Patents by Inventor Christopher N. Fredd

Christopher N. 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).

  • Publication number: 20080200352
    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: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Dean M. Willberg, Marina Bulova, Christopher N. Fredd, Alexey Vostrukhov, Curtis L. Boney, John Lassek, Ann M.W. Hoefer, Philip F. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7398826
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ann M. W. Hoefer, Philip F. Sullivan, Golchehreh Salamat, Curtis L. Boney, Jesse C. Lee, Yiyan Chen, Dean M. Willberg, Marina Bulova, Christopher N. Fredd, Belgin Baser, Timothy L. Pope
  • Patent number: 7380600
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Willberg, Marina Bulova, Christopher N. Fredd, Alexey Vostrukhov, Curtis L. Boney, John Lassek, Ann M. W. Hoefer, Philip F. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7380601
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dean M. Willberg, Christopher N. Fredd, Marina Bulova
  • Publication number: 20080000639
    Abstract: A method well treatment includes establishing fluid connectivity between a wellbore and at least one target zone for treatment within a subterranean formation, which is intersected by a wellbore. The method includes deploying coiled tubing into the wellbore and introducing a treatment composition into the wellbore. The method includes contacting a target zone within the subterranean formation with the treatment composition, introducing a diversion agent through the coiled tubing to an interval within a wellbore and repeating the introduction of the treatment, the contacting of the target zone and the introduction of the diversion agent for more than one target zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: W.E. Clark, Doug Bentley, John Daniels, Christopher N. Fredd, Charles Miller, John Lassek
  • Patent number: 7275596
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dean M. Willberg, Christopher N. Fredd, Marina Bulova