Patents Examined by Daniel P Stephenson
  • Patent number: 11098541
    Abstract: A PDC drill bit for use in downhole air drilling includes a body with a face for engaging a bottom of a hole being drilled and a gauge for engaging a side of the hole being drilled. The face includes a cone, a nose outward of the cone, a shoulder outward of the nose. The bit further includes channels formed in the face of the bit that extend from within the cone to the gauge. The channels define a plurality of blades separated by the channels. Each of the plurality of blades has a leading edge with PDC cutters mounted thereon. One or more of the channels are defined by two side walls and a bottom wall and has a length, width and depth. The width or depth remains substantially constant from a first point on its length within the cone to a second point within the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Ulterra Drilling Technologies, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher M. Casad, Ben Chrest, Thomas A. Damian, Carl Aron Deen, Kristy Everheart, Kerry Sisson
  • Patent number: 11098536
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting one or more transducers to a drill pipe. The apparatus comprises a sub-pipe having a bore and a transducer-holding assembly, wherein the transducer-holding assembly is insertable into the bore of the sub-pipe from an axial end of the sub-pipe. The apparatus further comprising a tension collar connected to the bore-defining surface of the sub-pipe and bearing upon the transducer-holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Cold Bore Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Noah Li-Leger, Peter Rizun, Nicolai Calin Pacurari, Craig Anthony Bergmann, Aryan Saed
  • Patent number: 11091987
    Abstract: A perforation gun that includes a monolithic bulkhead electrical contact that includes no resilient members but that is resiliently coupled to two perforating guns. The bulkhead electrical contact is configured to transmit a signal across a bulkhead from one gun to another gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignees: CYPRESS HOLDINGS LTD., AXIS WIRELINE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: David Council Benker, Thomas James Lonsdale, II, Charles Meredith, Joseph Sites
  • Patent number: 11091960
    Abstract: A downhole cutting tool includes a tool body having a tool axis, and a blade extending from the tool body. The blade includes a cutting face, a trailing face, and a top face extending between the cutting face and the trailing face. Cutting elements are attached to the bade along the cutting face, with each having a cutting crest at a peak height and a reduced height extending laterally away from the cutting crest. In some cases, first cutting elements along the cutting face and second cutting elements along the top face and rearward from, and at the same radial position as, the first cutting elements have different size, orientation, geometry or material properties. In additional aspects, at least two cutting elements on the blade have differing material properties, sizes, orientations, or working surface geometries along a blade profile of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youhe Zhang, Xiaoge Gan, Huimin Song
  • Patent number: 11078744
    Abstract: In wellbore completions it is sometimes desirable to seal the wellbore against fluid flow or to anchor a component within the wellbore. However, running such a plug into the wellbore has been problematic on occasion such as when the nose of the plug encounters an object within the wellbore such as a sand bridge or other obstruction. In those instances, the way of the tubular pushing the plug into the wellbore combined with the nose of the plug being unable to pass the instruction causes the plug to prematurely set. Such an instance the plug may need to be drilled out in order to proceed. In the present embodiment the tubular used to move the plug into the well is attached to the nose of the plug so that the force provided to the plug by the tubular is transmitted only to the nose of the plug preventing the plug from presetting and allowing the plug to push past or through an obstacle within the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Shale Oil Tools, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Kennedy
  • Patent number: 11078576
    Abstract: This corrosion inhibitor can satisfactorily prevent corrosion of the inner surface of a well or pipeline, and contains an inhibitor (A) having a hydrophobic group and a polar group capable of donating an electron pair to a metal surface, an aromatic solvent (B), and hydrophobic nanoparticles (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: INPEX CORPORATION, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuyoshi Tomoe
  • Patent number: 11078781
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing noise from a signal during drilling of a well. A system for generating mechanical vibrations may generate acoustic signals for communicating information, and may induce pressure signals in a drilling mud communicating information. A noise reduction system may receive both the acoustic and pressure signals and phase shift one set of signals to adjust for a time difference between the two. The system may also sample the signals and may overlay the signals or the sampled signals and cancel the noise from the received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: HELMERICH & PAYNE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Todd W. Benson
