Patents Examined by Anuradha Ahuja
  • Patent number: 9903177
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are settable compositions and methods of using settable compositions in a wellbore. In one embodiment a method of introducing a settable composition into a wellbore is described. The method comprises providing a settable composition comprising pumice, hydrated lime, a set retarder, and water. Introducing the settable composition into a wellbore. Allowing the settable composition to remain static in the wellbore, wherein the settable composition remains in a pumpable fluid state for a period of about 1 day or longer while static in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyriacos Agapiou, Juan Humberto Martinez, Thomas Jason Pisklak, Vivek S. Goel, Lance Everett Brothers, Benjamin John Iverson
  • Patent number: 9896610
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to aqueous based wellbore fluids for preventing wellbore fluid loss downhole containing at least one copolymer formed from at least one natural polymer monomer and at least one latex monomer, and an aqueous base fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Steven Young, Emanuel Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 9896903
    Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation via well bore may include introducing a plurality of particles into the subterranean formation via the well bore, each particle having a substrate and a layer of cement on the substrate. The cement may be in a state of suspended hydration and the method may include introducing moisture to the subterranean formation via the well bore. The method may also include allowing the particles and the moisture to contact one another. Contact between the particles and the moisture may cause the cement to move from a state of suspended hydration to a state of secondary hydration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ernesto Rafael Fonseca Ocampos, Mauricio Jose Farinas Moya, Guy Lode Magda Maria Verbist, Gerardus Johannes Leonardus Van Der Wegen, Henricus Lambertus Maria Van Selst, Cornelis Pieter Hamelink, Robertus Hermannes Johannes Jozef Haverkort, Jochem Okke Boer, Jeffrey Maloy Noe, Jesper Van Der Horst, Peter Liam Brett, Claudia Jane Hackbarth, Prasad Baloo Kerkar, Benjamin Mowad
  • Patent number: 9890624
    Abstract: Systems and methods for the treatment of oil and/or gas wells are generally provided. In some embodiments, a reservoir comprising oil and/or gas may contain regions that differ in permeability to the drive fluid used to displace the oil and/or gas. The higher permeability region(s) may limit oil and/or gas recovery from lower permeability regions. A method of enhancing oil and/or gas recovery in such a reservoir may comprise injecting a fluid comprising a microemulsion into the reservoir prior to obstructing one or more region (e.g., higher permeability regions) of the reservoir. The use of a microemulsion prior to obstructing one or more region of the reservoir may enhance the barrier properties of the resulting obstruction. In some embodiments, injecting a fluid comprising a microemulsion into the reservoir may also increase the overall production of the oil and/or gas well lacking the microemulsion treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Eclipse IOR Services, LLC
    Inventor: J. Thomas Portwood
  • Patent number: 9890625
    Abstract: Systems and methods for the treatment of oil and/or gas wells are generally provided. In some embodiments, a reservoir comprising oil and/or gas may contain regions that differ in permeability to the drive fluid used to displace the oil and/or gas. The higher permeability region(s) may limit oil and/or gas recovery from lower permeability regions. A method of enhancing oil and/or gas recovery in such a reservoir may comprise injecting a fluid comprising a microemulsion into the reservoir prior to obstructing one or more region (e.g., higher permeability regions) of the reservoir. The use of a microemulsion prior to obstructing one or more region of the reservoir may enhance the barrier properties of the resulting obstruction. In some embodiments, injecting a fluid comprising a microemulsion into the reservoir may also increase the overall production of the oil and/or gas well lacking the microemulsion treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Eclipse IOR Services, LLC
    Inventor: J. Thomas Portwood
  • Patent number: 9879512
    Abstract: Processes for recovering hydrocarbons from subterranean formations are disclosed. The hydrocarbon can be contacted with water or steam and one or more additives, and subsequently recovered. The hydrocarbon can be selected from the group consisting of heavy or light crude oil, bitumen, an oil sand ore, a tar sand ore and combinations thereof. The additive can be, for example, a fluorinated hydrocarbon, one or more alcohols, combinations of alcohols, and combinations of one or more alcohols and one or more fluorinated hydrocarbons. Compositions or mixtures including hydrocarbons, water or steam, and additives are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.
