Abstract: Methods of treating a fluid loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation including providing swellable particles having an initial unswelled volume, wherein the swellable particles upon swelling adopt a specific shape; introducing the swellable particles into the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and swelling the swellable particles so as to adopt a swelled volume beyond the initial unswelled volume; and sealing at least a portion of the fluid loss zone.

Abstract: Methods for preventing or alleviating the loss of drilling fluids and other well treatment fluids into a subterranean formation during drilling or construction of boreholes therein include a drilling fluid including a lost circulation material. The lost circulation material includes a suspension of swelled particles of a pH sensitive polymeric material, the swelled particles capable of reversibly attaching to other swelled particles of the polymeric material. The pH of the aqueous solution is such that each particle of the swelled pH sensitive polymeric material is not attached to other swelled particles, and wherein upon lowering the pH of the suspension, the swelled particles attach to each other.

Abstract: A treatment fluid comprises: a metal oxide, wherein the metal oxide is capable of forming a chelate complex or coordination complex with a ligand, wherein the chelate complex or coordination complex has a setting time of less than 90 minutes at a temperature of 71° F. and a pressure of 1 atmosphere. A method of treating a portion of a subterranean formation comprises: introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation; allowing or causing a chelate complex or coordination complex to form between the metal oxide and a ligand; and allowing or causing the chelate complex or coordination complex to set.

Abstract: A lost circulation material and method for well treatment employing the material that is effective at sealing or plugging fractured zones and has utility over a wide range of temperatures, including high temperatures. The lost circulation material includes particulate material to quickly de-fluidize the fluid formulation, fibrous material to suspend particles in the slurrified form of the composition and increase the shear strength of the resultant seal, and non-Portland cement material for increasing the compressive strength.

Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus for testing lost circulation materials (LCMs) within a permeability plugging apparatus (PPA) is described. The apparatus may include a PPA cell cap and an elongated LCM receiver. At least one tubular member may provide fluid communication between the PPA cell cap and the elongated LCM receiver. The at least one tubular member may be sized to accommodate large particulate LCM testing within the PPA. The apparatus may also include a backpressure inlet through the elongated LCM receiver. Providing back pressure within the LCM receiver may extend the temperature and pressure ranges under which the large particulate LCMs may be tested.

Abstract: Methods for preventing or alleviating the loss of drilling fluids and other well treatment fluids into a subterranean formation during drilling or construction of boreholes therein include a drilling fluid including a lost circulation material. The lost circulation material includes a suspension of swelled particles of a pH sensitive polymeric material, the swelled particles capable of reversibly attaching to other swelled particles of the polymeric material. The pH of the aqueous solution is such that each particle of the swelled pH sensitive polymeric material is not attached to other swelled particles, and wherein upon lowering the pH of the suspension, the swelled particles attach to each other.

Abstract: A method of servicing a wellbore in a subterranean formation comprising placing a wellbore servicing fluid comprising a lost-circulation composite material into a wellbore, wherein the lost-circulation composite material comprises a swellable component and a reinforcing component. A wellbore servicing fluid comprising a reinforcing component disposed within a swellable component wherein the swellable component comprises a crosslinked polymer.

Abstract: Compositions for lost circulation materials (LCM) and methods for using same in drilling and/or completing wellbores that help solve lost circulation problems in a wide range of fracture sizes, thereby advantageously eliminating the need for a variety of products for lost circulation in a field at any one time. An unexpected synergy and improved reduction in lost circulation is obtained. The invention provides specific LCM components in specific ratios that are analogs to lost circulation fractures and that yield superior performance in preventing or alleviating lost circulation in drilling and cementing boreholes. The invention compositions have a multi-modal particle size distribution (PSD) which provides a higher concentration of component materials in the same range of two or more fracture widths, thus allowing plugging to occur over a wider range than a single mode or narrow PSD.

Abstract: Methods of forming dielectric layers are described. The method may include the steps of mixing a silicon-containing precursor with a radical-nitrogen precursor, and depositing a dielectric layer on a substrate. The radical-nitrogen precursor is formed in a remote plasma by flowing hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2) into the plasma in order to allow adjustment of the nitrogen/hydrogen ratio. The dielectric layer is initially a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer which may be converted to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer by curing and/or annealing the film in an oxygen-containing environment.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for simulation of bore hole fractures are disclosed. A device for simulating a fracture in a subterranean formation comprises a housing, a gap in the housing, and one or more shims positioned inside the gap. The shims cover at least a portion of a surface of a wall forming the gap. The device further comprises an inlet for directing a sample fluid into the gap. The sample fluid flows through the gap and flows out of the gap through an outlet.

