Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for conveying an electrically energized hydraulic pump into a wellbore surrounded by steel casing and thereafter using that hydraulic pump to pump oil, water and gas to the surface of the earth. The apparatus may be used as a well tractor conveyance system to service a perforated steel cased wellbore located in a geological formation that incorporates means to prevent any reverse fluid flow into the geological formation through any perforations in the steel cased wellbore during movement within the wellbore of the tractor conveyance means.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for conveying an electrically energized progressing cavity pump into a wellbore surrounded by steel casing and thereafter using that progressing cavity pump to pump oil, water and gas to the surface of the earth. The progressing cavity pump self-powers itself into the wellbore by pumping fluid from one side to another side of a lateral hydraulic seal and is thereafter used to provide artificial lift which is particularly useful in extreme-reach lateral wellbores. The apparatus may be suspended on coiled tubing, on any umbilical means, or on a wireline, and may also be used as a conveyance system to convey completion devices into a well. The progressing cavity pump is not subject to gas lock in highly deviated, partially gas-filled wells, and may be used to prevent any reverse fluid flow into formation during deployment in the well.

Abstract: A flowline is described for producing hydrocarbons from a subsea well that is comprised of a substantially neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical. The flowline may possess electrical heating apparatus within the tubular walls of the tubular composite umbilical to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the flowline and blocking the flowline. The electrical heating apparatus is comprised of at least one electrical conductor disposed within the tubular walls of the composite umbilical that conducts electrical current that is used to heat the tubular composite umbilical. The tubular composite umbilical that contains any produced hydrocarbons is substantially neutrally buoyant in the sea water adjacent to the subsea well. Positively neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical flowlines are also described.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for installing electrically heated composite umbilicals within subsea flowlines containing produced hydrocarbons as immersion heaters to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the subsea flowlines that could block the flowlines. The electrically heated composite umbilicals may be installed, or retrofitted, into existing subsea flowlines. Such retrofitted electrically heated composite umbilicals provide an alternative for previously installed, but failed, permanent heating systems. A hydraulic pump installed on the distant end of an electrically heated composite umbilical also provides artificial lift for the produced hydrocarbons. Other electrically heated umbilicals used as immersion heaters are described. Such immersion heater systems may be removed from the well, repaired, and retrofitted into flowlines without removing the flowlines. Near neutrally buoyant electrically heated umbilicals are described which may be installed great distances into flowlines.

Abstract: A closed-loop system is used to perform a variety of well services. The well services include well completion services, production and maintenance services, and enhanced recovery services. A closed-loop system to complete an oil and gas well is an automated system under computer control that executes a sequence of programmed steps, but those steps depend in part upon information obtained from at least one downhole sensor that is communicated to the surface to optimize and/or change the steps executed by the computer to complete the well. A tractor conveyor with a Retrieval Sub is a tractor deployer that may be used to deploy completion devices and other devices within the wellbore to perform well services. The tractor deployer may be operated from a wireline, or from an umbilical. The umbilical may be made from composite materials and it may be a neutrally buoyant in any well fluids present. The umbilical provides power and data communications downhole.

Abstract: The method of providing in excess of 60 kilowatts of electrical power to the electrical motor of a subterranean electric drilling machine through a substantially neutrally buoyant composite umbilical containing electrical conductors to reduce the frictional drag on the neutrally buoyant umbilical. Drilling and casing subterranean monobore wells are contemplated to distances of 20 miles from a wellsite. For drilling applications, the umbilical possesses a drilling fluid conduit. The umbilical also possesses high speed data communications such as a fiber optic cable or a coaxial cable that is used in the feedback control of the downhole electric drilling motor. Such umbilicals are also useful to provide power to remotely operated vehicles for subsea well servicing applications.

Abstract: A flowline is described for producing hydrocarbons from a subsea well that is comprised of a substantially neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical. The flowline may possess electrical heating apparatus within the tubular walls of the tubular composite umbilical to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the flowline and blocking the flowline. The electrical heating apparatus is comprised of at least one electrical conductor disposed within the tubular walls of the composite umbilical that conducts electrical current that is used to heat the tubular composite umbilical. The tubular composite umbilical that contains any produced hydrocarbons is substantially neutrally buoyant in the sea water adjacent to the subsea well. Positively neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical flowlines are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for installing electrically heated composite umbilicals within subsea flowlines containing produced hydrocarbons as immersion heaters to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the subsea flowlines that could block the flowlines. The electrically heated composite umbilicals may be installed, or retrofitted, into existing subsea flowlines. Such retrofitted electrically heated composite umbilicals provide an alternative for previously installed, but failed, permanent heating systems. A hydraulic pump installed on the distant end of an electrically heated composite umbilical also provides artificial lift for the produced hydrocarbons. Other electrically heated umbilicals used as immersion heaters are described. Such immersion heater systems may be removed from the well, repaired, and retrofitted into flowlines without removing the flowlines. Near neutrally buoyant electrically heated umbilicals are described which may be installed great distances into flowlines.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Abstract: The method of providing in excess of 60 kilowatts of electrical power to the electrical motor of a subterranean electric drilling machine through a substantially neutrally buoyant composite umbilical containing electrical conductors to reduce the frictional drag on the neutrally buoyant umbilical. Drilling and casing subterranean monobore wells are contemplated to distances of 20 miles from a wellsite. For drilling applications, the umbilical possesses a drilling fluid conduit. The umbilical also possesses high speed data communications such as a fiber optic cable or a coaxial cable that is used in the feedback control of the downhole electric drilling motor. Such umbilicals are also useful to provide power to remotely operated vehicles for subsea well servicing applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for coupling objects that are displaced from one another. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for providing a connection member, for coupling objects that are displaced from one another, that is able to adapt to changing operating conditions. The connection member is a composite tubular that responds to pressure changes such that when the internal pressure of the composite tubular is changed, the length of the tubular proportionally changes, thereby enabling the composite tubular to do useful work.