Patents Assigned to ConocoPhillips Company
  • Patent number: 12216238
    Abstract: A method of determining an optimal flare spacing for streamers towed behind a seismic vessel comprising the steps of: using a computer specially adapted with a seismic data analysis package to analyze prior seismic data for a survey area; analyzing migration broadcast patterns to estimate a maximum sampling distance; calculating a wavelet expansion as a function of flare spacing; creating synthetic gaps in the prior seismic data coverage by dropping traces at different flare spacing; testing capability of different interpolation algorithms in the seismic data analysis package to close the synthetic gaps; and determining an optimal flare spacing based upon the capability of the different interpolation algorithms to close the synthetic gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Peter M. Eick, Joel D. Brewer
  • Patent number: 12209494
    Abstract: A method is provided to determine and mitigate one or more downhole events of a drill string in a wellbore. The method includes receiving, via a processor, drilling data from one or more surface sensors. The drilling data is processed into a plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments are processed by a pre-trained model such that one or more labels are determined. The one or more labels are relating to one or more downhole events corresponding to each of the plurality of segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventor: Yang Zha
  • Patent number: 12209475
    Abstract: The invention relates to the introduction of pressurized fluid, e.g. acid, into a subsea well directly from a vessel (33). A fluid injection assembly (20) is fitted to the top of a subsea Xmas tree (3), the assembly (20) including fail safe closed valve (21) which is controlled via a hydraulic line (31) from the vessel. The hose and assembly and valve are designed with an internal bore allowing a large diameter ball to be dropped (required for acid stimulation). The subsea subsea control module (8) on the Xmas tree is controlled from the producing platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Leif Kvarme, John Spence, Birger Heigre
  • Patent number: 12209035
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes for removing hydrocarbons, oil coated solids, and suspended solids from a separated water stream produced from a produced water source. In particular, the methods comprise subjecting the separated water stream to a centrifugal separation followed by filtration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Kristie S. McLin, Ramesh Sharma, Gregory A. Deslaurier, Reinaldo G. Carrasco, James B. Buzan
  • Patent number: 12203338
    Abstract: A procedure and apparatus for cementing and cleaning a reservoir liner 3 comprises installing a reservoir liner using a drill string 4 which extends only as far as the distal end of a cased part 2 of the well, then, using the drill string, displacing cement into the reservoir liner using completion fluid whereby, when the cement is in place in the annulus around the reservoir liner, the reservoir liner is already clean and filled with completion fluid. A ball valve 6 at the top of the reservoir liner 3 is then closed before the cased part 2 of the wellbore is cleaned, to avoid debris entering the reservoir liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Hans Martin Leistad, Donald R. Girdler, Leif Arne Kvarme
  • Patent number: 12203348
    Abstract: A system and method for turning a well over to production. The method may include drilling a wellbore using a drillstring, casing the wellbore, fracturing a reservoir, drilling the wellbore to a plug back total depth using the drillstring to clean out the wellbore, and converting the drillstring from a drilling mode to a production mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Matthew L. White, Jeffrey Spencer, Brian B. Hope, Christopher J. Heikkinen
  • Patent number: 12204064
    Abstract: Systems and method for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) well logging use an inversion pulse sequence with a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence to improve spin magnetization calculations. Improved Bloch equation-based calculations consider conditions where a longitudinal relaxation time and a transverse relaxation time of the hydrogen nuclei (e.g., of a subterranean hydrocarbon pool and/or water) are within an order of magnitude of pulse durations for the inversion pulse sequence and the CPMG pulse sequence. Accordingly, an NMR response to the inversion pulse sequence and the CPMG pulse can be detected and used to calculate one or more spin magnetization values with higher accuracy amplitudes. Reservoir characteristics are determined based on the one or more spin magnetization values. As such, improved well operations (e.g., selecting a drilling site, determining a drilling depth, and the like) can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Tianmin Jiang, Ronald J. M. Bonnie
  • Patent number: 12203332
