Patents Examined by Crystal J. Lee
  • Patent number: 11767732
    Abstract: A plugging system for plugging a cased well in a single trip downhole. The plugging system may include a tool string positionable within the cased well and including a bore and a downhole tool coupled to the tool string. The downhole tool may include a first perforating gun, an upper resettable packer, a lower resettable packer, and a flow-through assembly. The first perforating gun may be operable to perforate the casing of the cased well. When the downhole tool is positioned in the cased well, the upper resettable packer may be uphole of the first perforating gun. When the downhole tool is positioned in the cased well, the lower resettable packer may be downhole of the first perforating gun. The flow-through assembly may be positioned between the upper resettable packer and the lower resettable packer and operable to flow fluids into a bore of the cased well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Edward Harms
  • Patent number: 11753572
    Abstract: An additive for a cement slurry for a well that is capable of suppressing the generation of free water and preventing flotation/separation of low-specific-gravity aggregate while securing sufficient cement strength even at a high temperature and a method for producing this additive are disclosed. The additive contains an aqueous dispersion of silica and a layered silicate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Murakami, Masaki Kimata, Isao Oota
  • Patent number: 11753917
    Abstract: When a child well is hydraulically fractured near the depleted reservoir volume surrounding a previously produced parent well, it is economically efficient to deliver proppant to the formation volume and fractures not reached by the parent well. A fracture length, which is the distance fluid travels from the child well to the depleted region, is calculated as a function of fracture stage. From identified trends in fracture length, fracture length for future stages can be predicted. Based on predicted fracture length, the slurry or treatment volume to cause well interference can be estimated. Proppant concentration or fracturing stage design can be adjusted so that the well interference volume is larger than the treatment volume and proppant is efficiently delivered to the child well fractures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Ananda Shetty, William Owen Alexander Ruhle, Srividhya Sridhar
  • Patent number: 11753573
    Abstract: Methods including precipitated and mined calcium carbonate lost circulation materials for use in subterranean formation operations. The precipitated calcium carbonate lost circulation materials are formed under a chosen set of precipitation conditions, including in situ in a subterranean formation. The mined calcium carbonate lost circulation materials are obtained in a desired morphological form under naturally occurring mined conditions. The precipitated and mined calcium carbonate lost circulation materials may be needle-shaped aragonite having an aspect ratio of about 1.4 to about 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale E. Jamison, Cato Russell McDaniel, Xiangnan Ye, Sharath Savari, Chesnee Lae Davis, Jonathan Paul Walker
  • Patent number: 11739258
    Abstract: Proppant particulates are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. In complex fracture networks, it can be difficult to deposit proppant particulates fully within the fractures. In addition, low crush strengths may result in problematic fines formation. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, commonly encountered in various refinery process streams, may serve as an advantageous precursor to proppant particulates. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons may undergo crosslinking under acid-catalyzed conditions in an aqueous solvent in the presence of a surfactant to form substantially spherical particulates that may serve as effective proppant particulates during fracturing operations. In situ formation of the proppant particulates may take place in some cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Peter A. Gordon, Huaxing Daniel Zhou
  • Patent number: 11725507
    Abstract: A method for collecting data relating to characteristics of a wellbore by generating tube waves within the wellbore using an electro-hydraulic discharge (EHD) source includes generating tube waves that propagate within a fluid column of a wellbore using an EHD source, where the fluid column is defined by a casing string within the wellbore. The method also includes allowing at least a portion of the generated tube waves to interact with acoustic impedance boundaries that act as reflectors within the wellbore, creating reflected tube waves that propagate within the fluid column. The method further includes recording data corresponding to the generated tube waves and the reflected tube waves using a receiver, where the recorded data relate to characteristics of the reflectors within the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Peter A. Gordon, Yibing Zhang, Limin Song
  • Patent number: 11685078
