Patents by Inventor Christopher Fredd

Christopher Fredd 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).

  • Patent number: 10526890
    Abstract: A method includes identifying one or more stress regime types along at least a portion of a borehole, where the stress regime types are selected from a normal stress regime, a thrust stress regime and a strike-slip stress regime, and selecting reservoir access locations along the borehole based on the type of stress regime identified along the borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taner Batmaz, Stevanus Dwi Kurniadi, Omar Al Zeidi, Mehmet Nihat Gurmen, Christopher Fredd, Safdar Mohammad Khan, Douglas Bentley, Kousic Theja Kanneganti
  • Patent number: 10351761
    Abstract: The method allows employing proppant surface modification with the emulsified treatment material for proppant delivery deep into far-field fracture zone during operations of hydraulic fracturing or heterogeneous proppant placement via proppant aggregation. In the case of gravel packing operations, to maintain the circulation of the proppant slurry for homogeneous proppant settling to the desired wellbore location. The emulsified treatment material can be degradable of non-degradable in downhole conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Vadim Kamil'evich Khlestkin, Christopher Fredd, Bruno Lecerf
  • Publication number: 20170362935
    Abstract: A method includes identifying one or more stress regime types along at least a portion of a borehole, where the stress regime types are selected from a normal stress regime, a thrust stress regime and a strike-slip stress regime, and selecting reservoir access locations along the borehole based on the type of stress regime identified along the borehole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Taner BATMAZ, Stevanus dwi KURNIADI, Omar AL ZEIDI, Mehmet Nihat GURMEN, Christopher FREDD, Safdar Mohammad KHAN, Douglas BENTLEY, Kousic Theja KANNEGANTI
  • Publication number: 20170137702
    Abstract: The method allows employing proppant surface modification with the emulsified treatment material for proppant delivery deep into far-field fracture zone during operations of hydraulic fracturing or heterogeneous proppant placement via proppant aggregation. In the case of gravel packing operations, to maintain the circulation of the proppant slurry for homogeneous proppant settling to the desired wellbore location. The emulsified treatment material can be degradable of non-degradable in downhole conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Vadim Kamil`evich KHLESTKIN, Christopher FREDD, Bruno LECERF
  • Publication number: 20170022411
    Abstract: A method is given for fracturing a formation, in particular far-field in a tight formation, in which at least a portion of the proppant is crushable in situ at some point during pumping, during fracture closure, or at higher stresses experienced later during fracture closure. The closure stress or hydrostatic stress is estimated, then a proppant is selected that is at least partially crushable at that closure stress, and then the fracturing treatment is performed with at least a portion of the total proppant being the selected crushable proppant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Sergey Mikhailovich Makarychev-Mikhailov, Richard Hutchins, Christopher Fredd
  • Publication number: 20160326853
    Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation includes providing a plurality of cased wellbores penetrating a subterranean formation, where the plurality of cased wellbores is fluidly connected with a common treatment fluid source. Flow-through passages are then formed at a first zone within each wellbore of the plurality of cased wellbores, and the subterranean formation is treated by pumping a treatment fluid through the flow-through passages formed in the plurality of cased wellbores at a pressure sufficient to treat the subterranean formation. In some cases, the flow-through passages are a cluster of perforations. A fluid pressurizing system may be disposed between each of the wellbores and the common treatment fluid source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher Fredd, Jean Desroches
  • Publication number: 20080093073
    Abstract: Degradable material assisted diversion (DMAD) methods for well treatment, DMAD treatment fluids, and removable plugs for DMAD in downhole operations. A slurry of solid degradable material is injected into the well, a plug of the degradable material is formed, a downhole operation is performed around the plug diverter, and the plug is then degraded for removal. Degradation triggers can be temperature or chemical reactants, with optional accelerators or retarders to provide the desired timing for plug removal. In multilayer formation DMAD fracturing, the plug isolates a completed fracture while additional layers are sequentially fractured and plugged, and then the plugs are removed for flowback from the fractured layers. In DMAD fluids, an aqueous slurry can have a solids phase including a degradable material and a fluid phase including a viscoelastic surfactant. The solids phase can be a mixture of fibers and a particulate material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Oscar Bustos, Christopher Fredd, Yiyan Chen, Carlos Abad, Goke Adeogun
