Patents Examined by Andrew Sue-Ako
  • Patent number: 11661544
    Abstract: A breaker composition comprising (i) a first acid precursor, (ii) a second acid precursor and (iii) an aqueous fluid wherein the first acid precursor has an effective operating temperature of from about 15° C. to about 120° C. and the second acid precursor has an effective operating temperature of from about 30° C. to about 180° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Agrawal, Pratiksha Shivaji Meher, Kim Teng Yeo
  • Patent number: 11661815
    Abstract: The present disclosure may relate to a method of remediating a wellbore. The method may comprise pumping a resin treatment fluid from a surface location to an annular space bounded by an outer diameter of a production tubular, wherein the resin treatment fluid comprises a liquid hardenable resin, a hardening agent, and a particulate bridging agent. The resin treatment fluid may gravity settle in the annular space to contact production equipment in the annular space such that at least a portion of the particulate bridging agent bridges across one or more damaged sections of the production equipment, wherein at least a portion of the liquid hardenable resin sets to form a hardened mass to seal the one or more damaged sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Quero, Philip D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11639459
    Abstract: A fluid is provided. The fluid includes a base fluid and an additive. The additive has a marker functional group that absorbs infrared radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range between about 2100 cm?1 and about 2300 cm?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Paul Deville, Preston Andrew May, Michele Suzanne Brown
  • Patent number: 11639464
    Abstract: Treatment fluids and associated methods for treating a subterranean formation. An example method includes introducing a treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation. The treatment fluid includes a competitive metal binder selected from the group consisting of polyamino polyether methylene phosphonic acid, hydoxyethylamino-di(methylene phosphonic acid), and a combination thereof; a polymer capable of forming a polymer-metal complex; and an aqueous fluid. The method further includes contacting a metal ion with the treatment fluid after introduction of the treatment fluid into the wellbore and binding the metal ion with the competitive metal binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Hong Sun, Dong Shen, Gladys Rocio Montenegro
  • Patent number: 11639458
    Abstract: In order to substantially reduce friction during drilling operations, specialized lubricants need to be added to drilling fluid recipes. In general, lubricants reduce friction by forming a thin film of liquid that separates the solid surfaces in contact. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of enhanced activated sludge (EAS) as a lubricant in drilling fluids. EAS is activated sludge rich in lipids. The mixed consortium of microorganism in waste water treatment facilities in grown under a high carbon/nitrogen ratio to trigger lipid accumulation. Performance of EAS as drilling fluid additive was compared with commercial lubricants in terms of lubricity and flow properties. Lubricants were evaluated using water-based drilling mud at lubricant concentrations of 1.78, 3.11, 4.43, and 6.17 pounds per barrel (ppb). Experiments were carried out in a standard lubricity meter. The lubricity meter tests the ability of the lubricant in the drilling mud to reduce friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    Inventors: Gopi Chand Tripuraneni, Mark Zappi, Rafael Hernandez
  • Patent number: 11629889
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system (10) includes a pumping well (20), a water injection well (30), a pipe (13) having two ends which are immersed in water stored in the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) so as to connect the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) to each other, a pump (21) and a pump (31) which are respectively provided inside the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) and pump up stored water through the pipe (13), a valve (25) and a valve (35) which are respectively provided on a pressurization side of the pump (21) inside the pumping well (20) and a pressurization side of the pump (31) inside the water injection well (30), and a heat exchanger (14) which is configured to exchange heat with the pipe (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, NEWJEC INC., THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., MORIKAWA SAKUSEN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Sakai, Takeshi Fuchimoto, Rinnichi Sai, Masaki Nakao, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Yasuhisa Nakaso, Toshihide Morikawa, Shinsuke Sakae
  • Patent number: 11629284
