Patents by Inventor Harold Grayson Walters

Harold Grayson Walters 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: 11734479
    Abstract: The disclosure presents a technique to generate a fracture model using a differential stress map and model inputs. The technique simulates the fracture model using fracture fronts, initiated at perforations of a perforation stage of a hydraulic fracturing (HF) wellbore. Each fracture front is evaluated using a propagation step of a fracture model process. Using the relative differential stress states, a fracture pattern is composited to the fracture model. At each propagation step, the total energy available from the simulated HF fluid being pumped into the wellbore location is reduced by the amount necessary to generate the computed fractures. Once the remaining energy is reduced to a level where no further fractures can be created, or if a map boundary is encountered, the fracture model process terminates. The generated fracture model can be communicated to update HF job plans, wellbore placements, and other uses of the fracture model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Shang Zhang, Greg Daniel Brumbaugh, Hailun Ni, Gaetan Pierre Louis Bardy, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Patent number: 11726074
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation. The apparatus includes force application fixtures configured to apply opposing compressive forces to a disc-shaped sample of a core plug specimen from the rock formation. Each of the force application fixtures include an applicant portion having an end cap. The end cap has a shaped surface that is configured to conform with a portion of a non-planar side of the disc-shaped sample such that substantially an entire volume of the disc-shaped sample experiences a compressive stress when the opposing compressive forces are applied to the portions of the non-planar side. A system and method for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Jie Bai, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, Harold Grayson Walters, Luis Matzar
  • Patent number: 11639646
    Abstract: Geomechanical parameters can be used to optimize a well configuration that includes one or more projected wells having locations and geometries. Formation data and regional stress information of a formation can be used to determine a local stress variation of the formation. A quality index can be generated by combining petrophysical properties with the local stress variation. Hydrocarbon recovery flow simulations can be generated by generating well configuration models based on the quality index, generating reservoir geomechanical model that includes hydraulic fracture propagation characteristics, determining new hydraulic fractures by simulating propagation through the reservoir geomechanical model and using geomechanical rules, and determining a projected hydrocarbon recovery rate by simulating flow with the new hydraulic fractures. A well placement plan can be selected using the projected hydrocarbon recovery rates. The well placement plan can be output to be used to plan one or more wellbores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Gaetan Bardy, Jeffrey M. Yarus, Harold Grayson Walters, Kevin B. Hall, Shohreh Amini, Steven James Drinovsky, Meftun Erdogan
  • Patent number: 11506584
    Abstract: A method for real time crush testing of proppants including loading proppant into an apparatus comprising: a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor; compressing the proppant with the pressure; calculating the amount of proppant material in the proppant pack; increasing pressure on the proppant pack until the sample is crushed; calculating proppant strength from at least the displacement sensor data. An apparatus includes a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Patent number: 11401801
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for receiving historical production data associated with at least one hydraulic fracturing well, receiving time-series data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well, the time-series data representing at least one type of data, receiving non-temporal data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well, generating a machine learning model based on the historical production data, the time-series data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well and based on an original job design during a first stage of the job at a particular hydraulic fracturing well, and the non-temporal data, determining an optimized job design for the particular hydraulic fracturing well having an objective function using a prediction based on the machine learning model, and implementing the optimized job design for the particular hydraulic fracturing well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Peyman Heidari, Harold Grayson Walters, Dwight David Fulton, Manisha Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 11396808
    Abstract: A fracturing treatment optimization system using multi-point pressure sensitive fiber optic cables to measure interwell fluid interaction data, microdeformation strain data, microseismic data, distributed temperature data, distributed acoustic data, and distributed strain data from multiple locations along a wellbore. The fracturing treatment optimization system may analyze the interwell fluid interaction data, microdeformation strain data, microseismic data, distributed temperature data, distributed acoustic data, and distributed strain data, modify a subsurface fracture network model, and calculate interwell fluid interaction effects. The fracturing treatment optimization system may use the fracture network model to measure current and predict future fracture growth, hydraulic pressure, poroelastic pressure, strain, stress, and related completion effects. The fracturing treatment optimization system may enable real-time monitoring and analysis of treatment and monitoring wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikko Jaaskelainen, Harold Grayson Walters, Crispin Doyle
  • Patent number: 11346216
