Patents Examined by Kenneth L. Thompson
  • Patent number: 11492886
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing pump system includes an electric powered hydraulic fracturing pump positioned on a support structure. The system also includes a suction stabilizer/dampener coupled to a suction end of the pump. The system further includes a compressed gas supply, fluidly coupled to the suction stabilizer/dampener, and positioned on the support structure. The system also includes a flow path between the suction stabilizer/dampener and the compressed gas supply, the flow path including at least one valve and at least one regulator configured to control flow from the compressed gas supply to the suction stabilizer/dampener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Wells Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Alexander Christinzio, Lon Robinson
  • Patent number: 11492902
    Abstract: A system includes a processing device and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processing device to cause the system to perform operations. The operations include generating and running a reservoir simulation model. The reservoir and simulation model includes representative natural fracture or secondary porosity attributes for an area of interest for one or more wells. The operations also include generating a synthetic G-function response using results of the reservoir simulation model. Additionally, the operations include calibrating the synthetic G-function response from the reservoir simulation model to a field G-function response generated using results of a field diagnostic fracture injection test by changing natural fracture characteristics of the reservoir simulation model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Amit Kumar, Steven Patton Knabe
  • Patent number: 11486212
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for determining a laminar-turbulent transition of a fluid are provided. For example, a measurement tool can receive a set of wellbore conditions received from a wellbore. Measurement tool parameters can be determined based on the set of wellbore conditions. The measurement tool can be set according to the measurement tool parameters such that a fluid received from the wellbore can move through the measurement tool in a laminar state. The measurement tool may be adjusted according to the measurement tool parameters such that the fluid moves in a turbulent state. The measurement tool may determine a laminar-turbulent transition region for the fluid. The measurement tool may output the laminar-turbulent transition region for use in a drilling operation in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HALIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Dale E. Jamison, Andrew Vos
  • Patent number: 11480030
    Abstract: A thermal expansion system for actuating a remote operated sleeve assembly to open and close ports in a housing for fluidly communicating between a bore of a tubular string in a wellbore to the formation utilizes actuation of a propellant charge to create expanding gas and heat in a combustion chamber to directly act on one side of a piston connected to an axially moveable sleeve supported in the housing to shift the sleeve in one direction. Ignition of another propellant charge in a combustion chamber on an opposing side of the piston is used to directly shift the sleeve in an opposing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Inventors: Per Angman, Mark Andreychuk, Allan Petrella, Matthew Brown
  • Patent number: 11476781
    Abstract: A system and method for supplying electric power to various pieces of fracturing equipment in a fracturing operation with gas powered generators. The system and method also includes switch gears, auxiliary trailers, transformers, power distribution panels, new receptacles, and cables to supply three-phase power to electric fracturing equipment. The switchgear in the power supply system is weatherproof and able to endure the wear and tear of mobilization. The novel system and method provide clean and quiet electricity to all the equipment on site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Brandon Neil Hinderliter, Joel Broussard
  • Patent number: 11473414
    Abstract: A downhole sub has a cylindrical body and a sealing device disposed about the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body has a first fluid chamber configured to store a hydraulic fluid, a second fluid chamber configured to store a liquid energetic material, a piston slidably disposed between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, and an ignition unit. The sealing device has two annular pistons and two annular sealing rings. The sub is loaded with the liquid energetic material and lowered into a well casing installed in the subterranean formation. A section of the well casing having a plurality of perforations is sealed. The liquid energetic material in the downhole sub is injected into the subterranean formation through the plurality of perforations in the well casing and is detonated using the ignition unit in the downhole sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: Bo Qu
  • Patent number: 11473401
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for controlling a toe-end sliding sleeve in a horizontal well based on efficient decoding communication. The method comprises the following steps: forming a pressure wave signal by adjusting and controlling a pressure value in a wellbore according to a first preset encoding manner; acquiring a pressure value change signal in the wellbore, determining a reference time by using an STA/LTA method, and predicting pressure value to acquire a predicted pressure value signal curve; identifying a toe-end sliding sleeve control command in the acquired pressure wave signal by using a first preset decoding manner based on the fitness between the acquired pressure value signal curve and the predicted pressure value signal curve; and driving the toe-end sliding sleeve to perform actions according to the toe-end sliding sleeve control command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Hua Wang, Xingming Wang, Yukun Fu
