubes with a closed impermeable cavity or cavities, toroidal particles, elongated particles in the form of ovals, pellets or plates, cylinders with a closed impermeable cavity or cavities, or blocks with a comb multi-channel structure with throughout channels of the ellipse or polygon cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Alexandrovich Burukhin, Anatoly Vladimirovich Matveev, Elena Mikhailovna Pershikova
  • Patent number: 7838469
    Abstract: A method is given for reducing fluid loss in downhole operations such as drilling and completion. A composition containing a fusing solid is injected into the fluid loss flow path; the fusing solid fuses at formation temperature when the injection pressure is released and the formation matrix surfaces forming the flow path close on the composition. The fusing solid is gilsonite, or a similar material, or resin coated particles. The composition may optionally contain one or more of fibers, flakes, an activator, and a dispersant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Cunningham, Emmanuel Therond, Paulo Rubinstein
  • Patent number: 7836953
    Abstract: A flexible cement stable at high temperatures contains an extender that is a finely ground bituminous coal and/or a finely ground coke prepared from coal and/or liquid hydrocarbons. Preferred cokes are made from bituminous coals and from petroleum, heavy oil, and oil from tar sands, oil shales or oil sands. The coke is present in an amount up to 100 percent by weight of cement and the particle size is preferably from 1 to 1000 microns. The coke is also effective as an extender, and the slurries and set cements have low specific gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Gunnar Debruijn, Robert Williams, Emmanuel Therond
  • Patent number: 7833950
    Abstract: A method for minimizing the amount of metal crosslinked viscosifier necessary for treating a wellbore with proppant or gravel is given. The method includes using fibers to aid in transporting, suspending and placing proppant or gravel in viscous carrier fluids otherwise having insufficient viscosity to prevent particulate settling. Fibers are given that have properties optimized for proppant transport but degrade after the treatment into degradation products that do not precipitate in the presence of ions in the water such as calcium and magnesium. Crosslinked polymer carrier fluids are identified that are not damaged by contaminants present in the fibers or by degradation products released by premature degradation of the fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dean M. Willberg, Christopher N. Fredd, Marina Bulova
  • Patent number: 7832479
    Abstract: A flexible cement stable at high temperatures contains an extender that is a finely ground polyetheretherketone. The cement retains its flexibility for long times at high temperatures, for example those used for steam assisted gravity drainage of heavy oil formations, for example from about 480 to about 644° F. (249 to 340° C.). Compressive strength, tensile strength, permeability and porosity are all stable and suitable for high temperature down-hole oilfield use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Williams, Emmanuel Therond, Terry Dammel
  • Patent number: 7832478
    Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore to mitigate the production of unwanted air from the wellbore is carried out by forming a treatment fluid containing a water-wetting surfactant and a carrier fluid. The treatment fluid is then introduced into the wellbore. The treatment or treatments may be performed remedially or prophylacticaly. The treatment may include the completion and production of zones containing the undesirable air and the deliberate formation of cones therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Jerald J. Hinkel, Gregory Kubala, Richard D. Hutchins
  • Patent number: 7833949
    Abstract: A treatment fluid for treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore is formed from an aqueous medium, a diutan heteropolysaccharide having a tetrasaccharide repeating unit in the polymer backbone and a peroxide breaker. A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore may be carried out by introducing the treatment fluid into the formation through the wellbore. Breaking aids or catalysts may also be used with the treatment fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Leiming Li, Curtis L. Boney, Cody Hanzik, Lijun Lin, Syed Ali, Oscar Bustos
  • Patent number: 7828063
    Abstract: A technique involves facilitating fracturing operations along a wellbore extending through a subterranean formation. A stress device is deployed in a wellbore and activated to engage a surrounding wall. The stress device can then be manipulated to create a reduced stress region in the formation at a desired location along the wellbore. The reduced stress region facilitates the controlled formation of a fracture in the formation at the desired location. Furthermore, the stress device can be moved and the process repeated at multiple locations along the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Olsen, Tom R. Bratton
  • Patent number: 7810567
