Patents Examined by David Andrews
  • Systems and methods for pulsed-flow pulsed-electric drilling
    Patent number: 9279322
    Abstract: A pulsed-electric drilling system includes a bit that extends a borehole by detaching formation material with pulses of electric current from one or more electrodes, and a drillstring that defines at least one path for a fluid flow to the bit to flush detached formation material from the borehole. The system modulates the fluid flow across the one or more electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Dirksen
  • Device and method for sequestering a substance
    Patent number: 9279313
    Abstract: There are provided a carbon dioxide storage apparatus and a carbon dioxide storage method which, through direct injection of carbon dioxide into an underground brine aquifer, can store carbon dioxide efficiently in the brine aquifer. A filter formed of, for example, grindstone is provided at a tip portion of an injection well. A pumping apparatus pumps carbon dioxide stored in a carbon dioxide tank. The pumping apparatus feeds carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide tank into the injection well by means of a pump. In the pumping apparatus, carbon dioxide is held within a predetermined pressure range and a predetermined temperature range. Carbon dioxide is fed through the injection well, and is injected into a brine aquifer. Carbon dioxide injected into the brine aquifer assumes the form of microbubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO GAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kameyama, Susumu Nishio, Ziqiu Xue, Toshifumi Matsuoka
  • Downhole sleeve system and method
    Patent number: 9279312
    Abstract: A downhole tool includes a tubular including a port. A first ball mechanism including a first shuttle axially movable within the tubular from a first position covering the port to a second position exposing the port. A first ball seat movable with the first shuttle and a second ball mechanism including a second shuttle axially movable within the tubular from a first position exposing the port to a second position covering the port. A second ball seat movable with the second shuttle, wherein an opening of the first ball seat is smaller than an opening of the second ball seat. Also includes a method of opening and closing a port in a downhole tubular and a method of completing downhole operations in a non-sequential order using a sleeve system having a plurality of downhole tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: James G. King
  • Tool with pressure-activated sliding sleeve
    Patent number: 9273534
    Abstract: A downhole tool and system for actuation of the tool. The tool includes a sliding sleeve assembly that is urged toward an opening position due to an interior pressure in the tool. A shear pin assembly hold the tool in the closed position. As pressure is increased to above a predetermined locking set point, a locking mechanism on the sliding sleeve radial engages the housing of the tool to lock the sliding sleeve to the housing. As pressure is further increased to a predetermined an activation set point, the shear pin assembly shears, but the sliding sleeve is maintained in the closed position by the locking mechanism. Only after the interior pressure is subsequently lowered to below a predetermined opening set point will the sliding sleeve shift to an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES INC.
    Inventors: Matthew James Merron, Kendall Pacey
  • Top pot assembly
    Patent number: 9267350
    Abstract: The present invention relates to rotating heads for oil and gas wells and more particularly, to an improved top pot assembly that utilizes an attachment body for attaching the rubber and the driving head to a bearing assembly for rotation with the inner barrel. The attachment body simplifies the replacement of the rubber on the drilling assembly. The attachment body of the present invention provides a driving receiver for attachment of the driving head to the attachment body. The attachment body of the present invention also provides a stripper receiver for attachment of the rubber to the attachment body. The attachment body attaches to the housing. The housing attaches to the bearing assembly for rotation of the driving head, the rubber, and the inner barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: PRUITT TOOL & SUPPLY CO.