  • Patent number: 11466548
    Abstract: A pump system includes a pump barrel disposed within a housing. A standing valve is disposed at a first end of a pump chamber defined within the pump barrel. A traveling valve is disposed at a second end of the pump chamber. The traveling valve is movable relative to along an axial axis and relative to the housing. A motor stator is disposed inside the housing. produces a rotating electromagnetic field upon receiving electrical power. A motor rotor is rotatably supported within the motor stator and rotates about the axial axis in response to the rotating electromagnetic field. A traveling plug is coupled to the valve body of the traveling body and arranged to move linearly along the axial axis in response to rotation of the motor rotor. The pump system can be disposed in a wellbore to lift fluids up a tubing in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Jinjiang Xiao
  • Patent number: 11454085
    Abstract: A cased bore straddle packer has an upper unload sub sleeve with fluid ports that are selectively aligned with corresponding ports in an upper unload sub mandrel component and a lower unload sub sleeve with fluid ports that are selectively aligned with corresponding ports in a lower unload sub mandrel component to permit fluid to be selectively dumped from the straddle packer. Control of the alignment of the respective ports is effected by manipulating an auto-J ratchet machined into a multicomponent mandrel of the straddle packer. The auto-J ratchet is controlled from the surface using completion string pull and push manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: EXACTA-FRAC ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Joze John Hrupp
  • Patent number: 11454170
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system may include a plurality of electric pumps configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with a well at a high pressure; at least one turbine generator electrically coupled to the plurality of electric pumps so as to generate electricity for use by the plurality of electric pumps, each turbine generator having at least one air intake channel; and an air chiller system associated with the at least one turbine generator, the air chiller system comprising: a chiller unit configured to chill a fluid; and at least one coil in fluid communication with the chiller unit and positioned adjacent to the at least one air intake channel, wherein the air chiller system is configured to increase a power output of the at least one turbine generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Brandon N. Hinderliter
  • Patent number: 11451016
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system may include a plurality of electric pumps fluidly connected to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the subterranean formation and fractures the subterranean formation; at least one generator electrically coupled to the plurality of electric pumps so as to generate electricity for use by the plurality of electric pumps; and at least one switchgear electrically coupled to the at least one generator and configured to distribute an electrical load between the plurality of electric pumps and the at least one generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Brandon N. Hinderliter
  • Patent number: 11448066
    Abstract: A well system includes a fiber optic cable positionable downhole along a length of a wellbore. The well system also includes a reflectometer communicatively coupleable to the fiber optic cable. The reflectometer injects optical signals into the fiber optic cable and receives reflected optical signals from the fiber optic cable. Further, the reflectometer identifies strain detected in the reflected optical signals generated from seismic waves of a microseismic event. Additionally, the reflectometer identifies a focal mechanism of the microseismic event and velocities of the seismic waves. The reflectometer also determines a position of the microseismic event using the strain detected in the reflected optical signals, the focal mechanism of the microseismic event, and the velocities of the seismic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Aleksandar Jeremic, Henry Clifford Bland, Timur Mukhtarov
  • Patent number: 11441404
    Abstract: A method for fracturing a formation is provided. Real-time fracturing data is acquired from a well bore during fracturing operation. The real-time fracturing data is processed using a recurrent neural network trained using historical data from analogous wells. A real-time response variable prediction is determined using the processed real-time fracturing data. Fracturing parameters for the fracturing operation are adjusted in real-time based on the real-time response variable prediction. The fracturing operation is performed using the fracturing parameters that were adjusted based on the real-time response variable prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Srinath Madasu, Yogendra Narayan Pandey, Keshava Rangarajan
  • Patent number: 11434715
