Abstract: NMR spin echo signals are acquired downhole. Principal Component Analysis is used to represent the signals by a weighted combination of the principal components and these weights are telemetered to the surface. At the surface, the NMR spin echo signals are recovered and inverted to give formation properties. Real-time displays may be used for determining formation properties and for altering the acquisition parameters.

Abstract: A thread protection member for protecting threads in a threaded joint includes a body formed of a material selected to reduce damage to the threads during a make-up of the threaded joint and a discontinuity reducing remaining clamping forces and thus allowing the body to deform in a predetermined manner when the body is removed from the threaded joint. In one arrangement, the discontinuity is a void at least partially penetrating the body. For example, the void can be a longitudinal slot that extends partially or fully through the body. In another embodiment, the discontinuity is a region in the body that has at least one material property different from a material property of an adjacent portion of the body. To remove the thread protection member from the joint, a suitable tool may be used to deform the body to extract the body from the joint.

Abstract: A seismic data acquisition apparatus having a recorder co-located with a sensor unit in a seismic spread and a communication device for direct communication with a central recorder. A memory located in the recorder and/or in the central controller holds location parameters associated with the sensor unit, and the parameters can be updated. Methods of seismic data acquisition including sensing seismic energy and recording the sensed energy at the sensor location. Delivering the recorded information to a central recorder by manually retrieving removable memory from each recorder, by wireless transmission of the information, or by removing the information from each recorder by inductive or cable connectors and a transfer device. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Abstract: Cross-dipole measurements are obtained in a borehole. By estimating a direction of polarization of the fast shear mode at low and high frequencies and comparing the estimated distances, a cause of anisotropy is established. Formation stresses and directions may be estimated.

Abstract: Naphthenic acid solids and/or emulsions can be inhibited by introducing an additive to crude oil prior to or concurrent with the deprotonation of the naphthenic acids present in the crude oil. The additives may be surfactants and can be amines, quaternary ammonium compounds, quaternary phosphonium compounds, and mixtures of both. The additives may also be linear compounds having at least two carboxylic acid or acrylic acid functional moieties.

Abstract: A transient electromagnetic wave is generated using an electromagnetic instrument in a borehole. An apparent resistivity is estimated using a received signal responsive to the generated wave and further used to estimate a resistivity property of a fluid in the borehole.

Abstract: Polymer slurries of ultrahigh molecular weight polyalpha-olefins are made stable toward settling, separation and agglomeration by surface treatment with a combination of wax and optional relatively high-density particulates. The selection of the surface coating acts not only as an anti-blocking agent, or partitioning aid to keep the tacky polymer particles separated, but also provides the suspended polymer particle with a density that matches the carrier. This prevents separation of the slurry components over time. Such materials, ultimately used as pipeline additives to reduce the fluid drag and increase the volumetric throughput, can be stored and shipped for extended periods of time without degradation of the slurry quality. Upon injection into the pipeline, the polymer particle dissolves quickly, unhindered by the coating.

Abstract: A fluid flow control apparatus includes a flow path that conveys the fluid into a wellbore tubular, a first passage formed along the flow path, an annular space receiving the fluid from the first passage, and a second passage receiving fluid from the annular space. The passages may flow the fluid in an axial direction along the flow path. The apparatus may include an enclosure that receives a sleeve in which the passages are formed. The annular space may be formed between the sleeve and the enclosure. The passages may include an inlet that reduces a pressure of the fluid flowing through the inlet. The passages may include a bore and may include parallel conduits. The first and the second passages may convey the fluid in a first axial direction, and the annular space may be configured to convey the fluid in a direction opposite to the first axial direction.

Abstract: A transmitter on a bottomhole assembly (BHA) is used for generating a transient electromagnetic signal in an earth formation. A pair of receivers on the BHA receive signals that are indicative of formation resistivity and distances to bed boundaries. A time dependent calibration factor or a time-independent calibration factor may be used to combine the two received signals and estimate the distance to bed boundaries that are unaffected by the drill conductive body. Further improvement can be obtained by using copper shielding.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for introducing additives into formation fluid from an oil and gas well in or moving through equipment and systems located downstream from the oil and gas well. The method is practiced using pellets having a density sufficient to suspend the pellet at an interface of two phases of fluid within the Downstream Equipment. The pellets are prepared from a pellet matrix, such as an ethoxylated wax, and, optionally, a weighting agent as well as an additive. By varying the amount of weighting agent, the density of the pellet can be varied to suspend it at a desired point for a time sufficient to deliver the additive to the desired point within the Downstream Equipment. The method of the invention may also be used with Refinery Equipment such as a fuel distribution system or a waste water treatment system.