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide apparatus and techniques for providing a seal for a polished rod. One example apparatus is a stuffing box. The stuffing box generally includes: a first flange configured to surround a polished rod; a second flange configured to surround the polished rod; a seal package disposed between the first flange and the second flang, the seal package being configured to surround and connect to the polished rod; and a flexible membrane surrounding the seal package, the flexible membrane being connected to at least a portion of the seal package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Hans-Jacob Lund, Daniel Fish
  • Patent number: 12196049
    Abstract: The invention relates to the drilling of wells in rock and hydrocarbon formations. Drilling is performed with a drill string having a bottom hole assembly (BHA) and drill bit. Drilling mud is circulated during drilling. A valved inlet port is provided in the BHA which, in the event of a pack-off, opens and allows drilling mud to enter an internal space in the BHA to relieve pressure. An outlet port at the proximal end of the BHA may be provided to allow the mud to flow back into the annulus around the drill string. In this way, rapid build-up of pressure is avoided and the driller has more time to respond to the pack-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventor: Gunvald Nesheim
  • Patent number: 12196062
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of conducting a perf wash cement (“P/W/C”) abandonment job in an offshore oil or gas well annulus (2), in particular the washing or cementing operation using a rotating head (6, 8) with nozzles (7, 9) dispensing wash fluid or cement at pressure. Certain values of parameters of a washing or cementing job have been found surprisingly to affect the quality of the job, or the degree to which they affect the quality of the job has been unexpected. These include including rotation rate of the tool, the direction of translational movement of the tool, and the volume flow rate and pressure per nozzle of cement or wash fluid (and hence nozzle size).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Rick Watts, Stein Haavardstein, Lars Hovda, James C. Stevens, Dan Mueller, Brett Borland, Amal Phadke, Praveen Gonuguntla
  • Patent number: 12173603
    Abstract: Monitoring and diagnosing completion during hydraulic fracturing operations provides insights into the fracture geometry, inter-well frac hits and connectivity. Conventional monitoring methods (microseismic, borehole gauges, tracers, etc.) can provide a range of information about the stimulated rock volume but may often be limited in detail or clouded by uncertainty. Utilization of DAS as a fracture monitoring tool is growing, however most of the applications have been limited to acoustic frequency bands of the DAS recorded signal. In this paper, we demonstrate some examples of using the low-frequency band of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) signal to constrain hydraulic fracture geometry. DAS data were acquired in both offset horizontal and vertical monitor wells. In horizontal wells, DAS data records formation strain perturbation due to fracture propagation. Events like fracture opening and closing, stress shadow creation and relaxation, ball seat and plug isolation can be clearly identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Ge Jin, Baishali Roy
  • Patent number: 12163400
    Abstract: A technique for abandonment of a hydrocarbon well injects cement into the annulus through apertures (5) in the casing (3). The apertures (5) are pre-formed in the casing before the casing is installed at the start of life of the well, and are also fitted with a closure sleeve (6). The apertures (5) remain closed for the lifetime of the well. The closure sleeve (6) is designed to remain operational over the 20-30 year lifetime of the well. When the time comes to plug and abandon the well, a tool (9) is passed down the well on drill pipe (10) to open the apertures (5) by moving the sleeve (6). Wash fluid and then cement are injected from the tool (9) through the apertures (5) to wash and then plug the annulus behind the casing (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventor: James Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20240401451
    Abstract: A method for producing heavy oil using solvent injection without gas interference at the electric submersible pump (ESP), the method including completing the injection well with two or more injector tubings, at a heel and toe, and optionally therebetween. Ideally, when gas locking of the ESP is detected, the operator switches to toe dominant injections, mitigating the gas locking problem, and producing oil at a faster rate than possible with evenly distributed injections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Javier SANCHEZ, Alex FILSTEIN, Mason OGG
  • Patent number: 12157855