    Abstract: A method of determining fracture complexity may comprise receiving one or more signal inputs from a fracturing operation, calculating an observed fracture growth rate based at least partially on the one or more signal inputs, calculating a predicted fracture growth rate, determining a fracture complexity value, and applying a control technique to make adjustments a hydraulic stimulation operation based at least in part on the fracture complexity value. Also provided is a system for determining a fracture complexity for a hydraulic fracturing operation may comprise a hydraulic fracturing system, a sensor unit to receive one or more signal inputs, a calculating unit, a fracture complexity unit, and a controller unit to apply a control technique to adjust one or more hydraulic stimulation parameters on the hydraulic fracturing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Ananda Shetty, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Patent number: 11300698
    Abstract: Some aspects of what is described here relate to seismic profiling techniques. A seismic excitation is generated in a first directional section of a first wellbore in a subterranean region. Seismic responses associated with the seismic excitation are detected in directional sections of a plurality of other wellbores in the subterranean region. A fracture treatment of the subterranean region is analyzed based on the seismic responses. In some instances, a multi-dimensional seismic velocity model of the subterranean region is generated based on the seismic responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Robert McColpin, Harold Grayson Walters, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft
  • Publication number: 20220027538
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to methods to design and revise hydraulic fracturing (HF) job plans. The methods can utilize one or more data sources from public, proprietary, confidential, and historical sources. The methods can build mathematical, statistical, machine learning, neural network, and deep learning models to predict production outcomes based on the data source inputs. In some aspects, the data sources are processed, quality checked, and combined into composite data sources. In some aspects, ensemble modeling techniques can be applied to combine multiple data sources and multiple models. In some aspects, response features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, time-series extracted features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, the methods can be used to build a HF job plan prior to the start of work at a well site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Harold Grayson Walters, Dwight David Fulton, Manisha Bhardwaj, Ajish Sreeni Radhakrishnan Potty
  • Publication number: 20220025753
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to methods to design and revise hydraulic fracturing (HF) job plans. The methods can utilize one or more data sources from public, proprietary, confidential, and historical sources. The methods can build mathematical, statistical, machine learning, neural network, and deep learning models to predict production outcomes based on the data source inputs. In some aspects, the data sources are processed, quality checked, and combined into composite data sources. In some aspects, ensemble modeling techniques can be applied to combine multiple data sources and multiple models. In some aspects, response features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, time-series extracted features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, the methods can be used to build a HF job plan prior to the start of work at a well site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Peyman Heidari, Manisha Bhardwaj, Harold Grayson Walters, Dwight David Fulton
  • Publication number: 20210406792
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to methods to design and revise hydraulic fracturing (HF) job plans. The methods can utilize one or more data sources from public, proprietary, confidential, and historical sources. The methods can build mathematical, statistical, machine learning, neural network, and deep learning models to predict production outcomes based on the data source inputs. In some aspects, the data sources are processed, quality checked, and combined into composite data sources. In some aspects, ensemble modeling techniques can be applied to combine multiple data sources and multiple models. In some aspects, response features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, time-series extracted features can be utilized as data inputs into the modeling process. In some aspects, the methods can be used to build a HF job plan prior to the start of work at a well site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Manisha Bhardwaj, Dwight David Fulton, Harold Grayson Walters, Ajish Sreeni Radhakrishnan Potty, Vikesh Singh Baghel, Richa Chauhan, Rama Subba Reddy Thavva
  • Patent number: 11142977
    Abstract: Systems and methods using electrically controlled propellant to operate equipment in subterranean formations are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: providing a tool assembly that comprises a tool body and an electrically controlled propellant; and placing the tool assembly in at least a portion of a subterranean formation. Electrical current may be applied to at least a portion of the electrically controlled propellant to ignite the portion of the propellant to operate a portion of the tool assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip D. Nguyen, Norman R. Warpinski, Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Publication number: 20210301654
    Abstract: A method of determining fracture complexity may comprise receiving one or more signal inputs from a fracturing operation, calculating an observed fracture growth rate based at least partially on the one or more signal inputs, calculating a predicted fracture growth rate, determining a fracture complexity value, and applying a control technique to make adjustments a hydraulic stimulation operation based at least in part on the fracture complexity value. Also provided is a system for determining a fracture complexity for a hydraulic fracturing operation may comprise a hydraulic fracturing system, a sensor unit to receive one or more signal inputs, a calculating unit, a fracture complexity unit, and a controller unit to apply a control technique to adjust one or more hydraulic stimulation parameters on the hydraulic fracturing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Ananda Shetty, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Publication number: 20210256183