Abstract: An aqueous fluid system that contains an aqueous dicarboxylic acid solution, a viscoelastic surfactant as a gelling agent to increase the viscosity of the fluid, and an internal breaker such as mineral oil and/or fish oil to controllably break the viscosity of the fluid provides a self-diverting acid treatment of subterranean formations. The internal breaker may be at least one mineral oil, a polyalphaolefin oil, a saturated fatty acid, and/or is an unsaturated fatty acid. The VES gelling agent does not yield viscosity until the organic acid starts to spend. Full viscosity yield of the VES gelling agent typically occurs at about 6.0 pH. The internal breaker allows the VES gelling agent to fully viscosify the spent organic acid at 6.0 pH and higher, but as the spent-acid VES gelled fluid reaching reservoir temperature, controllable break of the VES fluid viscosity over time can be achieved.

Abstract: Pumpable multiple phase vesicle compositions carry agents and components downhole or through a conduit, and controllably releasing them at a different place and time by breaking the compositions. In one non-limiting embodiment the pumpable multiple phase vesicles have a third phase containing a first phase which bears the agent to be controllably released. The first and third phases of the vesicles are separated by a surface active material bilayer that forms the second phase. The pumpable multiple phase vesicles may have internal and external phases that are both oil miscible, both aqueous miscible, or both alcohol miscible. The surface active material bilayer may be composed of compounds such as phospholipids, alkyl polyglycosides, gemini surfactants, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan trioleate, and many others. The agent may be released by one or more of a variety of mechanisms.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring settled or suspended solids from an open vessel into a closed vessel, the apparatus comprising a suction line which extends from the closed vessel to the open vessel via drive means, such as a pump or compressor, and a solids feed line which extends from a solids outlet in the open vessel to a solids inlet in the closed vessel, a fluidising apparatus being provided to fluidise the solids in the open vessel.

Abstract: A plurality of transmitters on a logging tool are activated simultaneously at substantially the same frequency. When the transmitter outputs are phase-modulated using a mutually orthogonal set of modulating functions, it is possible to recover, from the signal at each receiver, a response corresponding to each of the transmitters.

Abstract: A system for handling drill cuttings conveys cuttings slurry into bulk tanks via a conduit. The bulk tanks have an un-pressurized interior volume that receives the slurry. A conveyance member positioned inside the bulk tank forces the slurry out of a discharge port at the bottom of the bulk tank. One suitable conveyance member is a screw-type conveyor coupled to a motor that applies a vertical motive force to the slurry. The bulk tanks hold the cuttings slurry until it can be discharged via the discharge port to a transport vessel for processing or disposal. For offshore operations, the system includes a separation unit on the rig that forms the cuttings slurry from fluid returning from the wellbore and a cuttings flow unit that conveys the slurry effluent from the separation unit to the bulk tanks. In one arrangement, a controller and sensors control the flow of slurry into the bulk tanks.

Abstract: Harmonics and subharmonics of acoustic measurements made during rotation of a sensor on a downhole are processed to estimate the location of the imager, and size and shape of the borehole. A piecewise elliptical fitting procedure may be used. These estimates may be used to correct measurements made by a standoff-sensitive formation evaluation sensor such as a neutron porosity tool.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for measuring a parameter of an earth formation surrounding a wellbore. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tool and at least one second tool are conveyed in the wellbore on a wireline, the NMR tool having a magnetic influence on a region of the wellbore. The magnetic influence of the NMR tool is removed from the region of the wellbore using a demagnetizing device. The parameter of the earth formation is measured using the at least one second tool. A second demagnetizing device may be used to remove the magnetic influence of the at least one second tool from the region of the wellbore.

Abstract: Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their fluid loss properties improved with the presence of at least one mineral oil in combination with at least one particulate fluid loss control agent that may be an alkaline earth metal oxides, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, transition metal oxides, transition metal hydroxides, and mixtures thereof. The mineral oil may initially be dispersed oil droplets in an internal, discontinuous phase of the fluid. In one non-limiting embodiment, the mineral oil is added to the fluid after it has been substantially gelled. The particulate fluid loss control agent may be added in any order relative to the VES and the mineral oil fluid loss control agent. The mineral oil may enhance the ability of a particulate fluid loss control agent to reduce fluid loss. The presence of the mineral oil may also eventually reduce the viscosity of the VES-gelled aqueous fluid.

Abstract: A reactance is introduced into a flow path of axial currents in an induction logging tool. The reactance may be a capacitor or an inductor. A transmitter antenna is operated at a frequency defined by a cutoff frequency related to the reactance.

Abstract: A resistivity device for downhole use with a nonconducting mud injects a current at a frequency sufficiently high to pass capacitively through the mud and a mud cake into the formation. The frequency is further selected so that the impedance due to the dielectric constant of the formation is small compared to the formation resistivity. Dual frequency measurements may be used to further minimize the effects of the mud and mud cake resistivity. When multiple frequency measurements are used, frequency focusing may be used to get an estimate of formation resistivity that is independent of near borehole effects.