Patents by Inventor Deborah L. Banta

Deborah L. Banta 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: 9068444
    Abstract: A velocity string deploys in production tubing of a gas well (or a gassy oil well) to help lift fluid toward the surface. The velocity string reduces flow area in the production tubing so that a critical flow velocity can be reached to lift liquid. Overtime, the reservoir pressure and resulting gas flow may decrease such that less liquid is produced toward the surface. At such a stage, operators then expand the velocity string to further decrease the flow area in the production tubing, which can produce the needed critical flow velocity to allow produced liquid to be lifted toward the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: William C. Lane, Deborah L. Banta
  • Patent number: 8763687
    Abstract: Anti-extrusion devices, packer elements, and inflatable packers include shape memory polymer (SMP) materials to enhance the operation of a packer, a bridge plug, or other downhole isolation tool. Seal system use seals of various material including SMP materials as booster for the seal produced. Tool for flow shut-off and sliding sleeve applications use SMP materials to open or close off flow through a tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Ingram, Minh-Tuan Nguyen, Paul Wilson, Chris Johnson, Deborah L. Banta, Jacob Bramwell, Stone Fagley, Varadaraju A. Gandikota
  • Publication number: 20130199794
    Abstract: A velocity string deploys in production tubing of a gas well (or a gassy oil well) to help lift fluid toward the surface. The velocity string reduces flow area in the production tubing so that a critical flow velocity can be reached to lift liquid. Overtime, the reservoir pressure and resulting gas flow may decrease such that less liquid is produced toward the surface. At such a stage, operators then expand the velocity string to further decrease the flow area in the production tubing, which can produce the needed critical flow velocity to allow produced liquid to be lifted toward the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: WEATHERFORD/LAMB, INC.
    Inventors: William C. Lane, Deborah L. Banta
  • Publication number: 20120055667
    Abstract: Anti-extrusion devices, packer elements, and inflatable packers include shape memory polymer (SMP) materials to enhance the operation of a packer, a bridge plug, or other downhole isolation tool. Seal system use seals of various material including SMP materials as booster for the seal produced. Tool for flow shut-off and sliding sleeve applications use SMP materials to open or close off flow through a tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Ingram, Minh-Tuan Nguyen, Paul Wilson, Chris Johnson, Deborah L. Banta, Jacob Bramwell, Stone Fagley, Varadaraju A. Gandikota
  • Patent number: 7409758
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for reducing drilling vibration during drilling with casing. In one embodiment, an apparatus for reducing vibration of a rotating casing includes a tubular body disposed concentrically around the casing, wherein tubular body is movable relative to the casing. Preferably, a portion of the tubular body comprises a friction reducing material. In operation, the tubular body comes into contact with the existing casing or the wellbore instead of the rotating casing. Because the tubular body is freely movable relative to the rotating casing, the rotating casing may continuously rotate even though the tubular body is frictionally in contact with the existing casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Tuong Thanh Le, Richard L. Giroux, Albert C. Odell, Gary Thompson, Deborah L. Banta, Robert P. Badrak, Gregory G. Galloway, Mark S. Fuller