Patents Examined by Tara Schimpf
  • Patent number: 12221863
    Abstract: A fluid control device includes a support structure configured to be deployed in a borehole, and a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material, the porous medium including an open cell foam. The porous medium has a porosity selected to cause the porous medium to exhibit shape memory behavior, and the porous medium is configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape, deployed in the borehole, and subsequently expanded due to a downhole temperature to conform to a surface of the borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Anil Sadana, Devesh Agrawal
  • Patent number: 12221858
    Abstract: A method may include determining, using a user credential, that a user associated with a user device is authorized to operate a predetermined valve at a well. The method may further include obtaining, from the user device, a request to operate the predetermined valve. The method may further include determining that no users are located within a predetermined valve area proximate the predetermined valve using image data. The image data may be obtained from a camera device in the predetermined valve area. The method may further include determining that no obstacles are present inside the predetermined valve area based on well operation data. The method may further include transmitting a command to a control system coupled to the predetermined valve, where the command causes the control system to operate the predetermined valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Mohammed Y. Al Daif
  • Patent number: 12221837
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cable swivel for connecting a cable or a retainer to a component, in particular a Kelly bar, which is rotatable relative to the cable or the retainer, with a stationary first swivel part which can be fastened on the cable or the retainer, and a rotatable second swivel part which is supported in a rotatable and axially fixed manner on the stationary first swivel part and can be connected to the component. Furthermore, in the case of the invention provision is made in that the rotatable second swivel part is of sleeve-shaped design with an axial passage and in that on the stationary first swivel part a connecting pin is designed which at least partially extends axially along the passage of the rotatable second swivel part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: BAUER Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Arthur Braun, Tobias Siegmann
  • Patent number: 12221860
    Abstract: A wellhead bracing system for a subsea well includes a base plate assembly and a wellhead brace assembly. The base plate assembly comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, a base plate aperture, and a plurality of anchor holes. The wellhead brace assembly comprises a vertical plate assembly having a cylindrical shape, a horizontal plate assembly to which the vertical plate assembly is attached, and a vertical support assembly attached to an outer surface of the vertical plate assembly and attached to the top surface of the horizontal plate assembly. Horizontal plate holes of the horizontal plate assembly are configured to attach to studs on the top surface of the base plate to secure the wellhead brace assembly to the base plate assembly. The wellhead bracing system slides onto a wellhead of the subsea well and braces an exterior of the wellhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Wangming Lu, Khiem Nguyen, Jay Patrick Painter, Caleb Kimbrell Carroll, William Stephen Averill, Deryck Edward Matthew Williams, David Crenshaw Barrow, Michael Ryan Fitzsimmons
  • Patent number: 12221817
    Abstract: A latch feature for a door is disclosed herein. The latch feature includes an input body that is operable to move linearly between first and second positions relative to the door. The latch feature also includes an output body. The output body is coupled to the input body by a pivot member that is configured to pivot relative to the output body and the input body to allow the output body to move linearly toward the input body from an outboard position to an inboard position as the input body moves from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dylan Mandelbaum, Siddharthan Selvasekar, Sydney Puckett, Andres Almeida Senatore, Michael Steven Medoro
  • Patent number: 12221881
    Abstract: An apparatus can have a seal module located at an upper portion thereof. The apparatus can also have a mud line formed through the upper portion of the apparatus and a mud outlet in fluid communication with the mud line. The apparatus can also include a mud pulser adjacent the mud outlet, wherein the mud pulser is configured to be actuated to open, partially close, and close the mud outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Julien Toniolo
  • Patent number: 12215556
    Abstract: A downhole system and a method of performing an operation downhole. The downhole system includes a string, a downhole tool, and a release device. A downhole tool is coupled to a string via the release device. The release device includes a shear member therein having a first shear axis that has a first shear resistance and a second shear axis having a second shear resistance less than the first shear resistance, wherein the first shear axis is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the string and the second shear axis is aligned with a circumferential axis of the string. The string is conveyed through a borehole to place the downhole tool at a selected location of the borehole. The downhole tool is secured within the borehole and the string is rotated to release the release device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Juan Carlos Flores, Hernando Andres Garcia Silva, Andrew Ponder
