Patents by Inventor Michel Joseph LeBlanc

Michel Joseph LeBlanc 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: 11977195
    Abstract: An active fiber stretcher assembly can be used for data acquisition systems. A time-break signal can be detected that coincides with a seismic event emitted from a seismic controller. A predetermined waveform can be generated in response to detecting the time-break signal. The predetermined waveform may be encoded onto a fiber optic cable using a fiber stretcher. A data acquisition system connected to the fiber optic cable may detect the predetermined waveform on the fiber optic cable and initiate acquisition operations including: receiving, during the seismic event, light signals returning from a portion of the fiber optic cable in a subterranean environment; determining one or more characteristics of the subterranean environment from the light signals; and storing the one or more characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Ellmauthaler, Henry Clifford Bland, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Mark Elliott Willis, Xiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11976553
    Abstract: A test tool attached to test string comprising a fluid conduit is deployed to a test position within a wellbore. The deployment includes hydraulically isolating a portion of the wellbore proximate the test tool to form an isolation zone containing the test position. A fluid inflow test is performed within the isolation zone and an initial formation property and a fluid property are determined based on the fluid inflow test. A fluid injection test is performed within the isolation zone including applying an injection fluid through the test string into the isolation zone, wherein the flow rate or pressure of the injection fluid application is determined based, at least in part, on the at least one of the formation property and fluid property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Anton Proett, Christopher Michael Jones, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Anthony Herman van Zuilekom, Mehdi Alipour Kallehbasti
  • Patent number: 11906682
    Abstract: A wellbore system includes a logging unit having a retrievable logging cable coupled to a downhole tool within a wellbore and a depth correlation unit in the downhole tool that provides current depth data for the wellbore through the retrievable logging cable for recording of a current depth by the logging unit. The wellbore system also includes a distributed acoustic sensing unit that includes a seismic processing unit and a seismic profiling unit connected to a separate optical cable of the retrievable logging cable having distributed acoustic sensing channels, wherein an assignment of the distributed acoustic sensing channels along the separate optical cable is determined by an offset distance between the current depth of a formation reference region within the wellbore and a previous reference depth of the formation reference region within the wellbore. A distributed acoustic sensing method is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Ellmauthaler, Simon Shaw, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Mark Elliott Willis, Xiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11892695
    Abstract: A cable comprises a protective jacket and a plurality of conductor bundles symmetrically arranged within the protective jacket. The cable comprises optical fibers arranged within the protective jacket relative to the plurality of conductor bundles such that an orthogonal mode electrical field symmetry for the plurality of conductor bundles is retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John Laureto Maida, Sudhir Kumar Gupta, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Arabinda Misra, Ramon Hernandez Marti
  • Patent number: 11879330
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device, system and method are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a device comprises a sample cell configured to interact a fluid sample with an ion selective substrate to modify an optical characteristic of the ion selective substrate according to an ion concentration of the fluid sample, wherein the sample cell is also configured to optically interact an illumination light with the ion selective substrate to generate a sample light; an optical element configured to interact with the sample light to provide a modified light that has a property of the fluid sample; and a detector that receives the modified light and provides an electrical signal proportional to the property of the fluid sample indicated by the modified light; and wherein the ion selective substrate comprises a membrane, the membrane configured to change an optical property in a selected wavelength range, according to the property of the fluid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Bin Dai, James M. Price
  • Patent number: 11802983
    Abstract: Systems and methods relate to borehole seismic studies. Traditionally, borehole seismic studies are conducted using geophones. Seismic acquisition can be performed using fiber optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). Because DAS measures dynamic relative displacement over a gauge length, which is different from particle velocity, DAS data can be converted into an equivalent geophone output response. Operations include converting DAS data into distributed velocity, and then, converting the velocity output into an equivalent geophone response. Various aspects include separating the data into interleaving subsets, integrating each subset along the spatial coordinates, selecting a window width over which the median of each subset will be calculated and subtracted from the data, performing a spatial average or low-pass filtering over contiguous values, performing a time-domain low-pass filtering, and performing the velocity-to-geophone conversion operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Mark Elliott Willis, Andreas Ellmauthaler, Xiang Wu
  • Publication number: 20230332499
