Patents Examined by Charles R. Nold
  • Patent number: 11299668
    Abstract: An acidizing and formation stabilizing treatment fluid for stabilizing a fracture in a subterranean formation. An acid generating agent generates an acid in situ to acidize the formation thereby enhancing the fractures within and to cure an acid-catalyzed, curable resin to stabilize the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip D. Nguyen, Loan K. Vo
  • Patent number: 11292956
    Abstract: A composition for use in a wellbore activity, the composition comprising a stabilized divalent iodide brine, the stabilized divalent iodide brine comprises a divalent salt system, where the divalent salt system comprises a divalent iodide, an primary iodide stabilizer, the primary iodide stabilizer operable to remove free iodine, prevent the formation of free iodine, and suppress TCT, and an aqueous fluid, where the stabilized divalent iodide brine has a density greater than 11 lb/gal, where the stabilized divalent iodide brines has a TCT of less than or equal to 70 deg F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TETRA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Arthur G. Mack, Drew A. Fowler
  • Patent number: 11293247
    Abstract: A downhole barrier having a component thereof comprising a spalling material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Rostyslav Dolog, Yash Parekh
  • Patent number: 11292957
    Abstract: Amidoamine-based gemini surfactants having dual chains connected via an arylene or heteroarylene linker. Each chain contains a quaternary ammonium head group and an ethoxylated alkyl tail. A water-based drilling fluid containing the gemini surfactant is also provided. As examined by linear swelling and free swelling tests, the gemini surfactant is effective in reducing clay swelling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Muhammad Shahzad Kamal, S. M. Shakil Hussain, Mobeen Murtaza, Mohamed Mahmoud
  • Patent number: 11292960
    Abstract: A release system for releasing a released material into a release fluid is disclosed. The release system comprises a matrix. The matrix comprises at least one first matrix material and at least one second matrix material. The second matrix material is configured to at least partially erode when exposed to the release fluid. The releasable material is held in the matrix such that the at least partial erosion of the second matrix material causes the releasable material to be at least partially released from the matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Miquel Planells, Chun-tian Zhao
  • Patent number: 11286413
    Abstract: Well treatments that use modified biopolymers for diversion, conformance, fluid loss control, and/or other well treatments, including a method of providing conformance, fluid loss control, or diversion in a subterranean formation, may include providing a treatment fluid including a base fluid and hydrogel particles which may include modified biopolymers that are crosslinked, the modified biopolymers may include a biopolymer backbone and side chains derived from synthetic monomers; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravikant S. Belakshe, Pratiksha Shivaji Meher, Larry Steven Eoff
  • Patent number: 11286755
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules in sand control structures and/or methods of completing the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore, defines a tubular conduit, and includes a fluid-permeable segment. The hydrocarbon wells also include a sand control structure that is positioned within an annular space that extends between the wellbore and the fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular. The sand control structure is configured to restrict migration of formation sands from the subsurface region and into the tubular conduit via the fluid-permeable segment and includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The methods include positioning a downhole tubular within a wellbore and providing a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules to an annular space that extends between the wellbore and a fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Charles S. Yeh, Robert M. Shirley, Pavlin B. Entchev
  • Patent number: 11274515
    Abstract: A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method includes conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT including a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further includes delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: EQUINOR ENERGY AS
    Inventors: Gjermund Grimsbo, Pål Viggo Hemmingsen, Halvor Kjørholt, Gisle Stjern
  • Patent number: 11261705
