Patents Examined by Kristyn Hall
  • Method and system for determining a lithology of a subterranean formation
    Patent number: 11661843
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a lithology of a subterranean formation into which a wellbore has been drilled. The method includes receiving a set of measurement logs including one or more measurement logs, each representing a measured characteristic of the wellbore plotted according to depth. The method also includes segmenting the wellbore into regions based on identified change of trend in one or more of the measurement logs of the set, and sub-segmenting at least one region into zones based on detection of appearance or disappearance of a rock type in the cuttings percentage log, The method also includes determining, in each zone, a location, length and rock type of one or more layers based on a total percentage of each rock type in the zone in the cuttings percentage log and at least one of the additional measurement logs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sophie Androvandi, Maurice Ringer, Karim Bondabou
  • Apparatus for automated slide drilling
    Patent number: 11661836
    Abstract: An automated slide drilling system (ASDS) may be used with a drilling rig system to control slide drilling. The ASDS may autonomously control slide drilling without user input during the slide drilling. The ASDS may further support a transition from rotary drilling to slide drilling to rotary drilling without user input during the transitions. The ASDS may also support user input and user notifications for various steps to enable manual or semi-manual control of slide drilling by a driller or an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Motive Drilling Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Benson, Teddy Chen, Joshua Miles Brinkley, John Jeremy Cantwell, Eric Alan Nolte, Robert Tyler Quarles, Sashmit Bhaduri, Zarko Bizaca, Kevin Mims, Brian Stokeld
  • Downhole drilling tool with a polycrystalline diamond bearing
    Patent number: 11655679
    Abstract: A downhole tool for use in a downhole drill string is provided. The downhole tool includes a rotor movably coupled within a stator, and a drive shaft movably coupled within a bearing housing. The drive shaft has a first end coupled with the rotor and a second end coupled with a drill bit. Bearing assemblies interfaces engagement between the drive shaft and the bearing housing, including polycrystalline diamond elements, each with an engagement surface, and an opposing engagement surface of a non-superhard metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: XR Reserve LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Prevost, Michael V. Williams, Edward C. Spatz, Michael R. Reese, William W. King, David P. Miess
  • Method, apparatus, real time modeling and control system, for steam and steam with super-heat for enhanced oil and gas recovery
    Patent number: 11655698
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for reducing an operating expense and a steam oil ratio (SOR) of at least one of an enhanced oil recovery system and a gas recovery system. The system can include a boiler configured to produce steam. The system can further include a super-heater in fluid communication with the boiler, the super-heater configured to generate a plurality of super-heat levels in a plurality of sections of the at least one of the enhanced oil recovery system and the gas recovery system downstream of the super-heater, wherein the plurality of super-heat levels are implemented per each one of the plurality of downstream sections of the at least one of the enhanced oil recovery system and gas recovery system to reduce the SOR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: XDI Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Juranitch, Raymond Clifford Skinner, Alan Craig Reynolds
  • Tubing and annular gas lift
    Patent number: 11655694
    Abstract: A gas lift system may be installed within a well to allow gas lift operations where gas may be injected into the annular area of the well while producing fluids through the interior of the production tubular or upon demand may be reversed so that gas may be injected into the interior of the production tubular while producing fluids to the annular region of the well. In order to allow bidirectional production on demand two types of gas lift mandrels are installed as part of the production tubular. Both types of gas lift mandrels are configured such that gas lift valves are mounted to the exterior of the mandrels. In order to facilitate the desired direction of gas flow through the two types of gas lift mandrels a plug and packer system with or with out one way valves may be utilized to direct and contain the pressurized gas flow within the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: LIBERTY LIFT SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: William Garrett Archa, Corbin Mozisek
  • Mud motor bearing assembly for use with a drilling system
    Patent number: 11655678
    Abstract: A drilling system for drilling a borehole. The drilling system may include a drill string, a drill bit coupled to the drill string, a mud motor coupled to the drill string uphole of the drill bit and operable to rotate the drill bit via a driveshaft, a bearing assembly coupled to a downhole end of the mud motor and operable to support the driveshaft, and a rotary steerable system (“RSS”) operable to push the drill bit in a desired direction via pads extended using drilling fluid flowing through the driveshaft and to the RSS. The bearing assembly may include bearings positioned circumferentially around a bore of the bearing assembly, a fluid flowpath through the bearings to allow drilling fluid to pass through the bearings, and a choke assembly positioned in the fluid flowpath and operable to restrict a flow of the drilling fluid through the fluid flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Robert Munguia, Hasib Uddin, John Hardin
  • Automated filtering and normalization of logging data for improved drilling performance
    Patent number: 11649722
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automated filtering and normalization of logging data for improved drilling performance may enable smoothing and amplitude scaling of log data for meaningful comparison and analysis without scaling artefacts. The logging data may be collected from downhole sensors or may be recorded by a control system used for drilling. A computer implemented method may enable industrial scale automated filtering and normalization of logging data, including calibration to a known standard. In particular, the filtering and normalization may be used for stratigraphic analysis to correlate true vertical depth to measured depth along a wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Magnetic Variation Services, LLC
    Inventors: Stefan Maus, Qianlong Liu, Alexander Michael Mitkus, Kenneth Robert McCarthy, Jin Sun, Andrew Robert Paré
  • Rope tensioning system for drilling rig
    Patent number: 11649713
    Abstract: A rotary drilling rig includes a vertical mast and a rotary head that can vertically move along the mast with respect to a work surface. To move the rotary head along the mast, a hydraulic feed actuator is connected with the rotary head via a wire rope feed system including a hoist rope and a pulldown rope. To maintain the hoist and pulldown ropes in tension and prevent them from dislodging from the respective pulleys of the wire rope system, the hoist and pulldown ropes can be connected to respective hoist and pulldown tensioning actuators. The hoist actuator can be associated with a hoist hydraulic circuit and the pulldown tensioning actuator can be associated with a separate pulldown hydraulic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
    Inventors: Charles T. Hudson, Elangovan Umapathy, Prasana R.
