Abstract: Methods for completing hydrocarbon wells using variable rate fracturing are provided herein. One method includes positioning a perforation device within a tubular conduit of a downhole tubular, where the downhole tubular extends within a wellbore, and where the wellbore extends within a subsurface region, as well as perforating the downhole tubular using the perforation device to define perforations within the downhole tubular. The method also includes pumping a slurry including fracturing fluid and a lightweight proppant into the tubular conduit according to a variable pumping rate schedule to fracture zones of the subsurface region that are proximate to the perforations, forming corresponding fractures within the subsurface region. The method further includes flowing the slurry into the fractures, via the perforations, to prop the fractures with the lightweight proppant, where the lightweight proppant includes granules formed from a polyolefin, petroleum coke, and/or a polyaromatic hydrocarbon resin.

Abstract: A capacitive cable, as well as a method for operating a downhole electro-hydraulic (EH) tool using the capacitive cable, are described herein. The capacitive cable includes at least one standard conductor and at least one capacitive conductor including integrated wire-shaped capacitors. The method includes inserting a tool string including the capacitive cable and an attached downhole EH tool into a wellbore and conducting power from the surface to the downhole EH tool via the standard conductor(s) of the capacitive cable. The method also includes storing electrical energy downhole within the capacitive conductor(s) of the capacitive cable, and activating the downhole EH tool to provide for the rapid release of the electrical energy from the capacitive conductor(s) into the downhole EH tool, initiating an electro-hydraulic event within the wellbore.

Abstract: An electrical machine for a motor vehicle, having a rotor mounted rotatably about a rotational axis and has a hollow rotor shaft which encloses a shaft cavity, the hollow rotor shaft having an axial end with a shaft opening, a stationary lance guided through the shaft opening into the shaft cavity and has a fluid outlet opening, a cooling medium which is guided through the lance and sprayed via the fluid outlet opening onto an inner lateral surface of the hollow rotor shaft, an edge-sealed first outlet opening formed in a wall of the hollow rotor shaft, via which first outlet opening the cooling medium may escape from the shaft cavity, wherein, at a rotation speed n of the rotor of n?4,000 rpm over at least 15 seconds, an average film thickness dF of the cooling medium in the radial direction of the rotor is ?3 mm.

Abstract: Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of high-flow polyolefin coated mineral particles (referred to as high-flow polyolefin coated mineral proppant particulates). In some instances, the high-flow polyolefin-coated mineral proppant particulates have a particle density of equal to or less than about 1.35 grams per cubic centimeter, and further may be prepared using a one-pot hot melt process.

Abstract: A proppant including polyolefin-coke composite granules, a hydrocarbon well including such a proppant, and methods of forming the hydrocarbon well using such a proppant are provided herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon well also includes a number of perforations formed within the downhole tubular and a number of fractures formed within the subsurface region proximate to the perforations. The hydrocarbon well furthers include the proppant positioned within at least a portion of the fractures. The proppant includes a number of polyolefin-coke composite granules, where a characteristic dimension of each polyolefin-coke composite granule is at least 50 micrometers (?m) and at most 3 millimeters (mm), and where each polyolefin-coke composite granule includes a number of polyolefin polymer chains and at least one petroleum coke granule.

Abstract: A slurry including a density-tunable aqueous heavy fracturing fluid and a method for completing a hydrocarbon well using such a slurry are provided herein. The slurry includes proppant particulates and the density-tunable aqueous heavy fracturing fluid, where the density-tunable aqueous heavy fracturing fluid includes a bromide-based compound. The density of the density-tunable aqueous heavy fracturing fluid is between 1 gram/cubic centimeter (g/cc) and 3.6 g/cc.

Abstract: A slurry including a density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid and a method for completing a hydrocarbon well using such a slurry are provided herein. The slurry includes a proppant and the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid, where the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid includes a pseudo heavy fluid suspension, a concentrated aqueous solution of a soluble heavy compound, and/or a high-density organic solution. The density of the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid is between 1.25 grams/milliliter (g/ml) and 3.4 g/ml. Moreover, the density of the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid is selected based on the density of the proppant. According to the method provided herein, the slurry is used to provide for more effective placement of the proppant within the fractures than can be achieved using only a slurry including conventional fracturing fluid and the proppant.

Abstract: A method for controlling an electromotive drive of a motor vehicle. At least one of the motor vehicle wheels can be driven by an electric motor of the electromotive drive and the electromotive drive has at least one energy source for the electric motor. The method includes: identifying a request for applying a deceleration torque to the vehicle wheel, identifying status of the electromotive drive, selecting an operating mode of the electric motor according to the identified status, and controlling the electric motor in the selected operating mode for applying the deceleration torque. In a first operating mode, the electric motor is controlled such that the rotational energy of the vehicle wheel is converted at a first efficiency into electrical energy. In a second operating mode, the electric motor is controlled such that the rotational energy of the vehicle wheel is converted at a second efficiency into electrical energy.

Abstract: A slurry including a density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid and a method for completing a hydrocarbon well using such a slurry are provided herein. The slurry includes a proppant and the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid, where the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid includes a pseudo heavy fluid suspension, a concentrated aqueous solution of a soluble heavy compound, and/or a high-density organic solution. The density of the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid is between 1.25 grams/milliliter (g/ml) and 3.4 g/ml. Moreover, the density of the density-tunable heavy fracturing fluid is selected based on the density of the proppant. According to the method provided herein, the slurry is used to provide for more effective placement of the proppant within the fractures than can be achieved using only a slurry including conventional fracturing fluid and the proppant.

