Patents Examined by Robert E. Fuller
  • Patent number: 11333014
    Abstract: A magnetic flux receiver assembly includes a collar that defines a central passageway and an axial collar face, and a tool insert disposable within the central passageway and defining an axial insert face. One or more magnetometers are operatively coupled to the tool insert. One or more buttons are coupled to one or both of the axial collar face and the axial insert face such that an axial gap is defined at an axial interface between the axial collar face and the axial insert face to prevent electrical communication across the axial interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John Harrison Farrah, Anand Prakash
  • Patent number: 11319778
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method according to which debris is cleaned from a casing that extends within a wellbore. The method generally includes running a downhole tool into the casing, the downhole tool comprising an isolation tool, a setting tool, and a casing scraper. Debris is then cleaned from an inner surface of the casing at a depth interval using the casing scraper. After cleaning the debris from the inner surface of the casing, the isolation tool is set against the inner surface of the casing at the depth interval using the setting tool to isolate a zone of the wellbore. After setting the isolation tool against the inner surface of the casing, a wellbore operation is performed in which isolation of the zone of the wellbore is required. The downhole tool is then drilled out of the casing using a drill bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Garry Martin Howitt
  • Patent number: 11319776
    Abstract: A frac sleeve with a set of inner sleeves that allow selective opening and closing of such sleeves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Vertice Oil Tools Inc.
    Inventor: Mohamed Ibrahim Saraya
  • Patent number: 11306541
    Abstract: A drill bit (11) for the drilling, in particular the rotary percussive drilling, of a hole, in particular a tap hole of a melting furnace, the drill bit (11) comprising a drill head (10), which has at least one hard material insert (16), and a base body (12) for connecting the drill bit to a driving element, the hard material insert (16) being inserted into a seat, which is formed in an axial end face (13) of the drill head (10), in such a manner that at least a head cutting edge (18) of the hard material insert (16) protrudes beyond the axial end face (13), wherein the seat has a flank portion and a mating flank portion located opposite the flank portion, between which the hard material insert (16) is disposed, the flank portion, which is disposed opposite a recess formed in the hard material insert (16), being provided with a material projection (35) which is at least partially made of a welding material, is bonded to the drill head (10) via the welding material and protrudes into the recess so as to establ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TMT TAPPING-MEASURING-TECHNOLOGY SARL
    Inventors: Romain Clesen, Gerhard Meier
  • Patent number: 11299969
    Abstract: A system for providing artificial lift to wellbore fluids has a pump located within a wellbore and a motor located within the wellbore uphole of the pump. A seal assembly has a first side connected to the motor and a second side connected to the pump. The pump, motor, and seal assembly together form a submersible pump string. An uphole packer circumscribes the production tubular uphole of the motor. A downhole packer is located downhole of the pump. An uphole y-tool has an uphole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the production tubular and an uphole y-tool second end with a first uphole y-tool branch that is mechanically connected to the submersible pump string and a second uphole y-tool branch in fluid communication with a bypass tubular. The bypass tubular is positioned adjacent to the submersible pump string and extends between the uphole y-tool and the downhole packer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Jinjiang Xiao, Rafael Adolfo Lastra
  • Patent number: 11293246
    Abstract: A downhole placement tool includes an actuation (122) and a placement assembly. The actuation assembly includes a housing (226a) having a fluid pathway therethrough and an actuation piston seated in the housing to block the fluid pathway. The actuation piston is movable by fluid applied thereto to open the fluid pathway and allow the fluid to pass therethrough. The placement assembly is connected to the actuation assembly (122), and includes a housing (226b) having a pressure chamber (217b) to store the wellbore material (103) therein, a door (219), and a placement piston. The placement piston includes a piston head (264a) slidably movable in the housing, and a rod (264b) connected between the piston head (264a) and to the door (219). The piston head (264a) is movable in response to the flow of the fluid from the actuation assembly (122) into the placement assembly to advance the placement piston and open the door (219) whereby the wellbore material (103) is selectively released into the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Non-Explosive Oilfield Products, LLC
    Inventors: James V. Carisella, Kevin M Morrill, Jay M. Lefort
  • Patent number: 11280145
