Patents Represented by Attorney Thomas R. Weaver
  • Patent number: 4401789
    Abstract: Methods of preparing viscous aqueous polymer solutions having improved viscosity and stability properties for use in the treatment of subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formations and in enhanced oil recovery processes are provided. More particularly, a method of preparing such viscous aqueous polymer solution in a buffer system that contains a particular buffer and a substantially oxygen free aqueous solvent. Such solvent is used for pH control and contains one or more metal salts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Charles M. Gideon
  • Patent number: 4399040
    Abstract: An open sea skimmer barge comprising a hull having a bow, bottom, side walls, stern having a substantially horizontal elongate slot extending across a portion thereof and a deck, a spill suction tunnel, a collection tank, secondary oil separation means and tertiary oil separation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: William M. Ayers, Ashok K. Maheshwary, Peter J. Young
  • Patent number: 4397177
    Abstract: A hydraulic filter press apparatus includes a filtration cell which includes a container for receiving a sample of the drilling mud, a pressure inlet communicating with the container, a bladder for preventing fluid communication between the drilling mud sample and the pressure inlet and for transmitting hydraulic pressure from the pressure inlet to the drilling mud sample, a filter arranged for contacting the drilling mud sample in the container, and a liquid outlet for draining the liquid pressed from the drilling mud sample through the filter. A pump is provided for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to the pressure inlet of the filtration cell, which pump includes a pump body having a cylindrical bore disposed therein and an outlet port for communicating the bore with the pressure inlet of the filtration cell. The pump also includes a rotatable piston member threadedly engaged with the pump body for pressurizing fluid contained in the bore upon rotation of the piston member relative to the pump body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: David E. Cain
  • Patent number: 4395340
    Abstract: A method of enhanced oil recovery from subterranean oil-containing formations via injection through an injection well penetrating the formation of a viscous aqueous solution containing one or more water-soluble organic polymers and forcing such solution through the formation towards a production well for ultimate recovery. The viscous aqueous polymer solutions of the invention are prepared at the site of their use by polymerizing one or more water-soluble polymerizable vinyl monomers in aqueous solutions which may contain high concentrations of one or more salts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Homer C. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 4393939
    Abstract: A process for treating a subterranean formation with an aqueous cement composition and minimizing damage to formation permeability by said composition filtrate comprising mixing with said composition at least one polycationic polymer having a molecular weight of about 400 to 6,000,000 prior to treating said formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Services
    Inventors: Charles W. Smith, John K. Borchardt
  • Patent number: 4391643
    Abstract: Rapidly dissolvable powdered silicates having a molar ratio of silicon dioxide to alkali metal oxide in the range of from about 1.5:1 to about 3.3:1 wherein the alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and mixtures thereof. Methods of using the powdered silicates and resulting solutions in connection with sealing and cementing, especially of well formations, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Joseph R. Murphey
  • Patent number: 4388968
    Abstract: A downhole tool suction screen assembly includes a top screen assembly adapter, a lower screen assembly adapter, and a tubular screen mandrel connected between the top and lower screen assembly adapters. A cylindrical pump screen is disposed about an outer surface of the screen mandrel. A discharge passage is disposed in the screen assembly for communicating a discharge of a downhole pump with a lower end of the lower screen assembly adapter. A suction inlet passage is disposed in the screen assembly for communicating the outer surface of the screen mandrel with an intake of the downhole pump through the top screen assembly adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: John T. Brandell
  • Patent number: 4386655
    Abstract: A downhole tool, comprising, a first cylindrical body member having a longitudinally extending annular cavity disposed therein, and including a relief port for communicating the cavity with a space outside of the tool, the space being filled with a first fluid, a cylindrical extension member having a first end slidably received in the annular cavity and having a second end extending longitudinally from the annular cavity, and an annular floating seal, slidingly disposed in the annular cavity between the relief port and the first end of the cylindrical extension member, for sealingly engaging radially inner and outer surfaces of the annular cavity and for separating a second fluid in the annular cavity between the floating seal and said cylindrical extension member from the first fluid. The downhole tool including the described floating seal structure is utilized for the testing of subsurface formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: John T. Brandell
  • Patent number: 4384615
    Abstract: A method of mixing fluids in a well bore employing a tubing string with a mixing valve disposed thereon. The well bore is sealed below the mixing valve, a first fluid then being pumped down the tubing string and a second fluid being pumped down the well bore annulus. By varying pressures and through the optional use of a circulating valve in conjunction with the mixing valve, the fluids may be mixed in the well bore or in the tubing string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. Luers
  • Patent number: 4381950
    Abstract: A process for reducing hydrogen sulfide gas evolution during dissolution of ferrous sulfide with an aqueous acidic solution comprising contacting the ferrous sulfide with an aqueous acidic solution containing an effective amount of an additive comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and the alkali metal and ammonium salts of maleic acid. The aqueous acidic solution also can contain corrosion inhibitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Michael B. Lawson
  • Patent number: 4378850
