Patents Examined by Abby J Flynn
  • Patent number: 11578585
    Abstract: A wellbore tool includes a body having a longitudinal axis and an outer circumferential surface. The wellbore tool includes moveable arms, housings, actuators, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a heat source, such as a microwave source. Each moveable arm is coupled to a respective actuator and a respective housing. Each actuator is configured to move the respective moveable arm. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the subterranean formation. The pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure of the subterranean formation. The microwave source is configured to generate microwave radiation. Methods of analyzing acquired transient temperature and transient pressure data for formation evaluation are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mustafa A. Al-Huwaider, Shouxiang Mark Ma
  • Patent number: 11572665
    Abstract: A milling system for a milling machine includes at least one cutting assembly configured to be coupled to a drum. Each of the cutting assemblies includes a base portion and an impact portion. The base portion includes a standoff coupled to the drum, a first base block coupled to the standoff, and a second base block coupled to the standoff at a position upstream of the first base block in a direction of rotation of the drum and at angle from the first base block. The impact portion includes a cutting bit and a tool holder coupled to the first base block, and a protective element coupled to the second base block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventor: Dustin W. Sondreal
  • Patent number: 11566507
    Abstract: A system includes a first tubing arranged within a second tubing. A first flow path is formed within the second tubing, and a second flow path is formed between the first tubing and the second tubing. A pump is disposed within the first tubing and has a discharge end that is fluidly connected to the first flow path. A seal fitting coupled to a distal end of the first tubing includes a third flow path and a sealing arrangement to isolate the second flow path from a portion of an external environment of the first tubing. A gas separator is positioned to receive a fluid mixture stream from the third flow path and separate the fluid mixture stream into a gas stream that is directed into the second flow path and a liquid-rich fluid stream that is directed into the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Chidirim Enoch Ejim
  • Patent number: 11566387
    Abstract: A milling machine has a frame, ground engaging tracks that support the frame, a first actuator connecting the frame to a first track of the ground engaging tracks and a second actuator connecting the frame to a second track from the ground engaging tracks. The milling machine has an orientation sensor that determines an orientation of the frame. The milling machine has a controller that operates the first and second actuators to raise or lower the frame. The controller determines the frame orientation using the orientation sensor. The controller also determines a velocity error between actuator velocities of the first and second actuators based on the frame orientation and a target orientation of the frame. The controller determines a control parameter for the second actuator based on the velocity error and operates the second actuator using the determined control parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel S. Doy, Hyppolite Kuissi, Lee M. Hogan
  • Patent number: 11555681
    Abstract: A method of mining in a rock formation, includes drilling blastholes extending into the rock formation. Each of the blastholes has a depth between a first end and a second end. For each blasthole the second end thereof is deeper into the rock formation than the first end thereof. The method further includes loading the blastholes with alternating layers of explosives charges and stemming material to establish a succession of blasting decks or sections extending across and within the rock formation. The rock formation includes at least a first blasting deck or section and a second blasting deck or section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ORICA INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD
    Inventors: Nigel Brett Pereira, Les Willan, Murali Nagarajan, Carlos Vicente Arana Quijano, Stephen Jeric
  • Patent number: 11549603
    Abstract: A check valve may include a housing having a bore therethrough, the bore including an inner surface and a bearing face; a check seat adaptor coupled to the housing; a seal in the housing, the seal including a seat bore; and a dart disposed in the bore between the seal and the bearing face and axially moveable between closed and open positions. The dart may include a tail and a head that has at least one dart inlet and sealingly engages the seal when the valve is closed. The tail defines an inner chamber having an outlet that is in fluid communication with the bore. The dart inlet(s), the inner chamber, and the outlet may be in fluid communication and together define a dart flow path through the dart. A biasing device may urge the dart toward the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: PRIORITY ARTIFICIAL LIFT SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Haines, Roddy W. Simpson, Jr., Joseph E. Kutac, Robert M. Wilkerson
  • Patent number: 11542767
    Abstract: A device for transport of an apparatus along a conduit or bore hole including a drill string. The device has a body having a coupled upper body portion and a lower body portion movable axially relative to each other. A fluid flow path in the body selectively enables fluid to flow through the body. A first valve system at a first end of the internal fluid flow path 58 is operable by a pressure differential between a region external of the body and the fluid flow path. A second valve system at a second end of the internal fluid flow path is operable by relative movement between the upper body portion and lower body portion. The body has one or more openings downstream of the first valve system through which fluid can flow or fluid pressure can be communicated to the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Gavin McLeod