  • Patent number: 11078738
    Abstract: A sub connects a gun string to a hydraulically activated setting tool for setting an auxiliary tool in a well. The sub includes a housing that prevents a well fluid from entering inside the housing; a plug that covers a hole made in a wall of the housing; and an explosive mechanism located inside the housing and configured to break the plug to open the hole to achieve fluid communication between an outside and the inside of the sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Wayne Rosenthal, Kevin George, David Wesson, Michael Wroblicky, Jeremy Castaneda
  • Patent number: 11072996
    Abstract: Methods for cleaning wellbore perforation clusters and reservoir fractures include extending a conduit into a wellbore until the conduit reaches a measured depth deeper than a designated perforation cluster, moving the conduit back and forth between the measured depth and a shallower measured depth, and dispensing different fluids into the wellbore via the conduit during respectively different cycles of the back and forth motion. The fluids may be liquid and/or gas. The conduit is dimensionally configured and arranged within the wellbore such that a passageway exists in the wellbore exterior to the conduit. The methods include closing the passageway prior to, at the same time or subsequent to introducing a gas-containing fluid into the wellbore and continuing to dispense the gas-containing fluid into the wellbore after closing the passageway. Storage mediums having program instructions which are executable by a processor for performing any steps of the methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: C&J Spec-Rent Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Sean C. Buchanan
  • Patent number: 11066888
    Abstract: A method for performing operations in a well comprises sensing a condition at, adjacent, or within a wellhead arrangement located at an opening of the well and performing a safety procedure in response to the sensed condition to improve the safety of the well operations. The method may comprise sensing the condition when a tool is located at, adjacent to, or within the wellhead arrangement. The sensed condition may be associated with a status of the tool. The sensed condition may be associated with an emission, field or signal transmitted to and/or from the tool, extending to and/or from the tool, and/or coupled to and/or from the tool. Performing the safety procedure may comprise controlling a position or status of the tool or controlling an environment at, adjacent to, or within the wellhead arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Paradigm Technology Services B.V.
    Inventor: John Leith Creighton
  • Patent number: 11060384
    Abstract: In a method, a gyroscope and an endoscopic camera are first used to investigate coal-seam strike trend, coal-seam dip trend, and coal-seam thickness data of a to-be-extracted area. According to gas extraction standard requirements of a to-be-extracted area, boreholes are then designed and constructed, and trajectories of boreholes are tracked to obtain a correspondence relationship between designed borehole parameters and actual borehole trajectory parameters. Next, drilling parameters are adjusted according to the correspondence relationship between the designed borehole parameters and the actual borehole parameters to construct boreholes at predetermined borehole locations. Subsequently, the boreholes are connected to an extraction pipeline, and gas extraction flow rates and gas extraction amounts per meter of the boreholes are observed. Eventually, other boreholes are designed and constructed according to the adjusted borehole construction parameters and extraction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Chuanjie Zhu, Baiquan Lin, Zishan Gao, Ximiao Lu
  • Patent number: 11053742
    Abstract: A rotating cutter for a fixed cutter type bit includes an annular sleeve with a retainer having a plurality of inwardly extending tabs and a spindle cutter rotatably coupled to the annular sleeve. The spindle cutter includes a spindle extending into the annular sleeve and rotatable about a central axis of the annular sleeve, a base portion positioned between the retainer and a proximal end of the annular sleeve, and a cutter portion coupled to the spindle. The rotating cutter further includes at least one pin disposed between adjacent tabs of the plurality of tabs of the retainer to prevent axial movement of the base portion through the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Trung Quoc Huynh, Van Jordan Brackin, Kelley Leigh Plunkett
  • Patent number: 11053772
    Abstract: A tool with a deformable element that is configured to flex across an annulus based on a force being applied to an inner surface of the deformable element. The deformable element may be configured to be positioned within a chamber that is covered by a first rupture disc. The deformable element may include seals, flex joints, and a body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Vertice Oil Tools Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Parks
  • Patent number: 11028686
    Abstract: This application relates to tools, systems, and methods for stimulating hydrocarbon bearing formations using energy from sonoluminescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Sameeh Issa Batarseh
  • Patent number: 11028651