    Abstract: Treatment chemicals (for example, scale inhibition chemicals) can be applied to fluids in a pipeline by diverting a side stream of the produced water from a pipeline into a vessel containing a solid material to release of an active fluid treatment agent from the solid material into the diverted produced water; merging the diverted produced fluid containing the active fluid treatment agent into the pipeline; and adjusting a flow rate of the diverted side stream of the produced water to change a level of the active fluid treatment agent in the flow of produced water in the pipeline. Treatment systems can include a pipeline, a vessel containing a solid treatment material; a bypass line providing a fluid connection between the pipeline and an inlet of the vessel; and a return line providing a fluid connection between an outlet of the vessel and the pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Qiwei Wang, Waleed N. Al-Nasser
  • Patent number: 11261699
    Abstract: A polymetaphosphate composition and method for temporarily sealing a perforation in a wellbore to facilitate a treatment therein and a well tool which can include a flow path, and a flow blocking device which selectively prevents flow through the flow path. The well tool can include a polymetaphosphate composition. A method of constructing a downhole well tool can include forming a structure of a solid mass comprising a polymetaphosphate composition, and incorporating the structure into the well tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Advanced Polymers Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley L. Todd, Stanley J. Heath
  • Patent number: 11254859
    Abstract: An injection method for a solid retarded acid includes mixing a solid acidic substance with a natural polymer, extruding through an extruder to produce particles; putting the produced particles in a coating pan, and sprinkling zinc acetate powder; turning on the coating pan to rotate while irradiating with an infrared lamp; spraying a glycolic acid aqueous solution with a spray gun, and continuing to rotate to obtain the solid retarded acid; injecting non-reactive liquid and the solid retarded acid into the a sand mixing truck; after the mixture is uniformly mixed in the sand mixing truck, injecting the mixture into a formation by a fracturing truck; conveying the solid retarded acid to a designated location, then stopping a pump, removing pipelines, and opening the well for gushing. The method is good in drag reduction, easy for flowback, thereby reducing the construction cost and facilitating environmental protection, and has broad application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST PETROLEUM UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shibin Wang, Peng Shi, Fuhu Chen, Zhi Wang, Yongchun Zhang, Binwei Xu, Shenyan Gou, Feng Zhao, Jianchun Guo
  • Patent number: 11254860
    Abstract: A method may comprise: introducing a treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation wherein the treatment fluid comprises a base fluid; a carbonate compound, wherein the carbonate compound at least partially plugs a zone in the subterranean formation; and an acid; and diverting at least a portion of the treatment fluid and/or a subsequently introduced fluid away from the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Steven Eoff, Aaron Michael Beuterbaugh, Travis Hope Larsen, Shoy George Chittattukara, Vishwajit Manajirao Ghatge, Antonio Recio, III
  • Patent number: 11248161
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for increasing oil recovery from an oil-bearing formation including the following successive stages of treating the formation: injecting an invert emulsion in a volume of 3-5 m3/m of perforated interval thickness followed by squeezing down an acidic composition or a composition containing a nonionic surfactant in a volume of 2-3 m3/m of perforated interval thickness to the formation, injecting a highly stable direct emulsion containing a colloidal solution of silicon dioxide nanoparticles in a volume of 3-7 m3/m of perforated interval thickness followed by squeezing down a liquid from a reservoir pressure maintenance system to the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY OILMIND [RU/RU]
    Inventor: Vitalii Vyacheslavovich Sergeev
  • Patent number: 11242726
    Abstract: Wellbore synthesis techniques are disclosed suitable for use in geothermal applications. Embodiments are provided where open hole drilled wellbores are sealed while drilling to form an impervious layer at the wellbore/formation interface. The techniques may be chemical, thermal, mechanical, biological and are fully intended to irreversibly damage the formation in terms of the permeability thereof. With the permeability negated, the wellbore may be used to create a closed loop surface to surface geothermal well operable in the absence of well casing for maximizing thermal transfer to a circulating working fluid. Formulations for the working and drilling fluids are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Eavor Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Toews, Paul Cairns, Peter Andrews, Andrew Curtis-Smith, Jonathan Hale
  • Patent number: 11242730