    Abstract: A steam-assisted gravity drainage method is described that includes a two stage solvent injection scheme, wherein steam plus solvent injection is followed by steam plus heavier-solvent injection. The two solvent injections improve recoveries of both the heavy oil and the injected solvent while limiting steam requirements, thus improving the economics of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Arelys Y. Salazar Hernandez, Tawfik N. Nasr
  • Patent number: 12151197
    Abstract: Production equipment and methods which reduce “gray” or off-specification production and improve central processing facility (CPF) efficiency. The process is a combination of unit operations (heat exchange, pumping, and separation) to produce an on-spec gas product, an on-spec condensate product, and/or on-spec oil product. It does so by placing the feed under pressure and heating it to the point that it can be vaporized and separated. The blended components are modulated dependent upon the composition of the produced fluids, produced gas, and off-specification fluid to efficiently produce on-specification products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Travis O. Dinsdale, James Kadar, Jonathan J. Kiesewetter, Dale L Embry
  • Patent number: 12152461
    Abstract: Method of plugging a hydrocarbon well by a through-tubing technique are described. The method allows the tubing to be left in place. Only a short (<2 m) section is cut, milled, perforated, ruptured and expanded, or combinations thereof. A blocking device is sent downhole to block a bottom of the plug section, and bismuth alloy pellets dropped onto the blocking device. A heater is deployed to melt the bismuth alloy pellets. Next, the alloy liquid is allowed to cool and solidify. During solidification, the alloy expands and fills the section of well to be plugged or a portion thereof. Once primary and secondary barriers are in place, the well can be closed and the Christmas tree removed. A rock-to-rock plug can be set by removing or partially removing the tubular and outer casing, or just inner casing/tubulars can be removed if the exterior cement and casing are of sufficient quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Dan Mueller, Geir Ove Titlestad, David D. Hearn, Curtis G. Blount, Rick D. Watts, Randall S. Shafer, Dale R. Doherty
  • Patent number: 12140017
    Abstract: Pressure sensing plugs are used to check pressure in various void or cavities of a wellhead or Xmas tree of an active hydrocarbon well. Pressure sensing plugs (51) are provided at various points in the wellhead or Xmas tree (50). Each plug incudes a pressure transducer (39) and associated electronics allowing the pressure to be read by a hand held reader device. Alternatively, the plugs may include a radio transmitter for transmitting sensed data to a monitoring system via a wifi network or similar to a central control room on a hydrocarbon producing platform. In this way, the pressure at the various points in the wellhead/Xmas tree may be checked without exposing the cavity or void.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Oeystein Fossaa, Rune Romberg
  • Patent number: 12139997
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of conducting a perf wash cement (“P/W/C”) abandonment job in an offshore oil or gas well annulus, in particular the washing or cementing operation using a rotating head with nozzles dispensing wash fluid or cement at pressure. A new design of bottom hole assembly is proposed in which the cementing tool has a relatively large diameter in order to optimize pressure whilst the wash tool has a relatively small diameter. The wash process, for a number of reasons, appears to be less sensitive to tool diameter and making the wash tool smaller reduces the overall risk of stuck pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Lars Hovda, Dan Mueller, James C. Stevens, Amal Phadke, Praveen Gonuguntla
  • Patent number: 12129741
    Abstract: A method for installing a dual/multiple lateral well where the overburden casing is relatively narrow includes drilling a single diameter bore for the first lateral and employing a tapered liner. The liner has a narrow production section (109) and a larger diameter proximal section (104). A hollow whipstock (113) is run into the well and a window is milled in the proximal section (104) of the tapered liner, allowing a branched lateral B (115) to be drilled and then a liner (116) run through it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: Jan Ove Soerheim, Tollef Svenum
  • Patent number: 12129735
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a device and method of sealing perforations on a well casing inside a subterranean well. The device comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve having an open top and a closed bottom; a heater located inside the sleeve, the heater comprising a thermite mixture; an ignition mechanism that ignites the thermite mixture upon actuation; and a string connected to the heater ignition and detachably engages the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventors: David D. Hearn, Casey Hirschmann, Randall S. Shafer, Stewart M. Robertson, Dan Mueller