    Abstract: A drilling rig includes a base section, a first section, a second section, a third section and a fourth section. For the base section upper region, a fixed pulley block and a guide pulley are installed. Except for the fourth section-crown block section, each section lower region is installed with a lifting lug for a movable pulley block installation for substantially vertical lifting. The crown block section is installed substantially vertical; the subsequent section is located substantially horizontal with the section front pillar upper region connecting to the previous section front pillar lower region. The previous section is substantially vertical lifted to draw the next section skidding into the base section and lifting substantially vertical with the previous section pillar lower region connected to the next section pillar upper region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SICHUAN HONGHUA PETROLEUM EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rui Luo, Ting Zhang, Xiaowu Ou, Qionghua Yang, Yuegang Xu, Guixuan Li, Hongke Xia, Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11021925
    Abstract: A pressure control device for use in an oil well is described. The pressure control device comprises a support member configured to be located on a mandrel or a tubular, the support member defining at least one conduit throughbore configured to receive a conduit and a flexible cup member mounted to the support member. In use, a conduit can pass through the pressure control device intact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: RUBBERATKINS LIMITED
    Inventors: Nicholas Atkins, Craig Spalding, Krishna Kankanalapalli, Vijay Amirtharaj Avanashiappan
  • Patent number: 11015442
    Abstract: Systems and methods for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole. In one example, the system includes a movement mechanism and a controller. The movement mechanism is configured to enable translational movement of a first surface relative to a second surface to allow the first surface to impact the second surface to produce a plurality of beats. The frequency and amplitude of the beats may be selectively controlled by suppressing or dampening the beats. The controller is configured to selectively control an amplitude or frequency of the beats to encode information therein, where the amplitude of a beat may be selectively controlled by dampening or suppressing the impact of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Helmerich & Payne Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Todd W. Benson
  • Patent number: 11015429
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a system comprises a first (target) wellbore disposed in a formation, the first wellbore having a pressure imbalance therein causing an influx of formation fluids, a second (relief) wellbore disposed in the formation, a drill string disposed in the second wellbore, the drill string comprising a drill bit and a logging tool, and a wellbore ranging module comprising a processor and memory, the wellbore ranging module coupled to the drill string. The logging tool is configured to detect acoustic energy originating from the influx in the first wellbore and generate one or more signals associated with the detected acoustic energy. The wellbore ranging module is configured to receive, from the logging tool, the one or more signals associated with the detected acoustic energy and determine, using the received signals, a direction from the drill bit to the influx of the first wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl J. Cramm, Andrew John Cuthbert, Joseph Eli Hess
  • Patent number: 11015445
    Abstract: A property of a downhole fluid, for example, a chemical species or ion concentration, may be accurately determined and logged based on measurements received from an optical detector where the optical detector is fed information or signals from an optical system coupled to one or more electrochemical probes calibrated for one or more properties of a fluid. The one or more electrochemical probes provide a potential to the optical system based, at least in part, on exposure to the downhole fluid. The optical system receives an optical signal from a light source that is transmitted via a transmission line, such as a fiber optic cable. Downhole information from the optical system is transmitted to the surface via the same or another transmission line. Thus, the signals are in the optical domain rather than the electrical domain. Multiple properties may be measured simultaneously using the same transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinwei Lan, Yenny Natali Martinez, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Neal Gregory Skinner, John L. Maida
  • Patent number: 11008840
    Abstract: Methods for optimization of liquid oil production by huff-n-puff in shale reservoirs to achieve an improved (and optimal) oil recovery factor. The process determines and utilizes the optimum huff and puff times, number of cycles and soaking time under practical operation and reservoir conditions. The huff time in the process is a period so long that the pressure near the wellbore reaches the set maximum injection pressure during the huff period. The puff time in the process is the time required for the pressure near the wellbore to reach the set minimum production pressure during the puff period. Soaking is typically not necessary during the huff-n-puff gas injection in shale oil reservoirs. The number of huff-n-puff cycles is determinable by the time in which the economic rate cut-off is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Texas Tech University System
    Inventor: James J. Sheng