Patents by Inventor Michael Charles Minchau

Michael Charles Minchau 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).

  • Publication number: 20130298665
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a well treatment, comprising the steps of installing at least one distributed acoustic strain sensor in at least one monitoring well, said monitoring well being a known distance from the treatment well, initiating a well treatment on the first well, monitoring the formation surrounding the monitoring well using the distributed acoustic strain sensor, and using the distributed acoustic strain sensor, detecting a change in strain at a first location in the monitoring well, using the change in strain to make determinations about the well treatment. The sensor may comprise a fiber optic cable. The change in strain may be used as an indicator that the effect of the well treatment has extended beyond a predetermined preferred treatment zone, the treatment may be a fracture treatment, and the well treatment may be controlled or ceased based on the determinations made in step e).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Charles Minchau
  • Patent number: 8245780
    Abstract: A method of measuring fluid in-flow in a region of interest in a wellbore comprises deploying a fiber optic cable concurrently with placement of a downhole tubular, transmitting a light signal along the cable and receiving a reflected signal from the region of interest, and interpreting the received signal to obtain information about fluid flowing in the region of interest. The wellbore may include a horizontal portion. The received signal may also be interpreted by assessing amplitude and frequency spectra across array of channels, conditioning the received signal by removing at least a portion of the signal that is not related to flow, assessing flow regimes across depths and times, calculating axial flow/s within the wellbore using relationships for axial flow, and calculating flow into or out of the wellbore at one or more points using relationships for flow through an orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Erkan Fidan, Menno Mathieu Molenaar, Bora Oz, Michael Charles Minchau
  • Publication number: 20120018149
    Abstract: A method of measuring fluid in-flow in a region of interest in a wellbore comprises deploying a fiber optic cable concurrently with placement of a downhole tubular, transmitting a light signal along the cable and receiving a reflected signal from the region of interest, and interpreting the received signal to obtain information about fluid flowing in the region of interest. The wellbore may include a horizontal portion. The received signal may also be interpreted by assessing amplitude and frequency spectra across array of channels, conditioning the received signal by removing at least a portion of the signal that is not related to flow, assessing flow regimes across depths and times, calculating axial flow/s within the wellbore using relationships for axial flow, and calculating flow into or out of the wellbore at one or more points using relationships for flow through an orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Erkan Fidan, Menno Mathieu Molenaar, Bora Oz, Michael Charles Minchau