Abstract: Hydrocarbon bearing earth formations are treated to reduce formation permeability and fill void spaces by injecting a polymer gel solution having an artificial matrix material dispersed therein and comprising beads of materials such as polystyrene and polycarbonate having densities substantially the same as the density of the polymer gel to improve distribution of the artificial matrix material into such void spaces.

Abstract: Lateral vibrations of drillstring bottom hole assemblies are confirmed by sensing longitudinal and torsional accelerations or displacements of the drillstring at or near its top end during rotation and determining the lateral critical speed and displacement of the drillstring from the mode shape of the bottom hole assembly which occurs during forward synchronous whirl and longitudinal shortening of the bottom hole assembly resulting from such whirl. Lateral motion of the bottom hole assembly, while drilling, is estimated based on longitudinal and torsional measurements at the top of the drillstring. Radial displacement of the bottom hole assembly due to impacting of the borehole wall imparts a torsional impulse which, together with considerable radial motion, is repeated each revolution. The lateral or radial motion causes a small axial motion to develop in the bottom hole assembly which results in an axial force on and axial shortening of the drillstring which varies once per revolution.

Abstract: Multiphase fluid flow, such as a mixture of oil, water and gas, is measured by a system which includes one or two densitometers for measuring the multiphase fluid density flowing through a flowline or conduit and a flow restriction, pump, expander or heat exchanger interposed in the flowline between the densitometers to effect a pressure or temperature change in the multiphase fluid. Densities, pressures and temperatures are measured on the upstream and/or downstream sides of the flow restriction, pump, expander or heat exchanger and the measured values of density, pressure and temperature are used to obtain the flow rates of the respective phases in the flowstream.

Abstract: A gravel pack screen assembly adapted to produce fluids from two spaced apart zones of interest through gravel packing surrounding spaced apart gravel pack screens includes a sub interposed in the screen assembly between the two screens and having a reservoir for discharging a quantity of permeability reducing material into a layer of gravel packing intermediate the gravel packing surrounding each of the screens. The sub is operable to discharge the material into the gravel pack layer in response to movement of a washpipe or the like within the screen assembly to move an actuator member to cause a closure member to uncover ports in the sub in communication with the reservoir. The actuator member includes a transverse surface projecting into a central bore of the sub and operable to be engaged by deflectable collet fingers formed on a washpipe assembly or a similar member insertable within the gravel pack screen assembly to effect operation of the sub to discharge its permeability reducing material.

Abstract: Slurries of particulate solids wastes are injected into a disaggregated earth formation through an injection well by predetermining the formation to have a compressive stress in a range of about 300 psi to 2500 psi, a porosity of at least about twenty percent (20%) and disposed between overburden and underburden layers which have a substantially lower permeability than the disposal zone. The disposal zone is disaggregated or "liquified" by injecting substantially solids-free liquid followed by injection of the solids-laden slurry.

Abstract: Centrifugal pumps and similar fluid handling machines may be tested to detect leakage from shaft seal assemblies by an apparatus which includes a support flange for supporting a section of the pump casing including the seal assembly. The apparatus includes a housing portion with an interior chamber which may be placed in communication with a source of pressure fluid such as compressed air to act on the seal assembly to detect any fluid leakage therefrom. The apparatus includes a cylindrical support flange and removable adaptor plates which may be interchanged depending on the configuration of the pump casing.

Abstract: The mean particle size of a dispersed phase, such as a liquid dispersed in a carrier liquid, is determined by selecting a particulate solids material which, when dispersed in the carrier liquid, has the same refractive index as the dispersed liquid in the carrier liquid, measuring the turbidity of selected particle sizes of the particulate solid for different concentrations of each particle size in the carrier liquid and developing a relationship of the ratio of the turbidity to the concentration for each particle size as a function of particle size which may be referenced when measuring the turbidity and concentration of the dispersed liquid in the carrier liquid to determine the actual particle size of the dispersed liquid.

Abstract: Oil and gas wells and injection wells are cleaned of oil-based drilling muds, pipe thread compounds, other oil contaminants, cement and contaminants in injection water by a composition comprising fresh water or seawater, one-half to ten percent concentration of an alkyl polyglycoside surfactant and one to ten percent of a caustic agent such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide.

Abstract: Moderate strength cement plugs and viscous pills may be formed by adding slag cement in both conventional particle size and microfine particle sizes to oil-based drilling fluids which contain water as the internal phase of an oil-water emulsion. The water may be present as a calcium chloride brine. Quantities of cementitious mixtures including slag cement, hydrocarbon oil, setting activators, such as sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate, and nonyl phenol surfactants may be pumped into wellbores using conventional circulation techniques or conventional squeeze cementing techniques to form cement plugs, control lost circulation, or fix certain hydrocarbon oil wastes for disposal in subterranean formations.

Abstract: Hydraulic fractures are initiated or extended into earth formations from a first well by filling a space within the wellbore and a tubing string extending within the well with a fracturing fluid, placing the first well in fluid flow communication with a tubing string extending within a second well and increasing the pressure of fluid in the respective tubing strings sufficient to initiate or extend the fracture. The second well serves as an accumulator for accumulating a sufficient charge of pressure fluid, such as gas, to drive the fracturing fluid in the first well into the formation to a suitable extent.