    Inventors: Kimberly Jantunen Cross, Anthony G. Sommese, Edward Maharaih
  • Patent number: 9869166
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for increasing the viscosity of the drive fluid for displacing oil from a subterranean formation by the use of microorganisms selected or modified for the ability to produce cell free polymers without the formation of any significant bioplugging biofilm or capsule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Geo Fossil Fuels, LLC
    Inventors: William J. Kohr, David J. Galgoczy, Zhaoduo Zhang
  • Patent number: 9869156
    Abstract: Clay-based retarders may be useful in delaying the gel time of a gellable treatment fluid and, consequently, subterranean operations. For example, a method may involve providing a gellable treatment fluid comprising: an aqueous base fluid; a base polymer comprising an acrylamide monomer unit; a polymeric organic crosslinking agent comprising a crosslinkable polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polyvinylamine, chitosan, any derivative thereof, any salt thereof, and any combination thereof; and a clay-based gel retarder; introducing the gellable treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and forming a gel with the gellable treatment fluid in at least a portion of the wellbore, at least a portion of the subterranean formation, or both. In some instances, producing the gellable treatment fluid may involve not pre-hydrating the clay-based gel retarder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: B. Raghava Reddy, Larry Eoff, Natalie Pascarella
  • Patent number: 9868659
    Abstract: A method of producing purified water in a subsurface environment is provided in which ambient subsurface source water is introduced into and through one or more ultrafiltration membrane units of a subsurface water treatment system and producing thereby an ultrafiltrate substantially free of solid particulates having a largest dimension greater than 0.1 microns. An electrochemical unit in fluid communication with at least one ultrafiltration membrane unit provides an antifoulant solution. An ultrafiltrate-rich backwash fluid and at least a portion of the antifoulant solution are delivered to at least one non-producing ultrafiltration membrane unit during a backwash cycle. A flux of source fluid through each of the ultrafiltration membrane units of less than thirty gallons per square foot per day limits the need for backwash cycles. A reduction in the number of backwash cycles enhances system autonomy and useful life, and limits the need for intervention for maintenance and component replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hua Wang, Zamir Alam, Daniella B. Mosqueda-Jimenez, Jose Luis Plasencia Cabanillas, Nicholas William Harcsar Adams, Jason Daniel Cadera
  • Patent number: 9869170
    Abstract: A method for controlling water passage from an interval undergoing hydraulic fracturing to another interval in the same or a different well bore. The method introduces a relative permeability modifier at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture and fracture face in the subterranean formation surrounding the interval during fracturing. The method can reduce the water passage between two or more intervals of a well bore and between two or more well bores. The method can reduce the amount of water produced from a well, which reduces the processing necessary to remove water from the hydrocarbons produced from the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Philip D. Nguyen, Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Chandra Sekhar Palla-Venkata
  • Patent number: 9869155
    Abstract: Methods and systems directed to controlling the rheology of settable compositions in subterranean formations. Embodiments include a method of controlling the rheology of a set-delayed cement composition, the method comprising: providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, and a set retarder; shearing the set-delayed cement composition in an amount sufficient to substantially prevent solids settling; storing the set-delayed cement in a pumpable fluid state for at least 1 day; activating the set-delayed cement composition; introducing the set-delayed cement composition into a subterranean formation; and allowing the set-delayed cement composition to set in the subterranean formation. Additional methods and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Jason Pisklak, Samuel J. Lewis, Kyriacos Agapiou, Peter James Bou, Pauline Akinyi Otieno, Lance Everett Brothers, Ronnie Glen Morgan
  • Patent number: 9863231
    Abstract: A method of fracturing a reservoir comprising the steps of pumping a geopolymer precursor fluid through a wellbore into the reservoir at a fracture pressure, the geopolymer precursor fluid at the fracture pressure generates fractures in the reservoir, wherein the geopolymer precursor fluid is comprised of an amount of aluminosilicate, an amount of alkaline reagent, and a permeability enhancer, allowing the geopolymer precursor fluid to fill the fractures in the reservoir, shutting-in the wellbore at a wellbore pressure, the wellbore pressure maintains the geopolymer precursor fluid in the fractures, allowing the geopolymer precursor fluid to harden for a hardening time to form a geopolymer in the fractures, the geopolymer has a geopolymer matrix, the geopolymer matrix has a permeability, the geopolymer has a compressive strength, and reducing the wellbore pressure allows a reservoir fluid to flow from the reservoir through the geopolymer matrix of the geopolymer to the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Katherine L. Hull, Mohammed Sayed, Ghaithan A. Al-Muntasheri