    Inventors: Grant Pruitt, Cris Braun
  • Method and system for sealing and handling pipe
    Patent number: 9255458
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention relates to a friction-pin unit. The friction-pin unit includes a sleeve and a guide cone formed at a first end of the sleeve. A shaft is disposed coaxially within the sleeve and a plurality of friction pins extend radially outward from the shaft. The plurality of friction pins are adapted for interference-fit engagement with an inner surface of the pipe. A ring seal is circumferentially disposed around an inner surface of the sleeve. The ring seal adapted to circumferentially seal an outer surface of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler USA Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Austin, Raymond Christopher Young
  • Open loop cooling system and method for downhole tools
    Patent number: 9256045
    Abstract: A downhole tool (100) including an open loop cooling system (110) having a pressurized container (120) disposed within a tool string, and has a refrigerant (122). The cooling system further includes a tank (150) in fluid communication with the pressurized container (120), and a heat exchanger (160) associated with tank (150), where the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant (122) and a downhole payload (164). The cooling system further includes a low pressure apparatus that creates a low pressure region proximate the pressurized container. The low pressure apparatus can include a venturi (180). The venturi has a drilling mud passage (188) therethrough, and drilling mud flowing through a convergence (186) creates a low pressure adjacent the tank (150).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Anupam Singh
  • Removable fracturing plug of particulate material housed in a sheath set by expansion of a passage through the sheath
    Patent number: 9255461
    Abstract: The removable plug features a solid material that is housed in a porous container that has its shape changed to transition from the run in shape to the set shape. A swage is moved through a passage in the container to enlarge the passage and move the container to a borehole wall. The passage is then closed such as with a flapper valve or by moving in a mandrel into the expanded passage and lodging the mandrel in the expanded passage. Various release techniques are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: James G. King, Edward J. O'Malley, Charles C. Johnson, James C. Doane, Steve Rosenblatt
  • Safety system for oil and gas drilling operations
    Patent number: 9243467
    Abstract: A sub-surface safety system for hydrocarbon drilling operations is provided and includes at least one casing within a wellbore that extends into a first portion of a formation from the surface of the formation. A shut-in device is positioned in the casing so as to be below the surface of the formation. The well shut-in device defines a device passageway and is operable to sever a drill string extending through the device passageway and form a barrier in the device passageway that restricts wellbore fluids below the barrier from migrating up the casing to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: John Hudson Hales
  • Methods of using nano-particles in wellbore operations
    Patent number: 9243483
    Abstract: Methods for heating a material within a wellbore using nano-particles such as carbon nano-tubes. The material may be a flowable material such as cement, drilling mud, an acidizing fluid, or other material. Generally the methods comprise placing the flowable material in proximity to a radial wall of a wellbore. The methods also include running an energy generator into the wellbore. In one aspect, energizing the nano-particles in the filter cake causes the nano-particles to be activated, and increases a temperature within the flowable material to a temperature that is greater than an initial circulation temperature of the flowable material. Activating the energy generator may also assist in curing the flowable material in situ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Inventors: Stuart R. Keller, Shankar Sundararaman
  • Horizontal frac ball injector
    Patent number: 9228417
    Abstract: An injector spool supports a plurality of ball injector assemblies having respective ball cartridges adapted to load one frac ball at a time into a ball chamber of a ball launcher of the respective ball injector assemblies to provide a horizontal frac ball injector adapted to be connected to a frac head by frac iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Oil States Energy Services, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bob McGuire, Danny Lee Artherholt
  • Downhole combustor
    Patent number: 9228738
    Abstract: A downhole combustor system for a production well is provided. The downhole combustor includes a housing, a combustor and an exhaust port. The housing is configured and arranged to be positioned down a production well. The housing further forms a combustion chamber. The combustor is received within the housing. The combustor is further configured and arranged to combust fuel in the combustion chamber. The exhaust port is positioned to deliver exhaust fumes from the combustion chamber into a flow of oil out of the production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Orbital ATK, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Tilmont, Troy Custodio
  • Apparatus and process for wellbore characterization
    Patent number: 9228433
