Patents by Inventor David A. Hejl

David A. Hejl 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: 10316657
    Abstract: An extendable probe for a formation testing tool includes a piston housing having a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion thereof. A piston including a piston base and a piston conduit. A piston base seal disposed between the piston base and the first diameter portion of the piston housing. The piston base seal representing an area; a piston conduit seal disposed between the piston conduit and the second diameter portion, the piston conduit seal representing an area. A pin in operative communication with the piston housing and extending though the piston; a pin seal disposed between the pin and the piston base, the pin seal representing an area; and wherein the piston conduit seal. Piston base seal and pin seal each are configured to adhere to the equation: piston conduit seal area=piston base seal area?pin seal area. A method for querying a formation fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Shiva Paramhans, David A. Hejl, Russell W. Mceacharn
  • Patent number: 9790789
    Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus for obtaining a fluid from a formation is disclosed that in one embodiment may include a fluid extraction device having a first probe and a second probe independently extendable form a tool body, a first fluid line and an associated first filter in fluid communication with the first probe for receiving the fluid from the formation and a second fluid line and an associated second filter in fluid communication with the second probe for receiving the fluid from the formation, and a first fixed scraper that cleans the first filter when the first probe is retracted from an extended position and a second fixed scraper that cleans the second filter when the second probe is retracted from an extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David A. Hejl, Shawn Olsen
  • Publication number: 20160237817
    Abstract: An extendable probe for a formation testing tool includes a piston housing having a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion thereof. A piston including a piston base and a piston conduit. A piston base seal disposed between the piston base and the first diameter portion of the piston housing. The piston base seal representing an area; a piston conduit seal disposed between the piston conduit and the second diameter portion, the piston conduit seal representing an area. A pin in operative communication with the piston housing and extending though the piston; a pin seal disposed between the pin and the piston base, the pin seal representing an area; and wherein the piston conduit seal. Piston base seal and pin seal each are configured to adhere to the equation: piston conduit seal area=piston base seal area?pin seal area. A method for querying a formation fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Shiva Paramhans, David A. Hejl, Russell W. Mceacharn
  • Publication number: 20140174169
    Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus for obtaining a fluid from a formation is disclosed that in one embodiment may include a fluid extraction device having a first probe and a second probe independently extendable form a tool body, a first fluid line and an associated first filter in fluid communication with the first probe for receiving the fluid from the formation and a second fluid line and an associated second filter in fluid communication with the second probe for receiving the fluid from the formation, and a first fixed scraper that cleans the first filter when the first probe is retracted from an extended position and a second fixed scraper that cleans the second filter when the second probe is retracted from an extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: David A. Hejl, Shawn Olsen
  • Patent number: 7252153
    Abstract: A fluid loss device including a flapper and seat assembly that provide a seal on a lower flapper surface when the flapper is closed and resists pressure in either direction. The flapper and seat assembly is spring biased to contact a flapper support above the flapper to resist deformation of the flapper due to a pressure differential from below the flapper. The flapper and seat assembly may be moved by tubing pressure to release an opening prop that opens the flapper. The valve seat may include an elastomeric seal element to improve the fluid flow restriction. The flapper and seat assembly is also biased upward by a pressure differential from below to above the flapper, to thereby increase the flapper to valve seat pressure as the fluid pressure differential increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Hejl, W. David Henderson, W. Mark Richards
  • Patent number: 7243724
    Abstract: An apparatus (110) and method for treating an interval of a wellbore comprises an outer tubular (112) disposed within the wellbore. A sand control screen (118) is disposed within the outer tubular (112). A treatment fluid passageway (144) is formed between the sand control screen (118) and outer tubular (112). In addition, a production pathway (130) is formed between the sand control screen (118) and outer tubular (112). When the apparatus (110) is in an operable position, the region between the outer tubular (112) and the wellbore serves as a primary path for delivery of a treatment fluid, the production pathway (130) serves as a secondary path for delivery of the treatment fluid if the primary path becomes blocked and the treatment fluid passageway (144) serves as a tertiary path for delivery of the treatment fluid if the primary and secondary paths become blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. McGregor, Travis T. Hailey, Jr., William David Henderson, Robert W. Crow, Philip D. Nguyen, David A. Hejl, Ronald A. Gibson