  • Patent number: 12215571
    Abstract: Provided is an inner string, an outer string, and a well system. The inner string, in one aspect, includes an inner tubular configured to extend at least partially within a seal surface of an outer tubular, the inner tubular including a sidewall having a thickness (t1). The inner string, according to one aspect, further includes an orientation port extending entirely through the sidewall to provide fluid access from an interior of the inner tubular to an exterior of the inner tubular, the orientation port configured to align with an orientation slot in the outer tubular that it is configured to engage with to provide a pressure reading indicative of a relative location of the inner tubular to the outer tubular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: David Joe Steele
  • Patent number: 12215586
    Abstract: A spindle with a mechanism for transferring axial force from an inner drive assembly to an outer drive assembly. The spindle's inner drive shaft is connected to an inner member of a dual-rod pipe by a drive rod having a sliding sleeve. The sleeve is fixed rotationally with the drive shaft, but not axially. When axial force drives the drive rod toward the drive member of the spindle, the sleeve contacts a stop member which is paired to the outer drive assembly. The stop member may be a pair of dowel pins. Axial force is thereby transferred from the inner member to the outer member, allowing such forces to be absorbed by the outer member's larger drive components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
    Inventor: Max A. Metcalf
  • Patent number: 12215575
    Abstract: A method includes assembling a liner system by disposing a fiber optic cable circumferentially around an inner tube liner and locating an outer tube liner around the inner tube liner. The fiber optic cable is located between the inner tube liner and the outer tube liner. The method also includes spooling out the liner system, in a lay-flat state, into a conduit of a tubular structure positioned in the well, terminating spooling out the liner system when a select length of the liner system has been deployed in the conduit of the tubular structure, and securing the select length of the liner system deployed into the tubular structure at a surface above the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Wael O. Badeghaish, Mohamed Nabil Noui-Mehidi, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Al Mulhem
  • Patent number: 12203330
    Abstract: A downhole tool includes a housing; a seal that at least partially circumscribes an external surface of the housing and is configured to fluidly seal the housing against a wellbore tubular positioned in a wellbore; a hydraulic motor assembly positioned in the housing and including a hydraulic rotor fluidly coupled to an opening in the housing and a shaft coupled to the hydraulic rotor; and a tubular cutting assembly coupled to the hydraulic motor assembly. The tubular cutting assembly includes a bearing coupled to the shaft, and at least one cutting blade coupled to the bearing and operable to cut the wellbore tubular. The at least one cutting blade is configured to rotate in an extended position from the external surface of the housing in response to a flow of wellbore fluid circulated through the wellbore tubular and to the hydraulic motor assembly through the opening in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Amin Taha Ali, Abdullah Mohammed Aldejani
  • Patent number: 12196061
    Abstract: A subsea template is aimed at injecting fluid, e.g. carbon dioxide, for long term storage in a subterranean void. The subsea template has a base structure with a set of module receiving sections, each of which is configured to receive a respective utility module. A pipe interface receives at least one conduit transporting the fluid, for example from a vessel. The pipe interface forwards the fluid for injection into the subterranean void through a drill hole under the base structure via a valve tree installed in one of the module receiving sections. The other utility modules are configured to support the injection of the fluid into the subterranean void.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: HORISONT ENERGI AS
    Inventors: Bjørgulf Haukelidsæter Eidesen, Ståle Brattebø
  • Patent number: 12196634
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods enable generation and monitoring of support platform structural conditions in a manner that overcomes drawbacks associated with conventional approaches (e.g., load cells) for generating and monitoring similar operating condition information. In preferred embodiments, such systems, devices and methods utilize fiber optic strain gauges (i.e., fiber optic sensors) in place of (e.g., retrofit/data replacement) or in combination with conventional load cells. The fiber optic sensors are strategically placed at a plurality of locations on one or more support bodies of a support platform. In preferred embodiments, the fiber optic strain gauges are placed in positions within a hull and/or one or more pontoons of an offshore platform. Such positions are selected whereby resulting operating condition data generated by the fiber optic strain gauges suitably replaces data received by conventionally constructed and located load cells of an offshore platform (e.g., a TLP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Astro Technology Group LLC
    Inventor: David Verl Brower
  • Patent number: 12196056