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process for wellbore characterization are disclosed, including: separating, in a separation vessel, drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore; transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process; and measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated produced gas during transport using one or more sensors. Properties of the gas separated from the mud may be used to determine characteristics of a wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Scott Sawyer, Donovan Balli, Michael J. Tangedahl, James Gunnels, Roger Suter
  • Cementing plug tracking using distributed strain sensing
    Patent number: 9222349
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for cementing plug tracking using distributed strain sensing include a downhole cementing apparatus that includes a distributed strain sensor with an optical cable and a first downhole cementing plug coupled to a fixed point on the optical cable. The apparatus further includes a second downhole cementing plug slidably coupled to the optical cable between the first downhole cementing plug and a sensing end of the optical cable. The second downhole cementing plug causes a detectable feature in a strain profile along the optical cable's length that indicates a position of the second downhole cementing plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Michel Joseph LeBlanc
  • Low profile, high capacity ball injector
    Patent number: 9222329
    Abstract: An injector spool supports a plurality of ball injector assemblies having respective ball cartridges adapted to load one frac ball at a time into a ball chamber of a ball launcher of the respective ball injector assemblies to provide a low profile, high capacity ball injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Oil States Energy Services, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bob McGuire, Danny Lee Artherholt
  • Valve system for downhole tool string
    Patent number: 9222334
    Abstract: A technique facilitates the delivery and testing of a tool string assembly downhole. The technique employs at least one rotatable element valve in the tool string at a location which enables the rotatable element valve to be used for selectively blocking or allowing fluid flow along an interior passage of the tool string. A one-way valve, such as a flapper valve, dart valve, or spring loaded ball valve, is deployed within a rotatable element of each rotatable element valve to combine flow control functions, thus enabling a shorter tool string section. The at least one rotatable element valve also may be designed to facilitate pressure testing of the tool string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Zafer Erkol, Rod Shampine
  • System and method of coiled tubing depth determination
    Patent number: 9217321
    Abstract: A system for determining a depth in a wellbore of a reference point associated with a coiled tubing. The system comprises a sensor coupled to a coiled tubing spool, wherein the sensor coupled to the coiled tubing spool is configured to determine an angular position of the spool, a processor coupled to the sensor, a memory coupled to the processor, and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, determines the depth in the wellbore of the reference point of the coiled tubing based on an input from the sensor coupled to the coiled tubing spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Andrew Marvel
  • Pipe handling system
    Patent number: 9212527
    Abstract: A pipe handling system for locating a pipe joint in a joining assembly that includes an internal joining tool and an external joining tool is provided. The system includes a gripper configured to grip a surface of the pipe joint; an elevator configured to pick up the pipe joint and position the pipe joint adjacent a string of pipe disposed in the external joining tool; and a deployment assembly coupled to the gripper, wherein the deployment assembly includes a cable that is used to position the internal joining tool inside the pipe joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Karsten Heidecke, Michael Hayes, Frederick T. Tilton, Doyle Fredric Boutwell, Jr., Robert P. Badrak, Joseph Ross Rials, David J. Havens
  • Navigation system
    Patent number: 9206645
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a navigation system for navigating a drill head out of or in collision with a casing in a first borehole. The system comprises a drill head drilling a second borehole; a drill string made of several tubulars mounted into one tubular string by means of a connection means, the drill head being mounted onto one end of the drill string; and a plurality of logging units arranged with one logging unit in or in relation to each connection means. Each logging unit comprises a data transmitter and a data receiver for sending and receiving data between the logging units; and a detector, at least one logging unit comprising an emitter. Furthermore, the invention relates to a navigation method using the navigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: WELLTEC A/S
    Inventor: Jørgen Hallundbæk
  • Device for uncoupling a drill string, drilling system comprising such a uncoupling device, and use of such a system
    Patent number: 9206653
    Abstract: A device for uncoupling a drill string, the device including, in a longitudinal direction: a first structure that is intended to be attached to a drill string tube; a second structure that is intended to hold a cutting tool for drilling and is translatable relative to the first structure; and a thruster assembly between the first structure and the second structure. The thruster assembly is configured to exert a thrusting force on the second structure to separate the second structure from the first structure, the thrusting force being constant for every position of the second structure relative to the first structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Inventors: Philippe Essel, Jean-Marc Loriot, Christian Salesse, Sebastian Desmette