  • Patent number: 9845647
    Abstract: Treatment fluids comprising viscosifiers and filtration control agents that may be useful at high temperatures and methods for using the treatment fluids to treat subterranean formations are provided herein. A method of treating a subterranean formation comprising: providing a treatment fluid comprising: an aqueous base fluid, a tetrapolymer that comprises at least one monomer, and a graft copolymer that comprises: a backbone comprising a lignite, and at least one monomer; and introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Kay Ann Galindo, Jay Paul Deville
  • Patent number: 9840902
    Abstract: Preparing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and magnetic proppant particulates, wherein the magnetic proppant particulates comprise proppant particulates at least partially coated with a stabilization agent and magnetic particles, and preparing a spacer fluid comprising a base fluid, a gelling agent, and a breaker. Introducing the treatment fluid and the spacer fluid intermittently into a subterranean formation comprising a fracture so as to alternate placement of the magnetic proppant particulates in the treatment fluid with the spacer fluid in the fracture, and activating the magnetic particles, wherein the activated magnetic particles cause the magnetic proppant particulates to agglomerate. Propping open the fracture with the magnetic proppant particulates, and activating the breaker in the spacer fluid so as to at least partially remove the spacer fluid from the fracture, thereby leaving behind substantially magnetic proppant particulate-free channels between the magnetic proppant particulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9840896
    Abstract: A method of treating a formation, a wellbore, or equipment in a wellbore is disclosed herein. The method includes introducing a soluble abrasive material into a wellbore for various oil and gas operations. The method also includes introducing an acidic solution into the wellbore to dissolve at least a portion of the soluble abrasive material to allow for more efficient removal of the soluble abrasive material from the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Thru Tubing Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Britton, Roger Schultz
  • Patent number: 9828815
    Abstract: An effective amount of at least one anionic surfactant may be present within a high salinity foamed fluid composition in an effective amount to generate an IFT as low as 10?3 mN/m. The anionic surfactant may be a sulfonate surfactant and/or a sulfate surfactant. The foamed fluid composition may be used to perform an operation, including but not limited to, a gas lift operation, a drilling operation, a completion operation, a stimulation operation, a fracturing operation, an injection operation, an enhanced oil recovery operation, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Joseph Silveira, Sunder Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 9822594
    Abstract: Produced or flowback water from an underground reservoir having been treated with a fluid containing a viscosifying polymer and a vitamin B1 and/or ylide breaker may be recycled by deactivating the vitamin B1 and/or ylide breaker with a sulfur or phosphorus containing nucleophilic agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Brandon Mark Vittur, Charles David Armstrong, Marshall G. Ault
  • Patent number: 9816362
    Abstract: A method of treating a well, the method including forming in-situ or using a polymeric material in a treatment fluid that is introduced into a well, wherein the polymeric material is produced by reacting: (a) a polysaccharide, wherein each molecule of the polysaccharide has at least one reducing chain end; and (b) a chain connector, wherein each molecule of the chain connector has at least two functional groups for reacting with the reducing end of the polysaccharide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jimmie Dean Weaver, David Loveless
  • Patent number: 9816354
    Abstract: A method is provided for improved degradation of metal-crosslinked polymer gels, which are useful in oil and gas treating operations. In this method a polysaccharide having a higher degree of substitution than the polymer in the polymer gel is added to the gel. The polysaccharide removes the crosslinking metal ion from the gel to thus break down the gel and reduce its viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Eli Allen Schnoor, Aaron Gene Russell, Lucas Fontenelle, Jeremy Holtsclaw, Ali Alwattari, Dipti Singh
  • Patent number: 9803450
    Abstract: A method of inhibiting scale in a subterranean formation comprises pretreating the subterranean formation with a polyquaternary amine that serves as a squeeze life extension (SLE) agent, and then introducing a scale inhibitor pill into the subterranean formation, wherein the scale inhibitor pill includes one or more scale inhibitor compositions. For example, the polyquaternary amine may be a polymer having up to 5 quaternary amine centers, but is preferably a nonpolymeric diquaternary amine having a molecular weight of from 250 to 500. One such example is 1,3-propandiaminium, 2-hydroxy-N,N,N,N?,N?,N?-hexamethyl-, dichloride. The SLE agent is preferably introduced into the formation in a brine solution having a concentration from 0.1 to 20 weight percent. The SLE agents may be used with a variety of known scale inhibitors and scale inhibitor chemistries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.
    Inventors: Julie Hardy, Curtis Sitz