  • Patent number: 7350572
    Abstract: A method of treatment of subterranean formations in which leakoff through natural fractures is controlled through the use of fibers. The method involves pumping a mixture of a formation treatment fluid and a fiber into the formation for matrix stimulation, fracture stimulation, diversion, and/or water control. In carbonate formations, the formation treatment fluid is preferably an in situ gelled acid. The method optionally also involves pumping the same or a different formation treatment fluid without fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Fredd, Bernhard Lungwitz, Brad Holms, John Engels
  • Publication number: 20080064614
    Abstract: The invention provides an oilfield suspending friction reducer treatment composition fluid comprising from about 0.001 weight percent to about 0.5 weight percent of a drag reducing surfactant; at least one drag reducing enhancer selected from the group consisting of polymeric drag reduction enhancers, monomeric drag reduction enhancers, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Alex Ahrenst, Bernhard Lungwitz, Christopher Fredd, Carlos Abad, Nihat Gurmen, Yiyan Chen, John Lassek, Paul Howard, William Huey, Zakir Azmi, Donald Hodgson, Oscar Bustos
  • Publication number: 20070289743
    Abstract: A method for minimizing the amount of metal crosslinked viscosifier necessary for treating a wellbore with proppant or gravel is given. The method includes using fibers to aid in transporting, suspending and placing proppant or gravel in viscous carrier fluids otherwise having insufficient viscosity to prevent particulate settling. Fibers are given that have properties optimized for proppant transport but degrade after the treatment into degradation products that do not precipitate in the presence of ions in the water such as calcium and magnesium. Crosslinked polymer carrier fluids are identified that are not damaged by contaminants present in the fibers or by degradation products released by premature degradation of the fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Dean Willberg, Christopher Fredd, Marina Bulova
  • Publication number: 20070129262
    Abstract: Methods for treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore where shear recovery time of viscoelastic surfactant treatment fluids is shorten by adding an effective amount of an fiber based rheology enhancer. The rheology enhancer also increases fluid viscosity. Further, the rheology enhancer also improves proppant settling. Some examples of surfactants are betaines and quaternary amines, and an example of fiber based rheology enhancer is polylactic acid fiber. The fluids are useful in oilfield treatments, as well as methods of preparing viscoelastic surfactant based fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: M. Gurmen, Christopher Fredd
  • Publication number: 20060283591
    Abstract: A method for minimizing the amount of metal crosslinked viscosifier necessary for treating a wellbore with proppant or gravel is given. The method includes using fibers to aid in transporting, suspending and placing proppant or gravel in viscous carrier fluids otherwise having insufficient viscosity to prevent particulate settling. Fibers are given that have properties optimized for proppant transport but degrade after the treatment into degradation products that do not precipitate in the presence of ions in the water such as calcium and magnesium. Crosslinked polymer carrier fluids are identified that are not damaged by contaminants present in the fibers or by degradation products released by premature degradation of the fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Dean Willberg, Christopher Fredd, Marina Bulova
  • Patent number: 7148184
    Abstract: A method is given for diverting acids in matrix acidizing and acid fracturing. The acids are diverted with a diverting agent that is an energized or foamed acidic viscoelastic surfactant system that contains a viscoelastic surfactant that gels and increases in viscosity when the acid in the foamed acidic viscoelastic surfactant system is spent. The method provides a synergistic combination of the diverting capabilities of foams and the diverting capabilities of viscoelastic gel systems. The resistance to flow of the gelled foamed viscoelastic surfactant system is greater than expected from a foam or a viscoelastic gel system alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Pia-Angela Francini, Keng Chan, Mark Brady, Christopher Fredd
  • Publication number: 20060157248
