Patents Examined by Jennifer Gay
  • Patent number: 7367400
    Abstract: A chamber for use in a submersible pump assembly. The submersible pump assembly has a submersible motor which is connected to a power source and which will drive a submersible pump in the submersible pump assembly. A motor protector with expansion chamber is connected to the submersible motor. The expansion chamber and submersible motor are filled with motor oil. The expansion chamber has a housing and a reactant disposed in the housing interior for reacting with and reducing the concentration of contaminants present in the well fluid that are harmful to components of the motor protector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Wood Group ESP, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Howell
  • Patent number: 7290609
    Abstract: A secondary plugging tool is disclosed for use in a subterranean plug, such as in a plugged and/or abandoned well. The repaired plug may be of a cementicious material, or a mechanically, hydraulically or electrically set plug or packer. The plugging tool includes an outer housing containing an eutectic metal alloy. A thermitic reaction charge is contained within chambers within an inner tubular member and a lower housing. The lower end of the outer housing being ported circumferentially there around, the thermitic reaction charge activates the eutectic metal charge such that the eutectic charge melts and pours out of the outer housing and across and upon the initial plug to repair any failure areas therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Cinaruco International S.A. Calle Aguilino de la Guardia
    Inventors: Louis J. Wardlaw, Jack Michael Fraelick, Manuel Eduardo Gonzalez, Robert B. Carpenter
  • Patent number: 7073595
    Abstract: A method for controlling pressure of a dual well system includes drilling a substantially vertical well bore from a surface to a subterranean zone and drilling an articulated well bore from the surface to the subterranean zone using a drill string. The articulated well bore is horizontally offset from the substantially vertical well bore at the surface and intersects the substantially vertical well bore. The method includes drilling a drainage bore into the subterranean zone. The method includes pumping a drilling fluid through the drill string when drilling the drainage bore. The method includes pumping a pressure fluid down the substantially vertical well bore when drilling the drainage bore. The pressure fluid mixes with the drilling fluid to form a fluid mixture returning up the articulated well bore which forms a frictional pressure that resists fluid flow from the subterranean zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: CDX Gas, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph A. Zupanick, Frank Merendino, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6973972
    Abstract: Scaling may be reduced during oil and gas production using a device having a sound transducer. The device can be used downhole and functions independently of an external power supply. Use of the device allows for the reduction or elimination of anti-scaling chemical additives during the production phase of an oil and gas well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Peter S. Aronstam
  • Patent number: 6959760
    Abstract: A power generator for use in a wellbore formed in an earth formation, including an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston defining a combustion chamber in the cylinder, the engine being arranged to induce a reciprocating movement to the piston relative to the cylinder upon combustion of a combustible gas mixture in the combustion chamber, and a linear electricity generator having a stator and a drive shaft. The generator is arranged to generate electricity upon a reciprocating movement of the drive shaft relative to the stator, and the piston is connected to the drive shaft so as to transmit the reciprocating movement of the piston to the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Stephen Richard Braithwaite, Wilhelmus Hubertus Paulus Maria Heijnen
  • Patent number: 6955231
    Abstract: A tool adapted for changing the direction of drilling during drilling. The drilling equipment used in the drilling includes a drill string, a bent sub, a drill motor, and a drill bit. The tool is positioned between the drill string and the bent sub, includes housing elements connected to one another, and has a passage for drilling fluid. The tool can be activated for rotation of the bent sub, so that the direction of drilling is changed in an infinitely variable manner. The tool includes a valve adapted for choking the passage so that the tool can be activated for rotation, a piston adapted for forced guiding of the rotation. The guides can be formed by twisted splines formed in the wall of the passage and in the wall of the opposite piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Bakke Technology, AS
    Inventor: Stig Bakke
  • Patent number: 6945330
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for use in operating an electric downhole tool on a non-conductive support line (slickline) by converting a battery voltage to an output voltage suitable for operating the tool. In response to receiving a trigger signal, the output voltage signal is applied to the tool. The tool is controlled by varying the output voltage signal according to a power control sequence. Accordingly, electric tools typically requiring surface intervention by an operator via an electric cable (wireline) may be operated on slickline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Wilson, Kevin L. Gray, Corey E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6935425
    Abstract: Microflowable devices can be used in pipelines to perform inspections. Disclosed are methods of using microflowable devices to measure parameters of interest within a pipeline to inspect the pipeline for conditions such as stress, corrosion, wall erosion and the like. Also disclosed is performing maintenance on the pipeline to correct such conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Peter S. Aronstam
  • Patent number: 6907934
    Abstract: A bracket and tension rod device is mounted to a top-drive dolly to carry the weight of a sheave wheel assembly. The device is deployed by connecting the sheave wheel assembly to a rigid dolly arm with an adjustable tension rod to relieve a gooseneck from adverse tensile, compressive and bending forces from the movement of a wireline through the sheave assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Specialty Rental Tool & Supply, L.P.