    Abstract: Methods of wellbore cementing are provided. A method of analyzing a solid particulate including: measuring a water requirement of the solid particulate; and determining an approximation of specific surface area of the solid particulate from the water requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronnie Glen Morgan, Thomas Jason Pisklak, Sean William Riggio, Samuel J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 11685854
    Abstract: A carbonation-resistant cementitious blend containing cement, an expandable agent present, a dispersion agent, a fluid loss additive, a defoamer, and an olive waste. Concrete samples made therefrom and methods of producing such concrete samples are also specified. The addition of olive waste provides enhanced durability (carbonation resistance) and maintains mechanical strength (e.g. compressive strength, tensile strength) after exposure to CO2 and/or brine. The resulting concretes are suitable cementing material for oil and gas wells as well as wellbores for geologic carbon sequestration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Salaheldin Elkatatny, Ahmed Abdulhamid Mahmoud
  • Patent number: 11680199
    Abstract: A liquid additive composition comprising a particulate material, an organic carrier fluid, a viscosifier, and an alcohol alkoxylate surfactant; wherein the particulate material is substantially insoluble in the organic carrier fluid; wherein the particulate material comprises a water-interactive material and/or a water-insoluble material; wherein the organic carrier fluid comprises a glycol and/or a glycol ether; and wherein the viscosifier comprises amorphous silica. A method comprising (a) contacting a particulate material, an organic carrier fluid, a viscosifier, and an alcohol alkoxylate surfactant to form a mixture; and (b) agitating the mixture to form the liquid additive composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Jones, Samuel J. Lewis, Kyriacos Agapiou
  • Patent number: 11674373
    Abstract: A method to produce in-situ steam comprising the steps of producing a laser beam in a steam generator segment positioned in a wellbore in a formation; introducing the laser beam to an activated carbon container, where the activated carbon container comprises activated carbon; increasing a temperature of the activated carbon with the laser beam to produce a hot activated carbon; introducing water to the activated carbon container through a water supply line; producing steam in the activated carbon container when the water contacts the hot activated carbon; increasing pressure in the activated carbon container as steam is produced until a pressure set point of an inter-container valve is reached; releasing steam through the inter-container valve to a steam container; increasing a pressure in the steam container until a release set point of one or more release valves is reached; and releasing steam through the release valve to the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Sameeh Issa Batarseh
  • Patent number: 11667831
    Abstract: Provided herein is a hydraulic fracturing fluid containing enzyme encapsulated hydrogel nanoparticles and a breaker composition of a viscosifier-degrading enzyme encapsulated in the hydrogel nanoparticle. Also provided are methods for hydraulic fracturing utilizing hydrogel nanoparticles encapsulating an enzyme as a breaker to prevent the premature degradation of the fracturing fluid, to improve transport and placement of the proppant and to facilitate subsequent cleaning of the fracturing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Texas A&M University
    Inventors: Jenn-Tai Liang, Hulli Guan
  • Patent number: 11667827
    Abstract: A method of generating a wellbore treatment fluid comprising: obtaining a target Young's modulus; calculating a compressive strength requirement from a correlation comprising compressive strength and Young's modulus using the target Young's modulus as an input; classifying a plurality of solid particulates using correlations; calculating a reactive index and/or a water requirement for at least one of the solid particulates; and selecting two or more solid particulates from the plurality of solid particulates to create a wellbore treatment fluid, wherein two or more solid particulates are selected such that when the wellbore treatment fluid is prepared and set, the set wellbore treatment fluid has a 24 hour compressive strength greater than or equal to the compressive strength requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John Paul Bir Singh, Ronnie G. Morgan, Xueyu Pang, Thomas Jason Pisklak
  • Patent number: 11643902
    Abstract: A wellbore is plugged using a bismuth alloy. The wellbore is arranged so that a liquid bismuth alloy sets with an excess pressure of the plug relative to the borehole fluid pressure along a desired seal height distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Terizhandur S. Ramakrishnan, Hua Zhang, Quincy K. Elias, Albert Perez, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11634985