  • Patent number: 11542788
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for drilling out frac plugs. An example apparatus may include a data system configured to be communicatively connected with wellsite equipment for performing drill-out operations of frac plugs installed within a well. The data system may be operable to receive current drill-out data and historical drill-out data, determine optimal operational parameters of the wellsite equipment based on the current drill-out data and historical drill-out data, and display the determined optimal operational parameters for viewing by the human operator, thereby permitting the human operator to cause the wellsite equipment to perform the drill-out operations at the optimal operational parameters. The current drill-out data may include current specifications of the frac plugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Brigade Energy Services
    Inventors: Gary Christopher Olliff, Michael Adrian Contreras
  • Patent number: 11536117
    Abstract: Fluid characteristics of a well fluid can be monitored. For example, a computing device can receive sensor signals from an acoustic sensor positioned on a well tool. The sensor signals can indicate characteristics of acoustic emissions generated by a well fluid impacting the well tool. The computing device can determine an acoustic signature for the well fluid using the characteristics of the acoustic emissions. The computing device can determine a difference between the acoustic signature a baseline acoustic-signature for the well fluid. The computing device can determine one or more fluid characteristics of the well fluid using the difference between the acoustic signature and the baseline acoustic-signature. The computing device can transmit a notification indicating the one or more fluid characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John Philip Granville, Etienne Samson
  • Patent number: 11530576
    Abstract: A drill bit includes a bit body providing one or more blades and defining a cone section extending from a centerline of the bit body a first distance, a nose section extending from the cone section a second distance, a shoulder section extending from the nose section a third distance, and a gauge section extending from the shoulder section a fourth distance. The drill but further includes one or more cutting elements mounted to the one or more blades outside of the cone section such that the cone section is void of cutting elements, and a plurality of milling elements secured to the bit body within the cone section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TAUREX DRILL BITS, LLC
    Inventors: Dustin Lyles, Matthew Mumma, Ryan Mathews, Terry Vance Morris
  • Patent number: 11530601
    Abstract: A fluid conduit system includes a trunk line and a manifold header coupled to the trunk line. The manifold header has a first bore in fluid communication with the trunk line and a second bore intersecting the first bore. A first manifold valve is coupled to the manifold header. A second manifold valve is coupled to the first manifold valve. A fracture header is coupled to the second manifold valve. A plurality of connection rods is coupled to the manifold header and to the fracture header. Each connection rod extends through a corresponding hole in the first manifold valve and a corresponding hole in the second manifold valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SAFOCO, INC.
    Inventors: David Lymberopoulos, Andrew Allen Kadavy, Peter Lanh Ly
  • Patent number: 11519227
    Abstract: A vibration isolating coupler for isolating torsional vibration in a drill string includes a first coupler portion including a first annular wall having an external surface and an internal surface defining a first central bore portion and a second coupler portion disposed within the first central bore portion. The second coupler portion includes a second annular wall having an external surface section and an internal surface section defining a second central bore portion, and a plurality of connecting elements extending from the internal surface of the first annular wall through the second annular wall across the second central bore portion and connecting with the internal surface of the second annular wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Volker Peters
  • Patent number: 11506053
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for controlling a mining machine within an underground mine. A rotatable laser source sends laser light and return light sensor receives reflected laser light and provides an indication of distance and return light intensity at multiple different rotation angles. A co-ordinate reference point comprises a pattern of varying reflectivity and provides at least a 2D co-ordinate position. A processor determines an absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine as the mining machine moves through the underground mine. The processor collects intensity values of reflected laser light for multiple respective rotation angles and detects the pattern of the reference point in the multiple intensity values of reflected laser light, and determines the absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine based on spatial information of the detected pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Mark Dunn, Peter Reid, Jeremy Thompson, Camrin Peacock, Kevin Saric
  • Patent number: 11499277