    Abstract: Methods of making and using wellbore casing are described, one method comprising providing a plurality of flow-through passages in a portion of a casing while the casing is out of hole; temporarily plugging the flow-through passages with a composition while out of hole; running the casing in hole in a wellbore intersecting a hydrocarbon-bearing formation; and exposing the composition to conditions sufficient to displace the composition from the flow-through passages while in hole. Methods of using the casing may include pumping a stimulation treatment fluid through the casing string and into a formation through the flow-through passages in the first casing joint; plugging the flow-through passages in the first casing section; and exposing a second casing joint of the casing string to conditions sufficient to displace the composition from the flow-through passages in the second casing joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: John Daniels, George Waters, Mark Norris, J. Ernest Brown, Ian D. Bryant, Kevin Mauth, Jason Swaren
  • Patent number: 7810561
    Abstract: A product is described, the product is in liquid state and comprises: a first electrically non-conductive susceptor; a second electrically conductive susceptor; monomer molecules; and an initiator, suitable to trigger polymerization chain reaction of the monomer molecules, when activated by the first and/or the second susceptor. Further, a method is described to treat a wellbore including a zone, the method comprising the steps of: pumping the product above into the wellbore; placing the product in the vicinity of the zone; and applying an alternating magnetic field on the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Jesse Lee
  • Patent number: 7806181
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods to stimulate formation production when oil recovering. Reducing cost and simplifying the manufacture of the propping material to prevent proppant carrying-over were achieved owing to the injection of the hydraulic fracturing liquid with a propping agent containing a propping material as randomly cut particles of the polymers reworked and being in irregular shapes with the maximum-to minimum size ratio more than 5. A propping material should be a material being resistant to hydraulic fracturing liquid, oil, gas condensate and oil-containing liquids, and salt water in the range of temperatures 40 to 140° C., plastic within pressure range of 7 atm to 700 atm, and having Young's modulus within 100 MPa to 20000 MPa. The propping material thickness can be within 10 to 500 micrometers. The propping material can be of flake-like, lamellar, and chip-like shapes or their mixture. The propping material content of the propping agent should be 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Evgeny Borisovich Barmatov, Dmitry Isaakovich Eskin, Denis Vsevolodovich Ivanov, Konstantin Mikhaylovich Lyapunov, Matthew J. Miller
  • Patent number: 7806182
    Abstract: A subterranean formation stimulation method utilizes a treatment fluid comprising residual drilling fluid injected into the formation, and producing the stimulated formation. In one embodiment, a tight gas formation is fractured and the fracture has a higher conductivity than the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: George Waters, Paul R. Howard, Don Williamson, John W. Still
  • Patent number: 7794537
    Abstract: The invention provides geopolymeric compositions, which have controllable thickening and setting times for a wide range of temperatures and a large range of geopolymer slurry densities. The geopolymer slurry compositions have good mixability and pumpability, while the set materials develop good compressive strength and permeability. The invention discloses a method for preparing geopolymer for oilfield cementing applications. The geopolymeric compositions according to the invention comprises a suspension comprising an aluminosilicate source, a metal silicate, an alkali activator, lightweight or heavyweight fillers and a carrier fluid wherein the suspension of said geopolymeric composition is pumped in a well and allowed to set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Véronique Barlet-Gouedard, Benedicte Zusatz-Ayache, Olivier Porcherie
  • Patent number: 7789148
    Abstract: Methods and tools to consolidate a wellbore by displacing conventional cement slurry or any other settable fluid, without any permanent casing are useful. A bladder is inflated inside the bore to act as a mold and to form an annulus that can be filled by cement slurry or any other settable fluid. When the cement or the resin is set, the form is retrieved by straight pull; leaving a cement or resin sheath to support the formation without requiring any re-drilling. The sheath can be perforated if necessary (in the producing zone). Applications include without limitations temporary cementation of mono-diameter wells, through-tubing repair of an open hole, or cementation of a slotted liner in water, oil or gas wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Christophe Rayssiguier, Simon James, Philippe Gambier, Jean-Louis Saltel
  • Patent number: 7786051