Abstract: A detector and method for automatically detecting signet ring cells in an image of a biopsy tissue sample, includes finding in the image, points about which cell membranes appear in radial symmetry; selecting as candidate points, at least ones of the points that have an adjacent nuclei with a predetermined shape feature; and applying a convolutional neural network to the candidate points to determine which of the candidate points are signet ring cells.

Abstract: Of the many compositions and methods provided herein, one method includes providing a drilling fluid comprising a base drilling fluid and a plurality of particulates, wherein the base drilling fluid without the particulates is characterized by N1(B) and wherein the base drilling fluid with the particulates is characterized by N1(A); and adjusting a concentration of the particulates in the drilling fluid by comparing the value of ?N1(F) to ?N1(P) so that ?N1(F)??N1(P), wherein ?N1(F)=|N1(A)|?|N1(B)|.

Abstract: A method for determining a Plug Normal Stress Difference (?N1(P)) may include providing a test base drilling fluid that is characterized by N1(TB); adding a first concentration of a test particulate to the test base drilling fluid; adjusting the concentration of the test particulate in the test base drilling fluid to achieve a minimum concentration of the test particulate in the test base drilling fluid that will substantially plug a tapered slot, wherein the test base drilling fluid with the minimum concentration of the test particulate is characterized by N1(TA); and calculating ?N1(P)=|N1(TA)|?|N1(TB)| wherein each First Normal Stress Difference is measured by the same procedure.

Abstract: A treatment fluid comprises: a metal oxide, wherein the metal oxide is capable of forming a chelate complex or coordination complex with a ligand, wherein the chelate complex or coordination complex has a setting time of less than 90 minutes at a temperature of 71° F. and a pressure of 1 atmosphere. A method of treating a portion of a subterranean formation comprises: introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation; allowing or causing a chelate complex or coordination complex to form between the metal oxide and a ligand; and allowing or causing the chelate complex or coordination complex to set.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for simulation of bore hole fractures are disclosed. A device for simulating a fracture in a subterranean formation comprises a housing, an inlet for directing a sample fluid to the housing, and a first disk and a second disk positioned within the housing. The second disk is movable relative to the first disk to form an adjustable gap between the first disk and the second disk and the sample fluid flows through the adjustable gap. A common collector receives at least a portion of the sample fluid that flows through at least one of the first disk and the second disk.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing lost circulation materials (“LCMs”) for use in a formation is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise a LCM cell that contains at least one formation simulation component. A pressurized tank may be in fluid communication with the LCM cell, and may force a sample LCM slurry into the LCM cell. An LCM receiver may also be in fluid communication with the LCM cell, and may receive the LCM slurry that flows through the LCM cell.

Abstract: Substrate processing systems are described that have a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) unit positioned inside a process chamber. The CCP unit may include a plasma excitation region formed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode may include a first plurality of openings to permit a first gas to enter the plasma excitation region, and the second electrode may include a second plurality of openings to permit an activated gas to exit the plasma excitation region. The system may further include a gas inlet for supplying the first gas to the first electrode of the CCP unit, and a pedestal that is operable to support a substrate. The pedestal is positioned below a gas reaction region into which the activated gas travels from the CCP unit.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting and counting mitotic figures in an image of a biopsy sample stained with at least one dye, includes color filtering the image in a computer process to identify pixels in the image that have a color which is indicative a mitotic figure; extracting the mitotic pixels in the image that are connected to one another in a computer process, thereby producing blobs of mitotic pixels; shape-filtering and clustering the blobs of mitotic pixels in a computer process to produce mitotic figure candidates; extracting sub-images of mitotic figures by cropping the biopsy sample image at the location of the blobs; extracting two sets of features from the mitotic figure candidates in two separate computer processes; determining which of the mitotic figure candidates are mitotic figures in a computer classification process based on the extracted sets of features; and counting the number of mitotic figures per square unit of biopsy sample tissue.

Abstract: In a plasma reactor employing source and bias RF power generators, plasma is stabilized against an engineered transient in the output of either the source or bias power generator by a compensating modulation in the other generator.

Abstract: An epithelial detector and method for automatically identifying epithelial portions of a tissue sample, includes: staining the tissue sample with at least two dyes; applying a color transformation to a color image of the tissue sample to obtain one or more color channels; and applying a trained convolutional neural network to the color channels to obtain a decision for position in the tissue as to whether it is inside or outside an epithelial layer. Also, a method for training the convolutional neural network.