    Abstract: A method of stimulating petroleum production includes introducing a fracturing fluid into a petroleum formation, thereby creating at least one fracture to stimulate the petroleum production. The fracturing fluid is introduced into the petroleum formation at a pressure above the breakdown pressure of the formation. The fracturing fluid includes a plurality of proppants where from 1 to 50 wt. % of the plurality of proppants includes micro proppants having a particle size ranging from 0.5 to 150 ?m, and from 50 to 99 wt. % of the plurality of proppants includes macro proppants having a particle size greater than 100 mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Rajesh Kumar Saini, Mohammad H. Haque, Jose I. Rueda, Almaz M. Sadykov
  • Patent number: 11624020
    Abstract: A method of reducing lost circulation includes introducing a lost circulation solution comprising Saudi Arabian volcanic ash, a curing agent, and a resin into a subsurface formation through a wellbore, wherein the Saudi Arabian volcanic ash comprises SO3, CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, and K2O; and allowing the lost circulation solution to thicken within the subsurface formation, thereby forming a barrier between the subsurface formation and the wellbore to reduce lost circulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Khawlah A. Alanqari, Vikrant Wagle, Abdullah Al-Yami, Ali Al-Safran
  • Patent number: 11619113
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments seek to eliminate or reduce fouling enabled by atmospheric oxygen entering the airspace of the well column. An inerting gas is used to flush atmospheric oxygen out of the well airspace. Once atmospheric air in the well gas-column has been replaced with an inerting gas, the well is sealed and pressurized with the inerting gas. The introduction of atmospheric oxygen back into the system through leaks is overcome by keeping a small, positive pressure-differential between the well-column gas pressure and the atmosphere. Results, as described herein, have shown the removal of atmospheric oxygen from the system can greatly reduce, or eliminate, both chemical and biological fouling as well as reduce or eliminate the need for well cleaning treatments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Shelly Mae Griffin, Benjamin Brett Petersen
  • Patent number: 11618845
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting or control wax formation during stimulation treatment of a well. More specifically, the present invention proposes the use of aqueous polymer dispersions suitable as wax inhibitor compositions which are compatible with aqueous fracturing fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: RHODIA OPERATIONS
    Inventors: Pierre-Emmanuel Dufils, David James Wilson, Zongming Xiu, Jia Zhou
  • Patent number: 11618850
    Abstract: A fluid design with enhanced proppant-carrying capacity utilizes a low-viscosity fluid with high proppant carrying capacity and low required power for injection into a hydrocarbon-bearing, subterranean formation. A preferred viscosifying agent that comprises a copolymer polymerized from an acrylic acid monomer and a monomer selected from: a) at least one carboxylic acid monomer; b) at least one C1 to C5 alkyl ester and/or at least one C1 to C5 hydroxyalkyl ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; c) one crosslinking monomer; and optionally d) at least one ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated monomer, may be used to produce a fracturing fluid that has the pumpability of a slick water fluid and the proppant-carrying ability of a cross-linked gel. An optimization process to optimize hydraulic fracture design evaluates and quantifies the proppant-carrying capacity of the invented fluid and its impact in the proppant transport during fracturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Branden Ruyle, Jian Huang, Clayton Smith
  • Patent number: 11613989
    Abstract: A method for evaluating induced fractures in a wellbore includes obtaining a first set of data in a wellbore using a downhole tool. The method also includes pumping a first proppant into the wellbore after the first set of data is obtained. The first proppant includes a first tracer that is not radioactive. The method also includes pumping a second proppant into the wellbore. The second proppant includes a second tracer that is not radioactive. The second tracer is different than the first tracer. The first proppant and the second proppant flow into fractures in the wellbore. The method also includes obtaining a second set of data in the wellbore using the downhole tool after the first and second proppants are pumped into the wellbore. The method also includes comparing the first and second sets of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: CARBO CERAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy Zhang, Harry D. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11613690
    Abstract: A treatment fluid can include: a base fluid, wherein the base fluid comprises water; and a lost-circulation material, wherein the lost-circulation material comprises a polymer network having at least one branching point formed with a monomer and a cross-linking agent that comprises at least three active functional groups. The treatment fluid can maintain a pressure differential of at least 1 psi when tested with a cylindrical void that has a diameter of 0.02 inches. The monomer can be a vinyl ester-based monomer that is polymerized with the cross-linking agent to form the polymer network. The treatment fluid can be used in an oil and gas operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: William Cecil Pearl, Jr., Samuel J Lewis, Aleksey V Kolasnikov, Claudia Carmen Pineda, Stephanie Ruiz