    Abstract: A method of treating a formation penetrated by a wellbore to reduce fluid loss to the formation is carried out by providing a quantity of water-degradable particles formed from a solid polymeric acid precursor having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of greater than 4000. A slurry of the particles is formed with a carrier fluid, which may be an aqueous fluid. The slurry is introduced into the formation through the wellbore at a pressure below the fracture pressure of the treated formation. A treating fluid is subsequently introduced into the formation through the wellbore. The water-degradable particles degrade by contacting the particles with a free aqueous fluid introduced into the formation through the wellbore. The water-degradable particles may have a particle size of from about 0.25 mm or less. The slurry may contain from about 0.01 kg/L to about 0.15 kg/L of the water degradable particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: George Lange, Vibhas J. Pandey, Samih Alsyed, Timothy Lesko
  • Patent number: 7784541
    Abstract: A system includes a wellbore in fluid communication with a formation of interest and a fracturing slurry include a carrier fluid with a low amount of a viscosifier, an amount of proppant including a first average particle size between about 200 and 2000 ?m, an amount particulates including a second average particle size between about three and ten times smaller than the first average particle size, and a third amount of particulates having a third average particle size smaller than the second average particle size. A sum of all of the particulates in the fracturing slurry exceed about 16 pounds per gallon of the carrier fluid. They system further includes a pumping device that creates a propped fracture in the formation of interest with the fracturing slurry, and a removal agent that removes the second amount of particulates and/or the third amount of particulates from the propped fracture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Hartman, Mohan K. R. Panga, Bruno Drochon, John W. Still
  • Patent number: 7784544
    Abstract: Subterranean formation treatment methods incorporating a rheology model which enables prediction of fluid rheology properties during a treatment operation, where the foundation of the model is a description of the reaction chemistry which describes how the number of crosslinks and broken polymer linkages develops in time under the influence of crosslinkers, breakers, and/or thermally induced effects and pressure effects. In one aspect, when used as a tool for simulating the fluid viscosity, the model can help optimizing the fluid design and optional breaker schedule for a hydraulic fracturing treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Lindvig, Murtaza Ziauddin, Michael D. Parris
  • Patent number: 7786050
    Abstract: Methods comprising preparing an aqueous mixture of an anionic polymer, a charge screening surfactant, and a borate crosslinker, wherein the mixture has a conductivity less than 10 mS/cm, injecting the mixture down a wellbore, and gelling the mixture. An embodiment of the aqueous mixture can also include tetramethylammonium chloride as a clay stabilizer and a metal crosslinker such as a complex of zirconium and an amino acid ligand system. An embodiment can effectively provide borate crosslinking of an anionic polymer in a low-ionic-strength fluid system, without sacrificing ultimate gel strength or thermal persistence of the metal crosslinked polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Parris, Andrey Mirakyan, Yiyan Chen, Carlos Abad
  • Patent number: 7779915
    Abstract: Methods for treating a formation penetrated by a wellbore which improves fluid loss control during treatment. In some aspects, the treatments include preparing an aqueous fluid including one or more water inert degradable polymers and an optional viscosifier, injecting the aqueous fluid into the wellbore at a pressure equal to or greater than the formation's fracture initiation pressure, and thereafter injecting into the wellbore a proppant laden fluid at a pressure equal to or greater than the formation's fracture initiation pressure. The water inert degradable polymer may be a polymer such as an emulsion polymer or a latex polymer. Some methods of the invention use a fluid which may have a normalized leak off coefficient (Cw/sqrt(K)) equal to or less than about 0.0022, 0.0014, or 0.0010. A conventional fluid loss additive may or may not be used in conjunction with the treatment fluid and/or the proppant laden fluid. The water inert degradable polymer may or may not substantially enter formation pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Hutchins, Hemant K. Ladva, Don Williamson, Sylvie Daniel
  • Patent number: 7781380
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of treating subterranean formations with rapidly hydratable treatment fluids based upon heteropolysaccharides. In particular, the invention relates to treatment methods with fluids containing a heteropolysaccharide, aqueous medium, and an electrolyte, wherein the fluids may further include a gas component, a surfactant and/or an organoamino compound. The fluids exhibit good rheological properties at elevated temperatures, and unusually rapid hydration rates which allows utilizing such fluids without the need of hydration tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Lijun Lin, Alejandro Pena, Golchehreh Salamat