    Abstract: Well treatment is disclosed that includes injecting a well treatment fluid with insoluble polyol polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) dispersed therein, depositing the insoluble polymer in the wellbore or an adjacent formation, and thereafter dissolving the polymer by reducing salinity and/or increasing temperature conditions in the environment of the polymer deposit. The method is disclosed for filter cake formation, fluid loss control, drilling, hydraulic fracturing and fiber assisted transport, where removal of the polyol at the end of treatment or after treatment is desired. The method is also disclosed for providing dissolved polyol as a delayed breaker in crosslinked polymer viscosified systems and viscoelastic surfactant systems. Also disclosed are well treatment fluids containing insoluble amorphous or at least partially crystalline polyol, and a PVOH fiber composition wherein the fibers are stabilized from dissolution by salinity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Ann Hoefer, Philip Sullivan, Golchehreh Salamat, Curtis Boney, Jesse Lee, Yiyan Chen, Dean Willberg, Marina Bulova, Christopher Fredd, Belgin Baser, Timothy Pope
  • Publication number: 20060113077
    Abstract: A method for well treatment by forming a temporary plug in a fracture, a perforation, a wellbore, or more than one of these locations, in a well penetrating a subterranean formation is provided, in which the method of well treatment includes: injecting a slurry comprising a degradable material, allowing the degradable material to form a plug in a perforation, a fracture, or a wellbore in a well penetrating a formation; performing a downhole operation; and allowing the degradable material to degrade after a selected time such that the plug disappears.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Dean Willberg, Marina Bulova, Christopher Fredd, Alexey Vostrukhov, Curtis Boney, John Lassek, Ann Hoefer, Philip Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20060054324
    Abstract: The present invention relates to aqueous oilfield treatment fluids containing a gas component and fibers, wherein the fluids may further include a viscosifying agent and/or proppant. The fluids have good proppant suspension and transport properties as well as excellent gas phase stability. Use of fluids comprising an aqueous medium, a gas component, viscosifying agent, and fibers for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation, cleanup operations, and gravel packing a wellbore, are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Philip Sullivan, Christopher Fredd
  • Publication number: 20060042797
    Abstract: A method of treatment of subterranean formations in which leakoff through natural fractures is controlled through the use of fibers. The method involves pumping a mixture of a formation treatment fluid and a fiber into the formation for matrix stimulation, fracture stimulation, diversion, and/or water control. In carbonate formations, the formation treatment fluid is preferably an in situ gelled acid. The method optionally also involves pumping the same or a different formation treatment fluid without fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Christopher Fredd, Bernhard Lungwitz, Brad Holms, John Engels
  • Publication number: 20050020454
    Abstract: A method is given for diverting acids in matrix acidizing and acid fracturing. The acids are diverted with a diverting agent that is an energized or foamed acidic viscoelastic surfactant system that contains a viscoelastic surfactant that gels and increases in viscosity when the acid in the foamed acidic viscoelastic surfactant system is spent. The method provides a synergistic combination of the diverting capabilities of foams and the diverting capabilities of viscoelastic gel systems. The resistance to flow of the gelled foamed viscoelastic surfactant system is greater than expected from a foam or a viscoelastic gel system alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Pia-Angela Francini, Keng Chan, Mark Brady, Christopher Fredd
  • Patent number: 6749022
    Abstract: A new process of fracture stimulating a carbonate reservoir in a subterranean formation to stimulate the production of hydrocarbon fluids from the formation is described. During the process, the composition and reactivity of the fracture stimulation fluid that is injected into the formation surrounding a wellbore is varied from a lower reactive fluid to a higher reactive fluid. The process is designed to stimulate the fracture starting from the tip of the fracture and progressing along the fracture back to the wellbore. The reactivity of the fracture stimulation fluid is increased to maintain optimum stimulation conditions for the formation of conductive flow channels along the faces of the fracture. An optimum fracture stimulation efficiency number, Ff, is used (generally integrated into a fracture simulator computer program) to regulate the fluid composition by reactivity and flow rate, based on formation and fluid parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher Fredd