    Abstract: A downhole tool includes a bridge plug and an anti-spin device operatively coupled to the bridge plug and including an elongate housing coupled to a downhole end of the bridge plug and defining an internal cavity, one or more slips radially aligned with a corresponding one or more slots defined in the elongate housing, a mandrel movably arranged within the internal cavity and terminating with a head, and a slip activator moveably arranged within the internal cavity and being engageable with the one or more slips when translating within the internal cavity. Placing an axial load on the bridge plug causes the anti-spin device to transition from a non-compressed state, where the slip activator is disengaged from the one or more slips, to a compressed state, where the slip activator engages and urges the one or more slips radially outward and through the corresponding one or more slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Ali A. Almusallam
  • Patent number: 12188349
    Abstract: Described is a system for identifying leaks in a wellbore. The system includes a bottom hole assembly having an acoustic logging tool, coiled tubing, and one or more inflatable packers. The system further includes a computing device with an artificial intelligence analyzer having edge computing capabilities. When the bottom hole assembly is run into the wellbore, the acoustic logging tool is configured to identify a leak interval using acoustic waves. Data associated with the leak interval is transmitted to the computing device to be analyzed using the edge computing capabilities. A leak is identified within the leak interval upon analysis of the data. In response to identifying the leak, the one or more inflatable packers are deployed to seal the leak in the leak interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Faisal M. Al Arji, Sami Naitah
  • Patent number: 12188314
    Abstract: An isolation plug includes a ratchet wedge having a set of threads formed along an interior surface of the ratchet wedge, where the set of threads are configured to permit movement in a first direction and restrict movement in a second direction. The isolation plug also includes a ratchet shoe configured to shift in the first direction to ratchet into the ratchet wedge to engage the ratchet wedge, where the ratchet shoe has a corresponding set of threads that are configured to engage the set of threads of the ratchet wedge to permit the ratchet shoe to shift in the first direction, and restrict movement in the second direction. The isolation plug further includes a packing element positioned in between the ratchet shoe and the ratchet wedge, the packing element configured to expand radially as the ratchet shoe is shifted in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Evan Blott, Donald Ray Smith, Matthew Dexter
  • Patent number: 12188345
    Abstract: Provided, in one example, is a wellbore tool. The wellbore tool, in this example, includes a casing having three or more pads located on an outer diameter thereof, at least one of the pads having a pocket therein. The wellbore tool of this example additionally includes one or more batteries and one or more sensors located within the pocket, and one or more additional components coupled to the one or more sensors located within an inner diameter of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Werner Kuhlman
  • Patent number: 12188310
    Abstract: In some examples, an apparatus for coupling and decoupling a connector head to and from an end of a wired drill pipe held by an elevator includes an actuator configured to move the connector head between a coupled position and a decoupled position. The actuator is configured to move the connector head in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the wired drill pipe before moving it away from said wired drill pipe when decoupling the connector head from the wired drill pipe, and to move the connector head into the longitudinal axis of the wired drill pipe before moving it in parallel with said longitudinal axis when coupling the connector head to the wired drill pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco Norway AS
    Inventors: Svein Hellvik, Morten Welmer
  • Patent number: 12180789
    Abstract: A spider for handling/gripping well components of various sizes can include multiple slip assemblies distributed circumferentially about a central axis, each slip assembly including a slip carrier radially displaceable relative to the central axis, a slip displaceable relative to the slip carrier, and a slip actuator operable to displace the slip relative to the slip carrier, the slip actuator being disposed at least partially internal to the slip carrier. Each slip assembly may include a slip carrier actuator that radially displaces the slip carrier. A table assembly may mount to a well rig with an upper surface of the table assembly being flush with a rig floor of the well rig. Another spider can include a pipe guide assembly with multiple guides and guide actuators. Each guide actuator rotates a respective one of the pipe guides about a respective guide axis that is parallel to the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Federico Amezaga
  • Patent number: 12173595
    Abstract: A pumping system for performing a hydraulic fracturing operation includes an inlet conduit extending from a manifold, wherein a pair of inlet valves disposed along the inlet conduit, a fluid pump including an outlet configured to be inserted into the inlet conduit, and a connector assembly including an engagement member having a first position configured to lock the outlet within the inlet conduit and a second position configured to unlock the outlet from the inlet conduit. The pumping system additionally includes a pair of branch conduits extending from the inlet conduit, a pair of branch valves, wherein one of the pair of branch valves is disposed along each of the pair of branch conduits, and a dump conduit extending from the pair of branch conduits, wherein a dump valve is disposed along the dump conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: EOG Resources, Inc.
    Inventor: James G. Nanney