Abstract: Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of high-flow polyolefin coated mineral particles (referred to as high-flow polyolefin coated mineral proppant particulates). In some instances, the high-flow polyolefin-coated mineral proppant particulates have a particle density of equal to or less than about 1.35 grams per cubic centimeter, and further may be prepared using a one-pot hot melt process.

Abstract: Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of resin-coated petroleum coke (referred to as resin-coated petroleum coke proppant particulates). In some instances, the resin-coated petroleum coke proppant particulates have a particle density of equal to or less than about 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter and better resistance to creating fines when exposed to uniaxial stress.

Abstract: Methods for completing hydrocarbon wells using variable rate fracturing are provided herein. One method includes positioning a perforation device within a tubular conduit of a downhole tubular, where the downhole tubular extends within a wellbore, and where the wellbore extends within a subsurface region, as well as perforating the downhole tubular using the perforation device to define perforations within the downhole tubular. The method also includes pumping a slurry including fracturing fluid and a lightweight proppant into the tubular conduit according to a variable pumping rate schedule to fracture zones of the subsurface region that are proximate to the perforations, forming corresponding fractures within the subsurface region. The method further includes flowing the slurry into the fractures, via the perforations, to prop the fractures with the lightweight proppant, where the lightweight proppant includes granules formed from a polyolefin, petroleum coke, and/or a polyaromatic hydrocarbon resin.

Abstract: A self-adjusting gas lift system and corresponding self-adjusting gas lift valve (GLV) are described herein. The self-adjusting gas lift system includes a number of self-adjusting GLVs that fluidically couple an annulus of a well to an interior of a production tubing of the well. Each of the self-adjusting GLVs is configured to open to allow a compressed gas to flow from the annulus to the interior of the production tubing when a pressure differential between an injection pressure of the compressed gas within the annulus and a production pressure of fluids within the production tubing is within an engineered range. Each of the self-adjusting GLVs is also configured to close when the pressure differential is outside the engineered range.

Abstract: An oil-water fractionation system is positioned within a wellbore on a subsurface end of a production tubing proximate to a production region. The fractionation system includes a permeable hydrophobic media for preferentially conveying an oil-enriched stream (reduced water-cut presence) from the production region into the production tubing, and a permeable oleophobic media for preferentially conveying a water-enriched stream (reduced oil-cut presence) into a second flow path. The permeable hydrophobic media and the permeable oleophobic media are in simultaneous hydraulic communication with the production region. The permeable hydrophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to oil, allowing the oil-enriched stream to flow through the permeable hydrophobic media into the production tubing.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as a proppant, methods of forming the hydrocarbon wells, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plurality of perforations formed within the downhole tubular and a plurality of fractures formed within the subsurface region. The hydrocarbon wells further include the proppant positioned within the plurality of fractures. The proppant includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and each crosslinked polymer granule has a characteristic dimension of at least 100 micrometers and at most 2 millimeters.

Abstract: Test systems and methods for evaluating erosion of a test sample. The test systems include a particulate distribution structure configured to receive a supplied particulate stream and to discharge a distributed particulate stream. The test systems also include a particulate acceleration structure configured to receive the distributed particulate stream and to generate an accelerated particulate stream. The test systems further include a test sample fixture configured to hold the test sample at a test sample location positioned such that the accelerated particulate stream is incident upon the test sample location. The methods include methods of operating the test systems.

Abstract: A capacitive cable, as well as a method for operating a downhole electro-hydraulic (EH) tool using the capacitive cable, are described herein. The capacitive cable includes at least one standard conductor and at least one capacitive conductor including integrated wire-shaped capacitors. The method includes inserting a tool string including the capacitive cable and an attached downhole EH tool into a wellbore and conducting power from the surface to the downhole EH tool via the standard conductor(s) of the capacitive cable. The method also includes storing electrical energy downhole within the capacitive conductor(s) of the capacitive cable, and activating the downhole EH tool to provide for the rapid release of the electrical energy from the capacitive conductor(s) into the downhole EH tool, initiating an electro-hydraulic event within the wellbore.

Abstract: An oil-water fractionation system for use in a wellbore is described herein. The fractionation system is positioned within a wellbore on a subsurface end of a production tubing proximate to a production region. The fractionation system includes a permeable hydrophobic media for preferentially conveying an oil-enriched stream (reduced water-cut presence) from the production region into the production tubing, and a permeable oleophobic media for preferentially conveying a water-enriched stream (reduced oil-cut presence) into a second flow path. The permeable hydrophobic media and the permeable oleophobic media are in simultaneous hydraulic communication with the production region. The permeable hydrophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to oil, allowing the oil-enriched stream to flow through the permeable hydrophobic media into the production tubing.

Abstract: A self-adjusting gas lift system and corresponding self-adjusting gas lift valve (GLV) are described herein. The self-adjusting gas lift system includes a number of self-adjusting GLVs that fluidically couple an annulus of a well to an interior of a production tubing of the well. Each of the self-adjusting GLVs is configured to open to allow a compressed gas to flow from the annulus to the interior of the production tubing when a pressure differential between an injection pressure of the compressed gas within the annulus and a production pressure of fluids within the production tubing is within an engineered range. Each of the self-adjusting GLVs is also configured to close when the pressure differential is outside the to engineered range.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as a proppant, methods of forming the hydrocarbon wells, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plurality of perforations formed within the downhole tubular and a plurality of fractures formed within the subsurface region. The hydrocarbon wells further include the proppant positioned within the plurality of fractures. The proppant includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and each crosslinked polymer granule has a characteristic dimension of at least 100 micrometers and at most 2 millimeters.