    Inventors: Vernon E. Kauffman, Dwight Reuben LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 6886638
    Abstract: The present invention provides a field weldable connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Schlumbergr Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Hebah Ahmed, Harjit S. Kohli, Ben A. Donnell
  • Patent number: 6883624
    Abstract: Cutter elements for a drill bits having particular, but not exclusive, application on the nose portion of the cone cutters of a rolling cone bit include a base, a cutting portion, and a plurality of cutting lobes extending radially from the cutting portion. Each lobe includes a forward-facing cutting face and trailing portion having a trailing surface that intersects the cutting face in a nonlinear cutting edge. The trailing surface is non-planar and recedes away from the cutting edge. In certain embodiments, the trailing surface is a partial dome shaped surface. The trailing portion provides strength and buttresses the cutting edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott McDonough
  • Patent number: 6880642
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of plugging and abandoning a well includes using a plug apparatus and installing bentonite elements in an oil well production casing having a bore. The plug apparatus is lowered into the production casing bore to a selected elevation using a slick line or the like. The apparatus has a tool body and slip dies that are movably mounted upon the tool body to move between extended and retracted positions. Afer the tool body is positioned at a selected location within the casing bore, tension is applied to the slick line to move the slip dies to an extended position wherein the slip dies engage the casing and secure the tool body in a desired location. The casing bore is then displaced with water above the tool body. Bentonite elements are then dumped into the water filled wellbore. The bentonite elements are allowed to swell to form a plug. The tool body can be retrieved from the casing bore if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Inventors: Jonathan Garrett, Joseph LeRouge, Michael Taylor
  • Patent number: 6880631
    Abstract: This invention relates to a whipstock casing milling system and, more particularly, to such a system in which a window mill is secured to a whipstock so that the system may be run into a well, set and operated to open a window in a casing during a single trip. The milling system of the present invention comprises a protrusion (B) provided on the whipface of the whipstock wherein the protrusion (B) forms an extension of a relatively steep ramp surface (45) of the whipface so as to reduce damage to said surface (45) at a juncture (A) of said surface (45) with a relatively shallow ramp surface or parallel surface (46) during use of the system. The protrusion (B) thereby avoids an undercutting of a casing and a thinning of the whipstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Smith International Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce McGarian, Charles H. Dewey
  • Patent number: 6877559
    Abstract: A method for retrieving a formation fluid sample through a cased borehole utilizing a sampling tool. Sampling tool straddle packers are set about a first set of perforations and annular fluid is drained from the isolated zone, through a central conduit in the tool and discharged above or below the packers. Formation fluid is induced to flow into the central conduit and into sample chambers. The packers are unset, the tool moved to the next set of perforations that are azimuthally offset from the first set of perforations and the sampling process repeated, with subsequent samples being placed in separate sample chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Mohamed Naguib Hashem
  • Patent number: 6874579
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of perforating and surging a section of the wellbore includes running a perforating gun into the well on a string having an isolation valve above the perforating gun, closing the valve, and perforating the well with the isolation valve closed so that the formation is isolated from the well surface. An underbalance pressure is provided above the isolation valve, and then, the isolation valve is opened to surge the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ashley B. Johnson, Lawrence A. Behrmann, Wenbo Yang, Fokko Harm Cornelis Doornbosch
  • Patent number: 6854535
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a pitch measurement of a horizontal underground bore location system includes providing a probe having a pitch sensor that measures deviation between a predetermined orientation and a measurement axis. A receiver has an antenna that detects a signal radiated by the probe and has receiver circuitry that detects the deviation from the received signal. A bore head is aligned with the predetermined orientation. The probe is placed in the bore head. The receiver detects the deviation when the bore head is aligned with the predetermined orientation. The receiver offsets deviation measurements thereafter detected from the probe by the measured deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Merlin Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Morio Mizuno
  • Patent number: 6854521
    Abstract: A well completion system for creating a seal between a production tubing (30) and a well casing (34) positioned within a wellbore (32) comprises a production packer (46) that includes a section of the production tubing (30) and at least one seal element (60). The production tubing (30) is then positioned within the well casing (34) that lines the wellbore (32). An expander member (56) that is positioned within the production tubing (30) then travels longitudinally through the production packer (46) to expand the section of the production tubing (30) downhole that includes the seal element (60). This expansion creates a sealing and gripping relationship between the production tubing (30) and the well casing (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph H. Echols, Tommie A. Freeman, John C. Gano
  • Patent number: 6851480
    Abstract: An improved, unattended, liquid pumping device for oil and gas wells featuring a bellows controlled flow valve that opens and closes at preset pressures. Additionally a well head receiver design that releases shut in production gas below the pumping device and provides a positive pressure differential across the pumping device prior to valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Brandywine Energy and Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald L. Swoyer, Charles H. Hunt, Paul M. Yaniga, Richard J. Bordogna
  • Patent number: 6834725
    Abstract: An apparatus and method used for sealing a wellbore. The apparatus includes a swelling elastomer disposed around an outer surface of the tubular body. The swelling elastomer is isolated from wellbore fluid in an annulus. However, upon the application of an outwardly directed force to an inner surface of the tubular body, the tubular body expands radially outward causing the swelling elastomer to contact the wellbore while exposing the swelling elastomer to an activating agent via the one or more apertures, thereby causing the swelling elastomer to create a pressure energized seal with one or more adjacent surfaces in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: James K. Whanger, Simon J. Harrall
  • Patent number: RE39209
    Abstract: A device and method for selectively controlling the flow of production fluid through a tubing string in an oil and gas well according to which a housing is connected to a tubing string for insertion into the well, and well fluid is passed from the ground surface into the housing. The housing is provided with a plug to establish well fluid pressure in the housing to actuate a packer and/or other ancillary devices. The plug can be removed from the hosing by increasing the pressure of the well fluid in the housing above a predetermined value, thus permitting the flow of production fluid from the formation zone, through the housing and the tubing string, and to the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Barton