  • Combined function joystick for drilling machine and related method
    Patent number: 11650616
    Abstract: An apparatus for drilling with a drilling machine including a boom for supporting a drill and a feed for feeding the drill. A single joystick is adapted for controlling the movement of the boom and the feed independently or together, such as according to different protocols (e.g., for causing movement of the boom and feed in the same direction, or in different directions). Related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: J.H. FLETCHER & CO.
    Inventors: Craig Matthew Collins, Robert Dale Groves, Jr.
  • Active alternator control in a downhole tool string
    Patent number: 11643909
    Abstract: A downhole system includes a drill string having a drilling fluid flow channel and at least one turbine alternator deployed in the flow channel. The turbine alternator is configured to convert flowing drilling fluid to electrical power. A voltage bus is configured to receive electrical power from the turbine alternator and at least one electrical motor is configured to receive electrical power from the voltage bus. An electronic controller is configured to provide active control of the turbine alternator via processing a desired speed of the electrical motor to generate a desired torque current and feeding the desired torque current forward to the turbine alternator. The turbine alternator is responsive to the desired torque current such that it modifies the electrical power provided to the voltage bus in response to the desired torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mustafa Kamil Guven, Torgeir Rusten, In Chul Jang, Yaoxin Qian
  • Thermally deformable annular packers
    Patent number: 11634963
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally deformable annular packer with pressure relief means for use in oil and gas wells. The annular packer is formed from a stack of component parts, said parts comprising one or more eutectic alloy based ring sections sandwiched between two end sections. At least one of the annular packer component parts has one or more enclosed voids that are configured to become exposed when the packer is subjected to a predetermined pressure or temperature. The exposure of the enclosed voids serves to increase the effective volume within the sealed region formed by the annular packer in the annulus between two coaxial well casing/tubing. The increase in the effective volume serves to reduce the pressure within the sealed region thus preventing a build-up of pressure that might otherwise have damaged the well casing/tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: BiSN Tec. Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Carragher, Sylvain Bedouet
  • Swellable rubber element that also creates a cup packer
    Patent number: 11634964
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, as well as a method for establishing a seal between a mandrel and a borehole. The apparatus, in one aspect, includes a mandrel, and a packer, the packer including: a constrained portion coupled to the mandrel; and an unconstrained portion made of a swellable material and coupled to the constrained portion, wherein the unconstrained portion is free to move with respect to the mandrel. The apparatus, according to one aspect, further includes a spring positioned between the mandrel and the unconstrained portion and configured to urge the unconstrained portion away from the mandrel, the spring having a spring force less than a yield strength of the swellable material when the swellable material is in an unswelled condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Linley Fripp, Stephen Michael Greci, Christopher Michael Pelto, Matthew Arran Willoughby
  • Mechanical casing annulus packer
    Patent number: 11629573
    Abstract: A casing packer seal arrangement includes a sliding casing packer seal assembly arranged for being set by axial compression to expand against a surrounding casing pipe, the casing packer seal assembly being compressed and sled along a cylindrical mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ARCHER OILTOOLS AS
    Inventors: Jarle Varhaug, Atle Løland, Arve Byberg
  • Integrated perforating gun and setting tool system and method
    Patent number: 11629579
    Abstract: An interchangeable module configured to be used in an integrated perforating gun and setting tool system, the interchangeable module having a body having a chamber, a first electrical connection located at a first end of the chamber, and a second electrical connection located at a second end of the chamber. The first end is opposite to the second end. An addressable switch located inside the chamber, the addressable switch has a digital address. A connection unit located inside the chamber and configured to electrically connect the addressable switch to an initiating device. The interchangeable module is configured to be used (1) between a first gun cluster and a second gun cluster and (2) between a distal gun cluster and a setting tool, and the first and second electrical connections are electrically connected to the addressable switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Davis, Terrell Saltarelli, Jason Ansley
  • Cutting pipes in wellbores using downhole autonomous jet cutting tools
    Patent number: 11624265