    Abstract: A hydraulic fluid supply apparatus for a downhole tool includes a first annular zone adapted to be filled with hydraulic oil and a second annular zone adapted to be filled with a pressurized second fluid. The first and second zones are separated by a floating annular piston for transmitting fluid pressure from the second zone to the first zone. A control valve is connected between the first zone and a hydraulically powered component of the downhole tool for directing hydraulic fluid under pressure from the first zone to the hydraulically powered component of the downhole tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Burchus Q. Barrington
  • Patent number: 4378049
    Abstract: Methods, additives and compositions for selectively temporarily sealing high temperature permeable formations penetrated by well bores. The compositions are formed by dispersing a granular additive into an aqueous medium which contains a galactomannan gum treated with potassium pyroantimonate whereby the hydration rate of the gum is retarded at temperatures below about 120.degree. F. but increases at temperatures thereabove. When the composition is introduced into a high temperature permeable formation, it is heated whereby the treated galactomannan gum hydrates and the composition is formed into a stiff gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Hui-Min Hsu, John W. Burnham
  • Patent number: 4375239
    Abstract: A subsea test tree includes a body having a flow passage therethrough. A closure valve is movable between open and closed positions for opening and closing the flow passage. A signal receiver of the subsea test tree receives an acoustic command signal transmitted down a pipe string connecting the subsea test tree to a floating surface structure. An actuator is operably associated with the signal receiver and moves the closure valve to one of its open and closed positions in response to the acoustic command signal. Acoustic couplers are connected between adjacent pipe segments for aiding in the transmission of the acoustic signals across joints between pipe segments. A double sliding sleeve valve hydraulic connector connects fluid passages of an upper portion of the subsea test tree with fluid passages of a lower portion of the subsea test tree. A hydraulically powered latch connects and disconnects the upper and lower portions of the subsea test tree in response to the acoustic command signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Burchus Q. Barrington, George J. Nix
  • Patent number: 4374968
    Abstract: Methods of forming isocyanate polymers having long gellation times in the presence of water without the formation of excess foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Homer C. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 4372388
    Abstract: A subsurface control valve for use in shutting off a well bore. The valve comprises a valve assembly and a stinger assembly, which is run into the well bore on drill pipe with a packer placed below the valve in the string. The valve is open as the string is run into the well bore, the packer then being set, and a sliding valve in the tool being closed by a plurality of rotations of the stinger assembly, which is removed from the well bore after the sliding valve is closed. To re-open the sliding valve, the stinger assembly is run back into the well bore, into the valve assembly, and rotated a number of times in the opposite direction. The present invention includes a spring-loaded stinger to constantly bias the stinger into engagement with the sliding valve and a bearing on the stinger assembly to facilitate alignment and rotation between the stinger assembly and valve assembly so as to limit the torque applied to the valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Neal G. Skinner
  • Patent number: 4372562
    Abstract: An inflatable packer includes a reinforcing element constructed from first and second layers of alternately biased calendered steel cables. Fixed and sliding end shoes each are a single machined structure and include a roughened inner cylindrical surface disposed about an end of the reinforcing element. Upper and lower hardened rings, formed from a liquid adhesive, have the ends of the reinforcing element embedded therein and are bonded to the end shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Ernest E. Carter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4372392
    Abstract: A full opening emergency release and safety valve includes a valve housing having a flow passage therethrough and adapted to be connected to a lower portion of a tubing string. A full opening ball valve is disposed in the valve housing for opening and closing the flow passage. A stinger assembly is adapted to be connected to an upper portion of the tubing string, and includes a stinger mandrel releasably telescopingly received within the valve housing and operably associated with the ball valve for opening and closing the ball valve in response to manipulation of the upper portion of the tubing string. A threaded connecting collar releasably interconnects the valve housing and the stinger assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Burchus Q. Barrington, Wilbur P. Clayton
  • Patent number: 4372391
    Abstract: A screw operated emergency release and safety valve includes a valve housing having a flow passage therethrough and adapted to be connected to a lower portion of a tubing string. A full opening ball valve is disposed in the valve housing for opening and closing the flow passage. A stinger assembly is adapted to be connected to an upper portion of the tubing string, and includes a stinger mandrel releasably telescopingly received within the valve housing. An actuating mandrel assembly is operably associated with the stinger mandrel and connected to the ball valve and is movable between first and second positions for opening and closing the ball valve in response to manipulation of the upper portion of the tubing string. A threaded connecting collar releasably interconnects the valve housing and the stinger assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Burchus Q. Barrington, Wilbur P. Clayton, Gerald D. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4372387
    Abstract: A downhole testing apparatus includes a pump assembly with an improved ratchet assembly for opening and closing a relief port of a discharge passage of a pump. The apparatus also includes an improved reciprocating piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: John T. Brandell
  • Patent number: RE31190
    Abstract: Oil well cementing compositions and processes are produced using a high efficiency sulfoalkylated lignin retarder composition and modifications thereof to produce cement compositions without gelation problems, having high early strength and with precisely controllable setting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1983
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: William J. Detroit, Michael E. Sanford, Jiten Chatterji, Charles R. George, Jerry D. Childs, Roosevelt Love