Patents by Inventor Joe Spacek

Joe Spacek 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: 10662731
    Abstract: This art creates an Advanced Annular Closing Device (AACD) that corrects significant environmental operational failure modes of the existing/in-use annular closing devices. The art further develops a Mini-AACD that significantly reduces the size of the annular closing mechanism providing improved operational reliability and lower cost. The Mini-AACD is incorporated in a unique Transitory Blowout Controller (TBC) assembly installed within the drilling return/riser pipe providing enhanced and redundant blowout annular closing protection (to the existing BOP). As options the art further incorporates additional supporting devices to the AACD, Mini-AACD and/or Seabed Drilling Equipment using simplistic and reliable alternative technology that provides redundancy to the overall existing/in-use BOP providing significantly more reliable means to close a well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20180216435
    Abstract: This art creates an Advanced Annular Closing Device (AACD) that corrects significant environmental operational failure modes of the existing/in-use annular closing devices. The art further develops a Mini-AACD that significantly reduces the size of the annular closing mechanism providing improved operational reliability and lower cost. The Mini-AACD is incorporated in a unique Transitory Blowout Controller (TBC) assembly installed within the drilling return/riser pipe providing enhanced and redundant blowout annular closing protection (to the existing BOP). As options the art further incorporates additional supporting devices to the AACD, Mini-AACD and/or Seabed Drilling Equipment using simplistic and reliable alternative technology that provides redundancy to the overall existing/in-use BOP providing significantly more reliable means to close a well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Patent number: 9797994
    Abstract: An oil well improvement system having an intrusion detection and response subsystem that provides practical capability to defend offshore drilling platform from surface or subsurface terrorist threats/attacks utilizing modified low-cost off-the-shelf equipment and processor programs. The subsystem processes acoustical and/or RF sensor data to determine contact positions, rates, projected future positions, identification, threat analysis and recommends appropriate soft/hard kill counter measures and further provides control of those countermeasures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Patent number: 9772608
    Abstract: This subsystem is an element of an oil well improvement (disasters preventive) system for offshore wells. This subsystem modifies existing in-well; data transmission equipment, data formatting & processing, and further modifies the processing of the existing sensors and remote controlled devices to provide enhanced capacity, reaction time & reliability for dynamically monitoring & controlling in-well resources. This sensor data and controlled tool status is further integrated into a single data base along with all seabed & platform devices and all related information (formation survey, drill plan, etc). The subsystem processes this data and develops instant status of operational conditions and provides recommendations/alerts/automated controls. Although the primary objective of the subsystem focuses on reducing/eliminating the disastrous effects of blowout, the subsystem also provides the means to alter/improve the normal/uneventful well drilling processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20160349357
    Abstract: The parent patent—The Oil Well Improvement System—incorporates and integrates several different unique assemblies and subsystems that provides a cost effective disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells while concurrently providing the means to reduce the cost of the drilling processes. The system modifies the sea-floor, in-well and platform equipment and processes. This divisional patent—The Intrusion Detection and Response Subsystem—acts in concert with the Oil Well Improvement System to provide a most cost effective air, surface and subsurface sensors, hard/soft kill weapons and related processing to protect the well from deliberate human attack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20160348457
    Abstract: The parent patent—The Oil Well Improvement System—incorporates and integrates several different unique assemblies and subsystems that provides a cost effective disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells while concurrently providing the means to reduce the cost of the drilling processes. The system modifies the sea-floor, in-well and platform equipment and processes. This divisional patent—The Seabed Structural Assembly acts in concert with the Oil Well Improvement System to provide necessary mechanical/structural strength to the seabed well drilling equipment required for/during adverse natural/unnatural conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20160348458
    Abstract: The parent patent—The Oil Well Improvement System—incorporates and integrates several different unique assemblies and subsystems that provides a cost effective disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells while concurrently providing the means to reduce the cost of the drilling processes. The system modifies the sea-floor, in-well and platform equipment and processes. This divisional patent—The Pressure Relief, Diversion Capture & Recovery Subsystem—acts in concert with the Oil Well Improvement System to provide an additional and/or interim means to control a blown out well by providing an alternate/safe low resistance flow path along with the means to capture and recovery oils/gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20150337642
    Abstract: The parent patent—The Oil Well Improvement System—incorporates and integrates several different unique assemblies and subsystems that provides a cost effective disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells while concurrently providing the means to reduce the cost of the drilling processes. The system modifies the sea-floor, in-well and platform equipment and processes. This divisional/continuation-in-part patent—The Well Monitor and Control Subsystem acts in concert with the Oil Well Improvement System to provide the interface and processing means to timely monitor the conditions and forewarn of potentially dangerous well conditions, provide the means to govern modes of operation of numerous new and existing platform, seafloor and in-well functional active devices to negate the impact of blow-outs and further provides the means to significantly improve/reduce the cost & time of the well drilling process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Patent number: 9085950
    Abstract: Two functionally and physically integrated subsystems form a supplemental disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells. A multi-function well subsystem modifies the sea-floor and in-well equipment to provide maintenance access, tools to cap the well, seal/re-seal the well, drill/re-drill the well, kill the well from the top, improve BOP reliability, add BOP functional redundancy, improve the cementing process, incorporate a sea-floor pressure relief/diversion function and improve the well's life cycle safety. A dome top cylindrical sidewall structure encloses the well's sea-floor equipment providing improved structural strength as well as passive protection from natural/human induced disasters. An intrusion detection and response subsystem provides sensing, processing and communication devices to detect, track & classify the 3D aspects of air/surface/sub-surface objects around a specific oil well or group of oil wells and provides the means to evaluate and eliminate threats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Inventor: Joe Spacek
  • Publication number: 20120241160
    Abstract: Two functionally and physically integrated subsystems form a supplemental disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells. A multi-function well subsystem modifies the sea-floor and in-well equipment to provide maintenance access, tools to cap the well, seal/re-seal the well, drill/re-drill the well, kill the well from the top, improve BOP reliability, add BOP functional redundancy, improve the cementing process, incorporate a sea-floor pressure relief/diversion function and improve the well's life cycle safety. A dome top cylindrical sidewall structure encloses the well's sea-floor equipment providing improved structural strength as well as passive protection from natural/human induced disasters. An intrusion detection and response subsystem provides sensing, processing and communication devices to detect, track & classify the 3D aspects of air/surface/sub-surface objects around a specific oil well or group of oil wells and provides the means to evaluate and eliminate threats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Joe Spacek