Abstract: A gravel pack well tool for use in a gravel pack completion which does not require the circulation of fluids during installation. The gravel is first placed or preset within the completion zone and then the well tool having a auger-liner assembly is lowered and rotated into the preset gravel. The liner assembly is comprised of a fluid-permeable linear surrounded by a torque sleeve which transmits torque from a workstring to a nose sub at the leading edge of the liner assembly. The nose sub has a fish-tail bit thereon to assist the downward movement of the liner assembly into the preset gravel and has passages therein for fluid flow therethrough in the event the assembly becomes stuck in the gravel during installation.

Abstract: A marine seismic bottom geophone anchor and coupling device comprising two rectangular fabric sections attached along their edges and along a plurality of lines between edges to form a plurality of pockets. The pockets are filled with a weighting material. Connecting means are provided so that when the combined fabric sections are wrapped around a marine seismic bottom geophone, it will be held in a generally cylindrical form to simultaneously anchor the geophones and associated cables at a desired marine bottom location, isolate the sensors from noise sources, and provide good coupling to the marine bottom for receiving desired seismic signals.

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: A dispersant for drilling fluids, spacer fluids, cement slurries, completion fluids and mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries used for drilling and cementing subterranean wells.

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: 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: 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 consistent high quality coke is produced by feeding a balancing stream comprising hydrocarbons to a delayed coking drum in addition to the heavy hydrocarbonaceous coker feedstock. The process of this invention reduces the contaminant content of coke by coking contaminant-containing residua and a reduced contaminant hydrocarbon balancing stream. Preferably, the balancing stream is a contaminant diluent, such as unreduced crude. The balancing stream may be a crude which is different from the base crude processed in the refinery crude tower and is preferably selected as a sulfur and/or metals diluent having a lower concentration of sulfur-containing or metal-containing compounds than the heavy coker feedstock.

Abstract: A wellbore anchor tool employing at least one pair of individual slip segments which wrap at least partially around a mandrel passing through the tool, the individual slip segments carrying bearing surfaces and restraint members for holding the slip segments in the tool but at the same time in slidable engagement with the tool.

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 method and apparatus for setting a whipstock onto a packer in a wellbore wherein the whipstock is laterally and rotatably movable after it is fixed to the packer, whereby the whipstock can move laterally while rotating so that opposite ends of the whipstock can be made to contact opposing inner walls of the wellbore.

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.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon oils such as diesel fuels, turbine fuels and intermediate distillates may be subjected to quantitative analysis of their saturate, aromatic and polar components by supercritical fluid chromatography using carbon dioxide as the solvent. A sample of the oil is passed into a packed column of silica or the like whereby the respective fractions are separated and retained on the column. Supercritical carbon dioxide at selected pressure and temperature conditions is passed through the column to extract, separately, each of the fractions retained on the column. The extracted fraction and solvent are passed through a restrictor and expanded down to a pressure which will allow the solvent to evaporate and to permit retention or collection of the extracted fraction in a collector arrangement including a selector valve and plural collection containers.

Abstract: Seismic data is combined with well log data to generate a two-dimensional geopressure prediction display; this permits deviated and horizontal well planning plus lithology detection. Shale fraction analysis, compaction trend, and seismic velocity may be automatically or interactively generated on a computer work station with graphics displays to avoid anomalous results. Corrections to velocity predictions by check shots or VSP, and translation of trend curves for laterally offset areas increases accuracy of the geopressure predictions. Multiple wells' logs in a basin permits analysis fluid migrations.

Abstract: A method for locating leak from a tank containing a fluid using acoustic signals by adaptively correlating the phase of the acoustic signals to determine a first set of possible leak locations and subsequently correlating acoustic signals from a second set of locations on the tank to determine a second set of possible leak locations and converging the first and second set of possible leak locations to determine the location of the leak.

Abstract: A process for disposing of filter media is provided, which process comprises (a) mixing a filter media with a hydrocarbonaceous mixing stream to form a media-hydrocarbon mixture and (b) feeding said media-hydrocarbon mixture to a coking vessel. Preferred coking vessels include delayed cokers, fluidized cokers, and coke calciners. An apparatus for disposing of filter media is provided, which apparatus comprises (a) a coking vessel; (b) a mixer to mix the filter media with a hydrocarbonaeous mixing fluid to form a media- hydrocarbonaeous fluid mixture; and, (c) a feed means to feed the media-hydrocarbonaeous fluid mixture to the coking vessel. Preferably, the apparatus comprises a size reduction means to reduce the size of the filter media to form a media staple comprising fiber clusters having a desired shape and size.

Abstract: A combination scratcher-centralizer for use in installing casing in wellbores comprising a single piece of coiled wire or rod having a first hub part for tightly engaging the casing, a radially expanded centralizer and scratcher portion forming a helical wrap of said wire and a second hub part slidable on the casing and formed by a helical wrap of said wire. The first hub part includes serrations and/or a plurality of retaining screws provided so that the first hub part may be secured to the casing in a predetermined position to allow the expanded centralizer coil or wrap portion to undergo some elastic axial excursion during its scratching and scraping operation upon installation in a wellbore. The constricted hub part may be held in a radially expanded position during installation by a retainer engageable with spaced apart portions of the wraps of the hub part.