    Abstract: A drilling apparatus and a method for releasing rods stuck in surrounding ground use a torsional device for releasing the drilling assembly and induce centrifugal forced vibrations and bending vibrations in the drilling rods, facilitating the release from positions stuck inside the drilled hole. The apparatus allows the available power of the motor drilling device to be fully applied for generating periodic forced vibrations useful for detaching the drilling rods stuck in the surrounding ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ENI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Gilberto Toffolo
  • Patent number: 11280147
    Abstract: An improved mandrel head for use with a wellhead isolation tool for protecting a wellhead. In an exemplary embodiment, the wellhead isolation tool includes a lock assembly with a mandrel head with a longitudinally extending annular sleeve. The inner surface of the mandrel head is connected to the mandrel and adapted to sealingly engage the mandrel. The outer surface of the mandrel head also sealingly engages with a seal pack within the wellhead isolation tool, and the mandrel head is configured such that the point of the connection between the mandrel and mandrel head is axially located below the engagement with the seal pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Oil States Energy Services, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Bob McGuire
  • Patent number: 11274536
    Abstract: A thermal fluid generator utilizes a plasma energy heat source to generate steam, and combine the steam with nitrogen gas. Combined flow streams of steam and heated nitrogen are injected downhole into subterranean reservoir to thermally stimulate the flow of hydrocarbons (such as, for example, residual oil) from a reservoir, while also increasing fluid pressure in the reservoir. The thermal fluid generator can be located at the earth's surface, or positioned downhole within a wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: VIPERA, INC.
    Inventor: James Landry
  • Patent number: 11274531
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for restraining a firing pin using a bushing for use in a downhole switch that is armed using the explosive energy of a previously detonated shaped charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Hunting Titan, Inc.
    Inventor: Joel Sansing
  • Patent number: 11274516
    Abstract: A fishing tool for downhole operations with a collapsible distal end, wherein the collapsible grabber includes catching fingers that have a variable inner diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Vertice Oil tools Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Allison, Michael Lo, Mohamed Ibrahim Saraya
  • Patent number: 11268329
    Abstract: A slickline that includes both electrically conductive and fiber optic capacity. The slickline includes a fiber optic thread or bundle of threads that may be surrounded by an electrically conductive member such as split half shells of copper elements. Further, these features may be disposed in a filler matrix so as to provide a cohesiveness the core of the slickline. So, for example, the line may be more effectively utilized in downhole applications such as coiled tubing operations, without undue concern over collapse or pinhole issues emerging in the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Varkey, David Kim, Maria Grisanti, Montie W. Morrison, Burcu Unai Altintas, Sheng Chang
  • Patent number: 11268365
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method and system that estimates the number of active fractures for a given hydraulic fracturing fluid pressure. The hydraulic fracturing pressure can be correlated to a corresponding hydraulic fracturing fluid absorption rate of downhole fractures. Using the pressure and rate correlation, an active fracture ratio can be determined and then utilized to estimate the number of active fractures at a given hydraulic fracturing fluid pressure. In other aspects, a target fluid pressure is represented by a curve or other shape corresponding to a fluid friction model so that the fluid pressure correlation to the fluid absorption rate can be utilized to compute the active fracture ratio. The disclosed system is operable to control a well site pump system to adjust the fluid pressure and fluid composition, to monitor the downhole fluid, to collect the fluid values, and to compute an estimated active fracture ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Ananda Shetty, Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Tirumani N. Swaminathan, Jianfu Ma
  • Patent number: 11255189
    Abstract: A method includes determining a concentration of one or more components of a subterranean fluid, and adjusting or maintaining at least one operating parameter of a wellbore servicing operation based on the determining of the concentration of the one or more components. The subterranean fluid includes a fluid obtained from a subterranean formation during the wellbore servicing operation, and the determining of the concentration of the one or more components includes contacting a sample of the subterranean fluid with a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device to provide a sample response indicative of the concentration of the one or more components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale E. Jamison, William Walter Shumway, Preston Andrew May, Jay Paul Deville
  • Patent number: 11255159