  • Patent number: 11608724
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods systems and compositions of a fracturing fluid comprising an associative polymer and clay nanoparticles. A method may comprise: providing a fracturing fluid comprising: a carrier fluid; an associative polymer; and clay nanoparticles; and injecting the fracturing fluid into a subterranean formation at or above a fracture gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Prashant D. Chopade, Dipti Singh, Jeremy A. Holtsclaw
  • Patent number: 11608463
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for oil and gas well remediation by the creation and use of a bio-derived nano scale complex mixtures, comprising bio-derived solvents and/or surfactants that allows the breaking, dissolving, dispersing and caging of obstructions in oil and gas wells. The charge present on the bio derived nanoscale complex is based on the pH of the well. The invention further reduces the well obstructions to a free-flowing fluid and then encapsulates them in an electrochemical, spherical, globe of protection. The method efficiently removes obstructions from the well to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Richard Strother
  • Patent number: 11608468
    Abstract: Process of fracturing subterranean, oil-and/or gas-bearing formations by injecting an aqueous fracturing fluid into a wellbore at a rate and pressure sufficient to penetrate into the formation, and to initiate or extend fractures in the formation, wherein the aqueous fracturing fluid is obtained by mixing at least an aqueous base fluid and an aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate having a concentration of 3.1 to 14.9% by weight of polyacrylamides, relating to the total of all components of the aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate, and wherein at least a part of the aqueous fracturing fluid injected additionally comprises a proppant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Faissal-Ali El-Toufaili, Dennis Loesch, Anna-Corina Schmidt, Tobias Joachim Zimmermann, Markus Ostermayr, Jack F. Tinsley, Brent Busby
  • Patent number: 11603489
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for inhibiting water permeation in an extraction well of a hydrocarbon oil from an underground reservoir which comprises injecting into said reservoir at least one polymerizable composition comprising: at least one hydrophilic monomer, at least one hydrophilic initiator of radical polymerization with thermal activation (hydrophilic initiator), at least one lipophilic initiator of radical polymerization with thermal activation (lipophilic initiator). The present invention also relates to the polymerizable compositions that can be used in said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ENI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Lucilla Del Gaudio, Davide Moscatelli, Paola Albonico
  • Patent number: 11597873
    Abstract: Compositions and methods comprising certain microemulsions and certain clay control additives for enhancing clay swelling protection and persistency in treating swelling clay of a subterranean formation of oil and/or gas wells are generally provided. The combination of certain microemulsions and certain clay control additives exhibit synergistic effects by enhancing clay swelling protection and persistency in treating swelling clay. The well treatment composition may use up to four times less concentration of clay control additive compared to using the same clay control additive alone, while still providing the same, similar, or higher degree of clay swelling protection and enhanced persistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Flotek Chemistry, LLC
    Inventor: Siwar Trabelsi
  • Patent number: 11598194
    Abstract: A method of enhanced biogenic methane production and recovery of biogenic gas without removal of formation water is disclosed through introduction of carbohydrates causing biostimulation of methanogenic microorganisms allowing recovery of methane without removal of formation waters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventors: Michael S. Perry, Gerald Luken
  • Patent number: 11584878
    Abstract: A variety of methods, systems, and compositions are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, method of scale inhibition including: introducing a treatment fluid comprising a brine, a scale inhibitor in neutralized form, and a thermally activated acid precursor through a wellbore and into a producing formation; wherein the thermally activated acid precursor is heated to release an acid that enhances miscibility of the scale inhibitor in the brine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiwei Yue, Ping Chen, Hui Zhou