    Abstract: A downhole autonomous jet cutting tool includes a main body with a generally cylindrical configuration. The main body includes a locking unit actuable to engage the tool to an inner surface of the pipe, a hydraulic motor with a rotor and a stator, and a rotatable jet cutting nozzle assembly operable to emit a stream of fluid to cut the pipe. The tool also includes a sensor module to detect interactions between the pipe and walls of the wellbore and a control unit in electronic communication with the sensor module and the locking unit. The control unit can identify, based on output of the sensor module, a location where interaction between the pipe and the walls of the wellbore limits downhole movement of the pipe, actuate the locking unit to engage the tool in the inner surface of the pipe, and initiate the stream of fluid from the nozzle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ossama R. Sehsah, Amjad Shaarawi, Chinthaka Pasan Gooneratne
  • Virtual assisted makeup
    Patent number: 11619103
    Abstract: A method of handling pipe segments during makeup and breakout of a drill string. The method uses a hydraulic circuit, which provides fluid to a motor or motors for translating a drill pipe segment. The drill pipe segment is supported by a carriage, which places the segment next to a drill string for addition thereto. Hydraulic pressure within the circuit is monitored to determine if a pressure fluctuation exists. If so, the translation speed is adjusted by modifying the hydraulic fluid flow to the motors. Sensors may be utilized to determine whether or not the system is in a “transition zone” and therefore ready for pressure monitoring for makeup and breakout functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Pete Ramos, Aleksander S. Wolfe
  • System and method for an intelligent quick connect disconnect connector (QCDC)
    Patent number: 11619110
    Abstract: A system may include a connector coupled to a wellhead assembly. The system may also include a hydraulic power unit coupled to the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The system may further include a controller in communication with the connector and the hydraulic power unit. The controller may be operable to receive one or more conditions associated with the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The controller may also be operable to operate at least one of the connector and the valve through the hydraulic power unit based on the one or more condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajeev Pillai, Richard Bridwell, Thiago Machado, Hosameldin Abouelhassan, Kirul Patel
  • System and method for laser downhole extended sensing
    Patent number: 11619097
    Abstract: Some implementations of the present disclosure provide a laser drilling tool assembly comprising: (i) a body that includes: a first segment configured to receive an input beam from a laser source and couple the input beam to provide an irradiation beam to irradiate a downhole target, and a second segment housing one or more purging pipes; and (ii) a tool head that includes: a retractable nozzle; and one or more optical sensing elements mounted on the retractable nozzle, wherein when the downhole target is being irradiated by the irradiation beam, the retractable nozzle is extended towards the downhole target such that the one or more optical sensing elements are positioned closer to the downhole target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Sameeh Issa Batarseh, Damian Pablo San Roman Alerigi
  • Power tong interlock system
    Patent number: 11613941
    Abstract: A control system for a tong for a drilling rig includes a tong motor control valve that is selectively actuatable to cause rotation of the tong in a first direction or in a second direction, a run/pull mode selector configured to actuate between a first configuration for running tubulars into a well and a second configuration for pulling tubulars from the well, a rotation speed selector configured to actuate between a high-speed setting configured to cause the tong to be driven to rotate at a first speed, and a low-speed setting configured to cause the tong to be driven to rotate at a second speed, and a rotation change control device configured to selectively prevent or permit actuation of the tong motor control valve based on the configuration of the run/pull mode selector and the setting of the rotation speed selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: FRANK'S INTERNATIONAL, LLC
    Inventors: Charles M. Webre, Dax Joseph Neuville, Andre Frederick, Joshua Thibodeaux
  • Fluid activated disintegrating metal system
    Patent number: 11613952
    Abstract: An engineered composite system designed to be passive or inert under one set of conditions, but becomes active when exposed to a second set of conditions. This system can include a dissolving or disintegrating core, and a surface coating that has higher strength or which only dissolves under certain temperature and pH conditions, or in selected fluids. These reactive materials are useful for oil and gas completions and well stimulation processes, enhanced oil and gas recovery operations, as well as in defensive and mining applications requiring high energy density and good mechanical properties, but which can be stored and used for long periods of time without degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TERVES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Doud, Andrew Sherman, Nicholas Farkas, Brian Werry