    Abstract: In a self-propelled construction machine (1), in particular road milling machine, stabilizer, recycler or surface miner, comprising a machine frame (2), and at least one working device (6), in particular milling drum, which is arranged in a housing (4) open towards the bottom that is at least partially closed on at least one side by at least one edge protector (8) height-adjustable relative to the machine frame (2), wherein, for the purpose of height adjustment, at least one first lifting device (10) is provided, the first end (15) of which is connected to the machine frame (2), and the second end (16) of which is connected to the height-adjustable edge protector (8), it is provided for the following features to be achieved: a second lifting device (12) is provided, the first end (18) of which is connected to the machine frame (2), and the second end (20) of which is connected to a first end (22) of a transmission device (14), which is in turn connected, with a second end (24), to the height-adjustable edge p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Stinner, Christian Berning, Andreas Salz
  • Patent number: 11492867
    Abstract: A downhole apparatus includes an outer case connectable at upper and lower ends thereof in a casing string. A degradable plug is fixed in an interior of the outer case. A rupture disc is mounted in a port in the wall of the outer case. The port is positioned to communicate a degrading fluid to an axial flow passage defined in a wall of the outer case and the axial flow passage is configured to communicate the degrading fluid back into the interior of the outer case and into the degradable plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Min Mark Yuan, Frank Vinicio Acosta, Lonnie C. Helms
  • Patent number: 11486249
    Abstract: Disclosed a combined rock-breaking TBM tunneling method in complex strata for realizing three-way force detection, comprising the steps of preparing a combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head for TBM construction; starting construction; advancing the combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head; pushing and pressing against a tunnel face by a mechanical cutter tool; subjecting a three-way force detection cutter to squeezing forces; feeding back three-way force data by a three-way force sensor; processing information by a TBM back-end control processor; obtaining a value of rock-cutter contact angle ?; feeding back parameter information to a TBM cutter head control center by a lithology index center; responding by the TBM cutter head control center, obtaining and adjusting parameters by the mechanical cutter tool equipped with the three-way force sensor; and breaking rock by the combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF ROCK AND SOIL MECHANICS, CAS
    Inventors: Hui Zhou, Jingjing Lu, Futong Xu, Chuanqing Zhang, Dawei Hu, Yang Gao, Fanjie Yang, Yong Zhu, Mingming Hu
  • Patent number: 11486248
    Abstract: Drilling fluid can be monitored throughout a drill site and at various stages of drilling operations. The drilling fluid may be analyzed to identify components that make the drilling fluid as well as the volume of each of the components, The volume of each component can be used, for example, to determine a percentage of water in a water-based drilling fluid and the average specific gravity of the water-based drilling fluid without further decomposition of the drilling fluid. The percentage of water and the average specific gravity can then be used to modify the drilling fluid, in real-time, based on conditions in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep D. Kulkarni, Lalit N. Mahajan, Xiangnan Ye
  • Patent number: 11472063
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wire saw excavation apparatus that is installed on a plurality of entry holes, where the plurality of entry holes are drilled according to a cutting section of a target surface of rock to be excavated so that the target surface is excavated by using wire saws. The wire saw excavation apparatus mounts N number of pulleys on one entry arm to cut the rock in N number of directions all at once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: In Hwan Choi
  • Patent number: 11459888
    Abstract: An auxiliary transportation and support system used after rapid excavation is provided. The system includes a crushing and transportation device, a roof bolt support device and a side bolt support device. The crushing and transportation device includes a traveling mechanism, a transportation device, a receiving hopper, and a crushing device. The traveling mechanism is located at a bottom of the crushing and transportation device. A chassis is arranged above the traveling mechanism. The transportation device is mounted on the chassis along a traveling direction of the traveling mechanism. The receiving hopper and the crushing device are both arranged on the transportation device. The roof bolt support device includes a roof bolter, a middle roof bolter and a horizontally telescopic arm which is arranged at a head end of the chassis. The roof bolter is coupled to a movable stretching end of the horizontally telescopic arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: LANG FANG JING LONG GRAND INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Changyan Pu, Limin Wu, Wenguang Cheng, Zhiguo Jing, Min Zheng, Qi Liu, Pengfei Fan, Zhao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11459868
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for multi-well ranging and planning of a second injector well in the presence of a first injector well in close proximity to a producer well. The method includes generating a three-well forward simulation model using survey data for a producer well, survey data for a first injector well, survey data for a first section of a second injector well, a producer well casing property profile, and a formation resistivity parameter. The method provides for determining the offset between the true magnetic sensor position in the BHA and a planned depth position. The method determines ranging distance and direction of the drilling well to target well using the offset between the true magnetic sensor position and the first planned depth position. The method helps to adjust directional drilling parameter to achieve constant ranging distance between drilling well and target well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Yijing Fan, Burkay Donderici, Hsu-Hsiang Wu, Li Pan