Abstract: Well casing is repaired using a guide string for maintaining contact with a lower casing section disposed in the well, particularly an open hole portion of such well. The guide string is connected to a swivel and milling tool and lowered into the casing section remaining in the open hole portion of the well for machining the upper end of the casing section. The swivel prevents build-up of angular momentum of the guide string which may decouple the guide string from the milling tool when the milling tool rotatably decelerates or snags during the machining or milling operations. The milling tool and swivel may be retrieved and the guide string, with a safety joint or fishing head, reinserted in the well during installation of a new casing section.

Abstract: Well pump rods and similar threadedly interconnected rod members are loosened from their couplings by a device which includes two opposed housing members which are hinged together and support impact blow transmitting members thereon. A latch mechanism including an over-center or toggle linkage is operable to secure the housing in a closed position encircling a tubular rod coupling with the spaced apart and opposed impact transmitting members adapted to receive impact blows and transmit same to the coupling to loosen the threaded connections between the coupling and the rods. The housing provides a suitable support for transmitting impact blows to the coupling and for retaining the coupling in the event of catastrophic fracture of the coupling.

Abstract: Reformulated and other automotive motor gasolines may be analyzed to detect adulteration with gasolines containing a Rhodamine B base marker dye by mixing a small sample of the suspected fuel in a vial containing a small quantity of unbonded flash chromatography-grade silica. The presence of such marker dye in the suspect sample will color the silica red. The coloration may be detected in fuel samples which also contain red or blue grade identification dyes, detergent additives and oxygenates such as ethanol and MTBE.

Abstract: Gas blowouts in wells are controlled by injecting a cohesive aqueous gel composition of hydroxypropyl guar gum, a borate salt cross-linking agent and a weighting agent such as silica flour, barite, hematite or iron oxide. The kill fluid is less susceptible to atomization than weighted drilling fluids, is readily available in most oil and gas field operations and may be rapidly prepared in quantities suitable for injecting into a well to control a gas blowout.

Abstract: The liquid and gas volumetric flow rates of a multiphase fluid mixture are measured by pumping the fluid mixture with a positive displacement pump such as a multi-helical lobed rotor type pump, measuring the pressure differential, temperature differential and power input to the pump and calculating the liquid volumetric flow rate and gas volumetric flow rate based on the measured parameters, pump coefficients for friction horse power, fluid leakage and heat transfer, together with predetermined values of liquid and gas specific heat, density and polytropic compression exponent. Approximate flow rates of gas and liquid may be determined by monitoring the pump power input and fluid pressure and temperature changes across the pump with sufficient accuracy for applications such as in pumping crude oil and natural gas mixtures from production wells.

Abstract: An optical microscope supports a housing having a closed chamber in which a particle to be pyrolyzed is disposed and is exposable to a targeting laser beam for precisely positioning the particle and a power laser beam for heating and pyrolyzing the selected particle. The pyrolysis chamber housing is supported on a heater disposed on the microscope stage for movement into the focal plane of the objective lens and into the beam path of the targeting and power lasers. The lasers are mounted together and, in combination with multiple reflecting mirrors, direct their beams along a common beam path. The lasers are mounted on an adjustable support base for adjusting the position of the beam path along three mutually perpendicular axes.

Abstract: Cement slurries and similar compositions of matter may be examined by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy by preparing samples of slurries in small cylindrical specimen forming capsules which may be immersed in cryogenic fluid to freeze the cement slurries at different stages in hydration of the cement for analysis of the hydration process. The capsules are frangible so as to be able to easily remove the specimens after freezing whereupon the specimens are immersed in a cryogenic fluid and mounted in a specimen holder having cooperating support jaws which are operable from a point out of the cryogenic fluid to engage and retain the specimen on the holder. The holder is placed in a specimen preparation chamber which is maintained at a sufficiently low temperature and vacuum condition to minimize contamination of the specimen during preparation.

Abstract: A sand control screen installation for a well includes an auger type sand control screen connected to a length of smooth-walled tubing which is disposed in a tubing seal support sub connected to a packer and having a frangible coupling interconnecting the tubing with the sub whereby the assembly may be pre-installed in a wellbore, the packer set and the tubing decoupled from the sub for reciprocation relative thereto while a fluid tight seal is maintained between portions of the wellbore to prevent underbalanced or overbalanced fluid flow during installation of the sand control screen. In an alternate embodiment, the tubing seal support sub has suitable lock mechanism for installation in a landing nipple in wells with pre-installed tubing strings and packers.

Abstract: A flexible fabric machinery guard is characterized by one or more lightweight panels of porous, plastic-coated, woven glass fibers which are reinforced by non-porous fabric borders. The panels each include elongated, tension-bearing cables extending through sleeves formed in the panel fabric. Opposed gudgeon and pintle connectors interconnect the panels with upstanding support members so that the panels may be removed to permit access to the machinery space. The machinery guard provides ventilation for the machinery space, visual inspection of the machine from outside the machinery space and easy access thereto by removing and folding the panels.

Abstract: Oil and gas are separated downhole in a free flowing well and are transmitted separately to the surface. Liquid oil is transmitted through an elongated tubing which extends into a liquid column in the bottom of the well and is anchored in a liquid production tubing string to form an annular flow space. Gas flows from a wellbore space above the column of liquid through the annular space and through a flow passage which may be formed by a side pocket mandrel into the well annulus and then to the surface. The liquid conducting tubing is secured in the tubing string and a seal point is formed by a packer above the gas flow passage formed by the side pocket mandrel. Alternative arrangements provide for a subsurface gas flow safety valve interposed in the gas flow path. The safety valve may be interposed in a cross-over body which permits flow of liquid and gas therethrough and past a seal formed between the body and the tubing string.