    Abstract: Cleanout tools and related methods of operation. At least some of the example embodiments are cleanout tools including a tool body that defines an internal annular channel, a joiner coupled to the tool body, a sleeve telescoped within the joiner and tool body, and a ball disposed within the annular channel. The ball held within the annular channel by the sleeve, and the ball configured to move along the annular channel under force of fluid pumped into the cleanout tool. The ball creates a pulsing of fluid streams exiting the tool body. Moreover, in some example systems the fluid streams created by the tool body intersect the inside diameter of a casing at non-perpendicular angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Michael W. Dennis
  • Patent number: 11248430
    Abstract: A multi-string section milling tool has a longitudinally extending tubular body with mill carriers carrying hardened cutters that pivotally extend from a mill window in the tubular body by upward movement of a drive plunger. A downwardly biased piston mounted to the upper end of a flow tube is slidably inserted through a stationary thimble below the piston. The lower end of the flow tube is attached to a drive plunger which is pivotally attached to drive yoke links pivotally attached the mill carriers. The piston and thimble creates a pressure chamber in the milling tool. Fluid pressure in the pressure chamber moves the piston, flow tube and drive plunger upward to pivotally extend the drive yoke links and mill carriers radially outward through the mill window. Cessation of fluid pressure in the pressure chamber retracts the mill carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: DYNASTY ENERGY SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Ruttley, Gerald J. Cronley
  • Patent number: 11236588
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for verifying a well model, comprising the steps of receiving stored well data of an existing well, forming a model based on the received well data, submerging a tool for performing a work task into the existing well, wherein the tool is arranged to sense present well characteristics when submerged, receiving tool data corresponding to the presently sensed well characteristics from the tool, said tool data representing downhole properties relevant to downhole operation and performance of the tool, and performing a confirmation check by comparing the well data of the model with the tool data. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a well model verifying apparatus, to a well model verifying system and to a computer readable storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: WELLTEC A/S
    Inventors: Jens Barfoed, Malene Ulleriks Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11236562
    Abstract: A safety drilling system for preventing collapse of water-sensitive formation in the upper part of a high-pressure saltwater layer, which includes a wellhead equipment, a downhole drilling tool, a first injection pipeline, a second injection pipeline, a first return pipeline and a second return pipeline. Upon encountering a high-pressure saltwater layer while drilling, the system injects heavy mud into the annulus of a wellhead through the first injection pipeline to form a heavy mud cap, such that a fluid column pressure in the annulus balances the pressure of the high-pressure saltwater layer. In this case, a fluid column pressure in a drill string is lower than the pressure of the high-pressure saltwater layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST PETROLEUM UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qian Li, Xiaolin Zhang, Hu Yin, Wenfeng Yin, Jiajia Gao
  • Patent number: 11230916
    Abstract: A technique facilitates use of tools downhole during well operations. According to an embodiment, the technique employs a frac stack which may be coupled to a wellhead. The frac stack may include a flow control device which opens and closes a bore extending through the wellhead. A lubricator may be coupled to the frac stack. The lubricator includes a tool trap which opens and closes to facilitate controlled movement of a tool along the bore. A tool position detection system is used to detect a position of the tool in the tool trap to ensure, for example, removal of the tool from the frac stack before closure of the flow control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yang Chen, Charles Deible, Corey Ray
  • Patent number: 11193330
    Abstract: A drilling machine for a wellbore is provided. The drilling machine may include a dynamic lateral pad that is movable between an extended and retracted position. In the extended position, the pad moves the drill bit in a direction for drilling. The drilling machine may include a dynamic lateral cutter that is movable between an extended and retracted position. In at least the extended position, the cutter engages the wellbore and removes formation. The drilling machine may include a monolithic or integral drill bit/drive shaft to reduce the distance between a positive displacement motor and a distal end of the monolithic or integral drill bit/drive shaft. The drilling machine may include separate cutting structures that have different rotational speeds and can further utilize the integral drill bit/drift shaft and/or a bent housing that generates an off-axis rotation which helps optimize the formation removal in the center area of the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: XR Lateral LLC
    Inventors: Edward Spatz, Michael Reese, James Dudley