Patents by Inventor Alan Fairweather

Alan Fairweather has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200149364
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather, Kenneth Daniel Hora
  • Publication number: 20200072009
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for single-trip casing cutting and pulling for well abandonment and slot recovery. Perforations (28) are made in the casing (12) at a maximum depth using a punch tool (18) and fluid circulated through the perforations to determine a return at surface. In the event of a return at surface being detected, the casing (12) is cut and pulled. When no return is detected, perforations are made at increasingly shallower depths until a return is detected and the casing (12) is then cut and pulled. This ensures the maximum length of casing (12) is cut and pulled on a single trip in the well bore (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventor: Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20200063515
    Abstract: A resettable mechanism for preventing the accidental actuation of a load set downhole tool and method of use. The resettable mechanism provides a collet (52) and a detent (56) with a collet ring arranged to ride over the detent under a load in excess of the operating load of the downhole tool and the collet load. Reversing the loading resets the mechanism and the downhole tool. A disengagement assembly (66) is described to disenable the detent (56) and operate the downhole tool at the operating load. Embodiments to a retrievable mechanical tension-set packer and a casing cutting and removal system are described which prevent premature actuation of the packer when run from floating structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Alan Fairweather, Michael Wardley, George Telfer
  • Patent number: 10538983
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather, Kenneth Daniel Hora
  • Publication number: 20200018131
    Abstract: A downhole anchor mechanism (110) which can be set on at least two successive standard diameters of casing (232). The tool body has a recess into which a split cone (70) is located. The increased thickness of the split cone (70) provides for a greater thickness of slip (90), giving increased radial travel of the slips 90 when moved axially over the split cone (70). The cone (70) and slips (90) are profiled to provide two ramps/slopes for increased structural integrity and a greater ramp angle to reduce the axial travel of the slips to achieve the increased radial travel. The downhole anchor mechanism (110) provides anchoring of a work string on two standard diameters of casing in a single trip in a wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: George Telfer, Michael Wardley, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20190301265
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of determining the condition of a cement bond of a casing in a wellbore. The method comprises perforating a tubing in the wellbore at a zone of interest and displacing a settable composition through the perforations into the annulus between the casing and tubing to secure the tubing. The method also comprises cutting the tubing and assessing the status of the cement bond of the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Wardley, George Telfer, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20190257193
    Abstract: A well bore integrity test tool (10) and method of pressure integrity testing a well bore by performing positive and negative pressure tests in a well bore in multiple locations in the well and on the same trip as other operations in the well bore. The tool includes a resettable anchor mechanism (20) and a tension set packer assembly (22). An embodiment of performing a dress-off, integrity testing, casing cutting and pulling in a single trip for well abandonment is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: George Telfer, Alan Fairweather, Michael Wardley, James Linklater
  • Publication number: 20190226327
    Abstract: A circulation test tool and method of performing a circulation test in a wellbore during single-trip casing cutting and removal. An anchor mechanism (20), a mechanical-set retrievable packer (22) and a cutting mechanism (18) allow gripping and cutting of casing (14) with the mechanical set-retrievable packer (22) being set after the cut to carry out the circulation test. The well is kept under control during the cut by application of tension on the drill string to set the packer (22) at any time. The arrangement provides full annulus flow pass at the packer during cutting. Embodiments describe additional features of a drill to dress a cement plug or a settable bridge plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: ARDYNE HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventors: George Telfer, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20180094503
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of determining the condition of a cement bond of a casing in a wellbore. The method comprises perforating a tubing in the wellbore at a zone of interest and displacing a settable composition through the perforations into the annulus between the casing and tubing to secure the tubing. The method also comprises cutting the tubing and assessing the status of the cement bond of the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Michael WARDLEY, George TELFER, Alan FAIRWEATHER
  • Publication number: 20160040496
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with secondary attrition system to re-mill cuttings and other debris away from the face of the mill. The secondary attrition system may be located uphole of the mill may be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of debris. After debris is generated by the mill, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the debris to a finer size before allowing the debris to pass out of the sleeve. The debris may be re-milled by secondary cutting elements while within an annular gap positioned radially between the sleeve and a drive shaft for the mill. The annular gap may have a variable width as a result of a tapered outer surface of the drive shaft and/or a tapered inner surface of the sleeve. The variable width may cause debris to be re-milled into increasingly finer sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20160040495
    Abstract: Milling systems, tools, and methods include using a mill with a barrier to promote re-circulation of debris and cuttings to the face of the mill. The face of the mill may include cutting elements. A barrier may obstruct the flow of cuttings and debris away from the face to re-circulate the cutting and debris to promote re-milling of the cuttings and debris by the cutting elements of the face of the mill. The barrier may include a hydraulic barrier formed by fluid expelled from nozzles in or above the mill. A secondary attrition system uphole of the mill may also be used to stage conditioning and re-sizing of cuttings and debris. After debris and cuttings pass through the barrier, the secondary attrition system may re-mill the cuttings and debris to a finer size before allowing the cuttings and debris to pass into the wellbore annulus for transport to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Manoj D. Mahajan, Charles H. Dewey, Shantanu N. Swadi, Walter E. Friedl, Lijun Song, Ashley Bernard Johnson, Christopher Kang Potter, Alan Fairweather
  • Publication number: 20150247396
    Abstract: A method for automating a downhole milling process includes receiving an input stream from at least one sensor within a downhole milling system, and segmenting the input stream. A safe operating envelope is identified based on segments of the input stream and models for the segments. At least one parameter of the milling system is then automatically changed along a path of optimal rate of penetration while remaining within the safe operating envelope. In some embodiments, an input stream may include surface pressure and the safe operating envelope may include swarf transport conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Gokturk Tunc, Ashley Bernard Johnson, Anurag Sharma, Alan Fairweather, Walter David Aldred