    Abstract: A distributed acoustic system (DAS) method and system. The system may comprise an interrogator and an umbilical line comprising a first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable attached at one end to the interrogator. The DAS may further include a downhole fiber attached to the umbilical line at the end opposite the interrogator and a light source disposed in the interrogator that is configured to emit a plurality of coherent light frequencies into the umbilical line and the downhole fiber. The method may include generating interferometric signals of the plurality of frequencies of backscattered light that have been received by the photo detector assembly and processing the interferometric signals with an information handling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Ellmauthaler, John L. Maida, JR., Ira Jeffrey Bush, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Glenn Andrew Wilson
  • Patent number: 11732578
    Abstract: A distributed acoustic system (DAS) method and system. The system may comprise an interrogator and an umbilical line comprising a first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable attached at one end to the interrogator. The DAS may further include a downhole fiber attached to the umbilical line at the end opposite the interrogator and a light source disposed in the interrogator that is configured to emit a plurality of coherent light frequencies into the umbilical line and the downhole fiber. The method may include generating interferometric signals of the plurality of frequencies of backscattered light that have been received by the photo detector assembly and processing the interferometric signals with an information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Ellmauthaler, John L. Maida, Jr., Ira Jeffrey Bush, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Glenn Andrew Wilson
  • Patent number: 11692435
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for determining positions of cementing plugs during a cementing process. Systems and methods are provided for determining a length of an optical fiber line deployed into a wellbore for a cementing process, measuring signal intensity data as a function of distance from the optical fiber line, the optical fiber line being attached to a lower cementing plug and an upper cementing plug, the upper cementing plug being attached to the optical fiber line by an attenuation assembly, generating signal intensity profiles based on the signal intensity data as a function of a round trip delay of a light signal in the optical fiber line, and determining positions of the lower cementing plug and the upper cementing plug based on the signal intensity profiles of the optical fiber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph Leblanc, John Laureto Maida, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20230203945
    Abstract: A test tool attached to test string comprising a fluid conduit is deployed to a test position within a wellbore. The deployment includes hydraulically isolating a portion of the wellbore proximate the test tool to form an isolation zone containing the test position. A fluid inflow test is performed within the isolation zone and an initial formation property and a fluid property are determined based on the fluid inflow test. A fluid injection test is performed within the isolation zone including applying an injection fluid through the test string into the isolation zone, wherein the flow rate or pressure of the injection fluid application is determined based, at least in part, on the at least one of the formation property and fluid property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Anton Proett, Christopher Michael Jones, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Anthony Herman van Zuilekom, Mehdi Alipour Kallehbasti
  • Patent number: 11686672
    Abstract: A device including an ion-selective membrane arranged within an optical path of the device and coupled to a sample cell to interact with a fluid sample and thereby modify an optical response of the ion-selective membrane according to an ion concentration in the fluid sample, is provided. The device also includes an integrated computational element (ICE) arranged within the optical path, so that the illumination light optically interacts with the ICE and with the ion-selective membrane to provide a modified light that has a property indicative of the ion concentration in the fluid sample. A detector that receives the modified light provides an electrical signal proportional to the property of the modified light. A method and a system for using the above device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Neal G. Skinner, Michel Joseph Leblanc, Kenneth G. Dixson
  • Patent number: 11668852
    Abstract: A system can calculate estimated strain data for a fracture in a geological formation at each of a plurality of selected locations detectable by a strain measurement device. The system can receive real strain data from the strain measurement device for the geological formation. The system can perform an inversion to determine a probable distribution of fluid volume and hydraulic fracture orientation in the geological formation based on the estimated strain data and real strain data. The system can determine adjustments for a fracturing operation based on the inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikko Jaaskelainen, Eric James Davis, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, John Laureto Maida, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11624279
    Abstract: A method comprises flowing a mud into a wellbore, wherein the mud has a mud composition and has a weight in a defined range. The method includes introducing a fluid pill into the mud flowing into the wellbore, wherein the fluid pill has an injection fluid with an injection composition that is different from the mud composition. A particulate has been added to the injection fluid to increase the weight of the fluid pill. After flowing the mud into the wellbore such that the fluid pill is positioned in a zone of the wellbore: filtering out the particulate from the injection fluid; injecting, after the filtering, the injection fluid into the zone; measuring a downhole parameter that changes in response to injecting the injection fluid into the zone; and determining a property of the formation of the zone based on the measured downhole parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus Ray Hudson, Pramod Chamarthy, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Christopher Michael Jones, Darren George Gascooke, Anthony Herman van Zuilekom, Jay Paul Deville, William W. Shumway, Dale E. Jamison