    Abstract: The disclosure describes hydrocarbon flowline corrosion inhibitor overpressure protection. Such a protection system includes a fluid flow pathway fluidically coupled to a corrosion inhibitor injection pump that injections corrosion inhibitor into a hydrocarbon carrying flowline. When the injection pump pressure exceeds a threshold flow pressure, the corrosion inhibitor is flowed through a first branch of the fluid flow pathway to relieve the excess pressure. The first branch is fluidically isolated from a second branch. When a rupture disc in the first branch fails, then the corrosion inhibitor is diverted to flow through the second branch and the first branch is isolated from the corrosion inhibitor flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Fathi BuGubaia, Khalid Al Ghamdi, Mohammad R. Khunaizi, Rashid D. Al Hajri, Khalid Al Subaie, Zayed Qahtani
  • Patent number: 11230919
    Abstract: The disclosure features methods of analyzing a fluid extracted from a reservoir, the methods including introducing a first composition featuring a first complexing agent into a reservoir at a first location, extracting a fluid from the reservoir at a second location different from the first location, combining the fluid with a second composition featuring a concentration of a lanthanide ion to form a third composition featuring a concentration of a complex formed by the first complexing agent and the lanthanide ion, exposing a quantity of the complex to electromagnetic radiation for a first time period ending at a time t0, detecting fluorescence emission from the quantity of the complex for a second time period starting at a time t1>t0, where t1?t0 is greater than 2 microseconds, and determining information about a fluid flow path between the first location and the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Hooisweng Ow, Rena Shi, Jason R. Cox, Sehoon Chang
  • Patent number: 11225595
    Abstract: Methods of wellbore cementing are provided. A method of designing a cement composition may include: selecting a target heat of hydration for a target time and temperature; selecting one or more cementitious components and a weight percent for each of the one or more cementitious components such that a sum of a heat of hydration of the one or more cementitious components is less than or equal to the target heat of hydration; preparing the cement composition; and allowing the cement composition to set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Walmy Cuello Jimenez, Xueyu Pang, John Paul Bir Singh
  • Patent number: 11225857
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of crude oil from subterranean, oil-bearing formations comprising at least the following steps of providing an aqueous surfactant composition comprising water and a surfactant mixture, injecting said surfactant composition into the subterranean, oil-bearing formation through at least one injection well, thereby reducing the crude oil-water interfacial tension to less than 0.1 mN/m, and withdrawing crude oil from the formation through at least one production well, wherein the surfactant mixture comprises at least a surfactant (A) having the general formula R1—O—(CH2CH(R2)O)a—(CH2CH(CH3)O)b—(CH2CH2O)c—R3—Y?M+ (I) and a solubility enhancer (B) having the general formula R4—O—(CH2CH(CH3)O)x—(CH2CH2O)y—R3—Y?M+ (II), wherein R1 to R4, a, b, c, x, y, Y and M have the meaning as defined the the description and claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Guenter Oetter, Jack F. Tinsley, Hans-Christian Raths, Marcel Patrik Kienle, Sebastian Alexander Weisse
  • Patent number: 11225598
    Abstract: Treatment fluid compositions that include a carrier fluid, a crosslinkable polymer, one or more degradable fibers grafted with a crosslinking moiety capable of crosslinking the crosslinkable polymer, and optionally a proppant or gravel. Methods and systems for treating a subterranean wellbore or formation using the grafted degradable fiber treatment fluids are further provided. The presently disclosed treatment fluids may be suitable for use as hydraulic fracturing treatment fluids, gravel packing treatment fluids, or fluid diversion treatment fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Loan K. Vo, Philip D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11220894
    Abstract: Methods may include using geometrical and mechanical properties to generate a model of one or more intervals of a wellbore; designing a fluid pumping schedule for a wellbore treatment fluid system; simulating flow of a fluid system containing solids using the model of the one or more intervals of the wellbore, wherein simulating comprises determining the flow rate distribution within the wellbore and modeling the settling and resuspension of the solids within the flow of the fluid system; and updating the fluid pumping schedule based on the output determined from the simulated flow of the fluid system. Methods may also include determining the critical velocity of the fluid system for various concentrations of one or more of solids and additives; and selecting the concentration of the one or more of solids and additives based on the critical velocities determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Denis Viktorovich Bannikov, Vadim Ismailovich Isaev, Aleksandra Mikhailovna Khudorozhkova, Dmitry Sergeevich Kuznetsov, Alexey Alexandrovich Tikhonov