  • Patent number: 6814139
    Abstract: A gravel packing apparatus comprises multiple joints each having substantially the same construction and each having a perforated outer tubular (150, 152) positioned around a sand control screen (154, 156) including a slurry passageway (190, 194) and a production pathway (188, 192) therebetween. First and second transition members (210, 204) are disposed at opposite ends of each joint. When two such joints are connected together, the second transition member (204) of one joint is proximate the first transition member (210) of the next joint such that a fluid traveling from the slurry passageway (190) of one joint to the slurry passageway (194) of the next joint travels from the exterior to the interior of the second transition member (204) of the one joint and from the interior to the exterior of the first transition member (210) of the next joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Hejl, Robert W. Crow
  • Patent number: 6789624
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for gravel packing an interval of a wellbore comprises an outer tubular (112), which forms a first annulus with the wellbore, and an sand control screen (118) disposed within the outer tubular (112) forming a second annulus therebetween. Within the second annulus is an axially extending production pathway (146) and an axially extending slurry passageway (144), which is defined between a sheet member (140) positioned on the sand control screen (118) and a channel (132). The outer tubular (112) has outlets (116) that are substantially aligned with outlets (142) of the channel (132). When a fluid slurry containing gravel is injected through the slurry passageway (144), the fluid slurry exits through the outlets (116, 142) leaving gravel in the first annulus, thereby gravel packing the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. McGregor, Robert Crow, David A. Hejl, Ronald A. Gibson
  • Publication number: 20040074641
    Abstract: A gravel packing apparatus comprises multiple joints each having substantially the same construction and each having a perforated outer tubular (150, 152) positioned around a sand control screen (154, 156) including a slurry passageway (190, 194) and a production pathway (188, 192) therebetween. First and second transition members (210, 204) are disposed at opposite ends of each joint. When two such joints are connected together, the second transition member (204) of one joint is proximate the first transition member (210) of the next joint such that a fluid traveling from the slurry passageway (190) of one joint to the slurry passageway (194) of the next joint travels from the exterior to the interior of the second transition member (204) of the one joint and from the interior to the exterior of the first transition member (210) of the next joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: David A. Hejl, Robert W. Crow
  • Publication number: 20030221828
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for gravel packing an interval of a wellbore comprises an outer tubular (112), which forms a first annulus with the wellbore, and an sand control screen (118) disposed within the outer tubular (112) forming a second annulus therebetween. Within the second annulus is an axially extending production pathway (146) and an axially extending slurry passageway (144), which is defined between a sheet member (140) positioned on the sand control screen (118) and a channel (132). The outer tubular (112) has outlets (116) that are substantially aligned with outlets (142) of the channel (132). When a fluid slurry containing gravel is injected through the slurry passageway (144), the fluid slurry exits through the outlets (116, 142) leaving gravel in the first annulus, thereby gravel packing the interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald W. McGregor, Robert Crow, David A. Hejl, Ronald A. Gibson
  • Publication number: 20030183386
    Abstract: A transition member (130) coupled between first and second slurry delivery devices (132, 134) for maintaining fluid slurry velocity therethrough is disclosed. Each slurry delivery device (132, 134) has a slurry passageway (144, 164) having a cross sectional area. The transition member (130) includes a transition passageway (200) operable to provide fluid communication between the slurry passageways (144, 164) of the slurry delivery devices (132, 134). The cross sectional area of at least a portion of the transition passageway (200) approximates the cross sectional area of the slurry passageways (144, 164) of the slurry delivery devices (132, 134). This allows the transition member (130) to maintain the fluid slurry velocity above the, settling velocity of the slurry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald W. McGregor, David A. Hejl, Travis T. Hailey
  • Patent number: 6516882
    Abstract: An apparatus (60) and method for gravel packing an interval of a wellbore is disclosed. The apparatus (60) comprises a sand control screen (78) positioned within the wellbore and a tubular member (62) disposed within the wellbore forming a first annulus with the sand control screen (78) and a second annulus with the wellbore. The tubular member (62) has an axially extending production section (64) with a plurality of openings (66) and an axially extending nonproduction section (68) with a plurality of outlets (70). A channel (72) is disposed within the first annulus such that the channel (72) is substantially circumferentially aligned with the nonproduction section (68) of the tubular member (62) forming a slurry passageway (74) therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. McGregor, David A. Hejl, Travis T. Hailey, Jr.