  • Patent number: 11603757
    Abstract: A test tool attached to test string comprising a fluid conduit is deployed to a test position within a wellbore. The deployment includes hydraulically isolating a portion of the wellbore proximate the test tool to form an isolation zone containing the test position. A fluid inflow test is performed within the isolation zone and an initial formation property and a fluid property are determined based on the fluid inflow test. A fluid injection test is performed within the isolation zone including applying an injection fluid through the test string into the isolation zone, wherein the flow rate or pressure of the injection fluid application is determined based, at least in part, on the at least one of the formation property and fluid property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Anton Proett, Christopher Michael Jones, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Anthony Herman van Zuilekom, Mehdi Alipour Kallehbasti
  • Patent number: 11579025
    Abstract: A thermal sensor module, comprising: a housing, wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the housing is hollow and configured to allow a fluid to flow into the housing through the first end and exit through the second end; a heat source, wherein the heat source is disposed at a central axis of the housing and traverses at least partially through the housing; and a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned in the housing to measure temperature of the fluid flowing in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Christopher Michael Jones, Michael Thomas Pelletier, Peter Olapade
  • Publication number: 20230040293
    Abstract: A system can calculate estimated strain data for a fracture in a geological formation at each of a plurality of selected locations detectable by a strain measurement device. The system can receive real strain data from the strain measurement device for the geological formation. The system can perform an inversion to determine a probable distribution of fluid volume and hydraulic fracture orientation in the geological formation based on the estimated strain data and real strain data. The system can determine adjustments for a fracturing operation based on the inversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Mikko Jaaskelainen, Eric James Davis, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, John Laureto Maida, JR.
  • Patent number: 11573161
    Abstract: A densitometer in the present disclosure comprises a measurement module that is calibrated to estimate sample fluid density with high accuracy and minimized sensitivity to temperature of tube and clamp components in the densitometer. The densitometer measures sample fluid density by vibrating the sample fluid and measuring the resonant frequency of the sample fluid, then estimating the sample fluid density based on this resonant frequency. The measurement module is calibrated specific to dissimilar tube and clamp materials. The tube and the clamp of the densitometer have materials are chosen to be cost-effective based on the specifications of the densitometer system and to have coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) which reduce temperature dependence of the resonant frequency of the sample fluid inside of the densitometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Christopher Wayne Berry, Marcelo Felix Civarolo
  • Patent number: 11561311
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) optical fiber, a DAS interrogator coupled to the DAS optical fiber, and a connector. The connector couples the DAS interrogator, a first digitizer, and a second digitizer, wherein the first digitizer is to generate a first digitized DAS signal based on an analog DAS signal from the DAS interrogator, and the second digitizer is to generate a second digitized DAS signal based on the analog DAS signal. The apparatus also comprises one or more processors and a machine-readable medium having program code executable to cause the apparatus to simultaneously generate a first set of values that correlate with a first physical property based on the first digitized DAS signal and generating a second set of values that correlate with a second physical property based on the second digitized DAS signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Andreas Ellmauthaler
  • Publication number: 20230020858
    Abstract: An active fiber stretcher assembly can be used for data acquisition systems. A time-break signal can be detected that coincides with a seismic event emitted from a seismic controller. A predetermined waveform can be generated in response to detecting the time-break signal. The predetermined waveform may be encoded onto a fiber optic cable using a fiber stretcher. A data acquisition system connected to the fiber optic cable may detect the predetermined waveform on the fiber optic cable and initiate acquisition operations including: receiving, during the seismic event, light signals returning from a portion of the fiber optic cable in a subterranean environment; determining one or more characteristics of the subterranean environment from the light signals; and storing the one or more characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Andreas Ellmauthaler, Henry Clifford Bland, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, Mark Elliott Willis, Xiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11500122
    Abstract: A system can calculate estimated strain data for a fracture in a geological formation at each of a plurality of selected locations detectable by a strain measurement device. The system can receive real strain data from the strain measurement device for the geological formation. The system can perform a linear inversion to determine a probable distribution of fluid volume and hydraulic fracture orientation in the geological formation based on the estimated strain data and real strain data. The system can determine adjustments for a fracturing operation based on the linear inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikko Jaaskelainen, Eric James Davis, Michel Joseph LeBlanc, John Laureto Maida, Jr.