    Abstract: The disclosure presents a technique to generate a fracture model using a differential stress map and model inputs. The technique simulates the fracture model using fracture fronts, initiated at perforations of a perforation stage of a hydraulic fracturing (HF) wellbore. Each fracture front is evaluated using a propagation step of a fracture model process. Using the relative differential stress states, a fracture pattern is composited to the fracture model. At each propagation step, the total energy available from the simulated fluid being pumped into the wellbore location is reduced by the amount necessary to generate the computed fractures. Once the remaining energy is reduced to a level where no further fractures can be created, or if a map boundary is encountered, the fracture model process terminates. The generated fracture model can be communicated to update HF job plans, wellbore placements, and other uses of the fracture model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Shang Zhang, Greg Daniel Brumbaugh, Hailun Ni, Gaetan Pierre Louis Bardy, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Publication number: 20210222518
    Abstract: Geomechanical parameters can be used to optimize a well configuration that includes one or more projected wells having locations and geometries. Formation data and regional stress information of a formation can be used to determine a local stress variation of the formation. A quality index can be generated by combining petrophysical properties with the local stress variation. Hydrocarbon recovery flow simulations can be generated by generating well configuration models based on the quality index, generating reservoir geomechanical model that includes hydraulic fracture propagation characteristics, determining new hydraulic fractures by simulating propagation through the reservoir geomechanical model and using geomechanical rules, and determining a projected hydrocarbon recovery rate by simulating flow with the new hydraulic fractures. A well placement plan can be selected using the projected hydrocarbon recovery rates. The well placement plan can be output to be used to plan one or more wellbores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Gaetan Bardy, Jeffrey M. Yarus, Harold Grayson Walters, Kevin B. Hall, Shohreh Amini, Steven James Drinovsky, Meftun Erdogan
  • Patent number: 11053787
    Abstract: A fracturing controller, a method for controlling fracture diversion, and a hydraulic fracturing system are provided herein. One example of a method for controlling fracture diversion of a fracture during hydraulic fracturing, includes: (1) providing a first fracturing treatment for the fracture at a first pump rate, (2) subsequently providing a low rate treatment for the fracture at a reduced pump rate less than the first pump rate, and (3) changing the reduced pump rate based on proppant bridging in the fracture during the low rate treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Publication number: 20210190755
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation. The apparatus includes force application fixtures configured to apply opposing compressive forces to a disc-shaped sample of a core plug specimen from the rock formation. Each of the force application fixtures include an applicant portion having an end cap. The end cap has a shaped surface that is configured to conform with a portion of a non-planar side of the disc-shaped sample such that substantially an entire volume of the disc-shaped sample experiences a compressive stress when the opposing compressive forces are applied to the portions of the non-planar side. A system and method for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Jie Bai, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, Harold Grayson Walters, Luis Matzar
  • Publication number: 20210189874
    Abstract: A fracturing treatment optimization system using multi-point pressure sensitive fiber optic cables to measure interwell fluid interaction data, microdeformation strain data, microseismic data, distributed temperature data, distributed acoustic data, and distributed strain data from multiple locations along a wellbore. The fracturing treatment optimization system may analyze the interwell fluid interaction data, microdeformation strain data, microseismic data, distributed temperature data, distributed acoustic data, and distributed strain data, modify a subsurface fracture network model, and calculate interwell fluid interaction effects. The fracturing treatment optimization system may use the fracture network model to measure current and predict future fracture growth, hydraulic pressure, poroelastic pressure, strain, stress, and related completion effects. The fracturing treatment optimization system may enable real-time monitoring and analysis of treatment and monitoring wells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Mikko Jaaskelainen, Harold Grayson Walters, Crispin Doyle
  • Publication number: 20210131253
    Abstract: A fracturing controller, a method for controlling fracture diversion, and a hydraulic fracturing system are provided herein. One example of a method for controlling fracture diversion of a fracture during hydraulic fracturing, includes: (1) providing a first fracturing treatment for the fracture at a first pump rate, (2) subsequently providing a low rate treatment for the fracture at a reduced pump rate less than the first pump rate, and (3) changing the reduced pump rate based on proppant bridging in the fracture during the low rate treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Vladimir Nikolayevich Martysevich, Harold Grayson Walters
  • Publication number: 20210087925
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for receiving historical production data associated with at least one hydraulic fracturing well, receiving time-series data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well, the time-series data representing at least one type of data, receiving non-temporal data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well, generating a machine learning model based on the historical production data, the time-series data associated with the at least one hydraulic fracturing well and based on an original job design during a first stage of the job at a particular hydraulic fracturing well, and the non-temporal data, determining an optimized job design for the particular hydraulic fracturing well having an objective function using a prediction based on the machine learning model, and implementing the optimized job design for the particular hydraulic fracturing well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Peyman HEIDARI, Harold Grayson WALTERS, Dwight David FULTON, Manisha BHARDWAJ