    Abstract: A method may comprise plotting treatment data to form a plot of the treatment data, fitting a function to the plot of the treatment data, determining an intercept of the function, calculating one or more coefficients, plotting the one or more coefficients on a histogram, and identifying one or more active flowpath elements on the histogram. A system may comprise a fluid handling system and an information handling system. The fluid handling system may comprise a fluid supply vessel, wherein the fluid supply vessel is disposed on a surface; pumping equipment, wherein the pumping equipment it attached to the fluid supply vessel and disposed on the surface; wellbore supply conduit, wherein the wellbore supply conduit is attached to the pumping equipment and disposed in a formation; and a plurality of flowpath elements, wherein the flowpath elements fluidly couple the wellbore supply conduit to the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Tirumani N. Swaminathan, Dinesh Ananda Shetty, Jianfu Ma
  • Patent number: 11629103
    Abstract: A method of designing a cement slurry may include: (a) selecting at least a cement and concentration thereof, water and concentration thereof, and, optionally, at least one supplementary cementitious material and a concentration thereof, such that a cement slurry comprising the cement, the water, and, if present, the at least one supplementary cementitious material, meet a density requirement; (b) calculating a thickening time of the cement slurry using a thickening time model; (c) comparing the thickening time of the cement slurry to a thickening time requirement, wherein steps (a)-(c) are repeated if the thickening time of the cement slurry does not meet or exceed the thickening time requirement, wherein the selecting comprises selecting different concentrations and/or different chemical identities for the cement and/or the supplementary cementitious material than previously selected, or step (d) is performed if the thickening time of the cement slurry meets or exceeds the thickening time requirement; and p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Siva Rama Krishna Jandhyala, John Paul Bir Singh, Thomas Jason Pisklak
  • Patent number: 11624017
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composite fluid including an electrically insulating foundation fluid having a dielectric constant and a dielectric strength, and an additive combined with the foundation fluid that results in a composite fluid having a dielectric constant and a dielectric strength greater than the dielectric constant and the dielectric strength of the foundation fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul F. Rodney
  • Patent number: 11624272
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for optimizing bitumen production from a plurality of wells employing steam-based recovery techniques such as SAGD, using hyperspectral imaging of produced emulsion samples to estimate total bitumen content at each well as a means of determining steam injection adjustment to enhance production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Husky Oil Operations Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Kay
  • Patent number: 11603746
    Abstract: A physical modeling method that includes providing a reservoir core plug, the reservoir core plug having a wellbore interface end, an outlet interface end, and a cylindrical face and saturating the reservoir core plug with hydrocarbon and brine to form a saturated core plug. The method also includes positioning the saturated core plug within a flooding apparatus and pumping the fracturing fluid through saturated core plug to displace a portion of the hydrocarbon to form a displaced hydrocarbon plug. In addition the method includes positioning the displaced hydrocarbon plug in an imbibition cell and conducting an imbibition test to form an imbibed core plug having brine and hydrocarbon. Further the method includes positioning the imbibed core plug in core-flooding apparatus and displacing a portion of the brine and hydrocarbon from the imbibed core plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ALCHEMY SCIENCES, INC.
    Inventor: Luchao Jin
  • Patent number: 11597864
    Abstract: Described are methods and compositions for treating a subterranean formation. The method comprising introducing into the subterranean formation via a well-bore a diverter composition, the diverter composition comprising a combination of at least one deformable particle and at least one non-deformable particle; and allowing the diverter composition to block the flow of at least a portion of a treatment fluid from a first location within the well-bore to a second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: CHAMPIONX USA INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Dreyer, Vyacheslav Boyraskikh, Yuntao Thomas Hu, Pious Kurian, Joseph Paul Street, Narongsak Tonmukayakul, Kin-Tai Chang
  • Patent number: 11585196
    Abstract: A fluid for use in hydraulic fracturing contains underivatized guar or a guar gum derivative as viscosifying or gelling polymer, a crosslinking agent, carbon dioxide as foaming agent and urea and, optionally, a bifunctional organic compound containing at least one hydroxyl group and at least one quaternary group and, optionally, a non-gaseous foaming agent. The fluid may be characterized by a low pH such as a pH than or equal to 3.0 and less than or equal to 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ahmed Zakaria, John Mayor, D. V. Satyanarayana Gupta, Minh Quoc Vo