    Abstract: A frac plug apparatus has a plug body that comprises a central bore and separable elements. The central bore extends axially through the plug body. The separable elements are joined by relatively weak bridging portions adapted to break in a controlled manner, the separable elements thereby forming an integral component comprised of the separable elements. The separable elements comprise a wedge element and an array of slip elements. The slip elements are joined to the wedge element by first bridging portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lonestar Completion Tools, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Harris, Kenneth J. Anton
  • Patent number: 11434724
    Abstract: To estimate a state of a natural resource in pipeline equipment during extraction in an oil field, provided is an apparatus including a data acquiring section that acquires measurement data, measured by a measurement device, indicating a state of a natural resource that is a fluid flowing through an extraction network for extracting the natural resource; a state estimating section that estimates the state of the natural resource at least at one location differing from a location where the measurement device is provided in a flow path of the extraction network, using the measurement data and a model of the extraction network; and a margin calculating section that calculates a margin until flow path blocking matter is generated in the extraction network, based on the estimated state of the natural resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Hidaka, Nobuo Okabe, Naoki Yoshima
  • Patent number: 11434737
    Abstract: Embodiments include a hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation. The system includes an electric pump, arranged on a first support structure, the electric pump coupled to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the subterranean formation and fractures the subterranean formation. The system also includes support equipment, arranged on a second support structure, electrically coupled to the electric pump, wherein the support equipment includes at least a transformer for distributing power to the electric pump, the power being received from at least one generator at a voltage higher than an operating voltage of the electric pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Brandon N. Hinderliter, Lon Robinson
  • Patent number: 11434730
    Abstract: An injection pumping system is used to generate pressure pulses in a wellbore to create pressure spikes for stimulation treatment of the wellbore. An initial pressure pulse is generated with a known travel time from the surface to a termination point and back to a specified location within the wellbore. A subsequent pressure pulse with a known travel time from the surface to the specified location can be generated to collide with the initial pressure pulse at the specified location. Knowing the speed of sound throughout the wellbore allows for an accurate calculation of the required travel times for each of the pressure pulses. Multiple sections of the wellbore can be treated preferentially and independently without requiring multiple runs of a perforating tool as the pressure pulses can be manipulated to collide at different locations throughout the wellbore based on the known travel times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Basuki Surjaatmadja, Tim H. Hunter, Stanley V. Stephenson
  • Patent number: 11421528
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for controlling a hydraulic fracturing job. Diagnostics data of a hydraulic fracturing completion of a wellbore can be received. A fracture formation model that models formation characteristics of fractures formed through the wellbore into a formation surrounding the wellbore during the hydraulic fracturing completion with respect to surface variables can be accessed. A subsurface objective function of fracture complexity can be selected from a plurality of subsurface objective functions for changing one or more of the formation characteristics of the fractures. The fracture formation model can be applied based on the diagnostics data to determine values of the surface variables for controlling the formation characteristics of the fractures to converge on the subsurface objective function of fracture complexity. As follows, a fracture completion plan can be formed based on the values of the surface variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: William Owen Alexander Ruhle, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, Ajish Potty, Joshua Lane Camp
  • Patent number: 11421521
    Abstract: A recursive method of optimizing rate of penetration while drilling a well. The method can include collecting historical data on a plurality of drilling parameters, performing a mathematical analysis on the historical data to correlate each drilling parameter to a rate of penetration, determining an importance of each drilling parameter, establishing an operating envelope for each drilling parameter, and adjusting at least one drilling parameter to achieve a desired rate of penetration. The steps can then be repeated at a user defined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ENOVATE CORP.
    Inventors: Evgeniya Dontsova, Miguel Camilo Mejia, Jerry Webb, Oscar Mauricio Molina Ortiz
  • Patent number: 11414938
    Abstract: Drilling installation comprising a cantilever with a drilling floor for performing drilling operations; further comprising an independent operations handling system arranged for handling equipment underneath the drilling floor independent of the drilling operations on the drilling floor, wherein the independent operations handling system comprises a handling element for cooperation with the equipment to be handled, wherein the handling element is extendible underneath the cantilever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: GUSTOMSC B.V.
    Inventors: Josephus Leonardus Aloysius Maria Van Der Hoorn, Naxin Zhang, Mark Cornelius Marinus Franciscus Rommens, Govert Hendrik Teunis Zijderveld