Patents by Inventor Richard Donald Hutchins

Richard Donald Hutchins 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: 10815414
    Abstract: Methods for treating subterranean wells involve treating fluids that contain water and a plurality of water dispersible nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be nanocellulose, rod-like nanoparticles, nanotubes or halloysite or combinations thereof. The water dispersible nanoparticles form one or more aggregates that plug formation pores and may control fluid flow into the formation as well as fluid flow from the formation into a wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Mohan Kanaka Raju Panga, Valerie Gisele Helene Lafitte, Richard Donald Hutchins, Philippe Enkababian
  • Patent number: 10472555
    Abstract: A method for reducing a permeability of at least one zone in a subterranean formation that includes introducing a treatment fluid to at least one permeable zone in a subterranean formation. The treatment fluid contains a solvent, a crosslinking agent, and a water-soluble polymer that is a copolymer of an acrylamide monomer and an n-vinyl amide monomer, or a terpolymer of an acrylamide monomer, an n-vinyl amide monomer, and an acrylic-acid based monomer. The treatment fluid is then allowed to crosslink and form a gel in the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Donald Hutchins, Syed Afaq Ali
  • Publication number: 20190106616
    Abstract: A method for reducing a permeability of at least one zone in a subterranean formation that includes introducing a treatment fluid to at least one permeable zone in a subterranean formation. The treatment fluid contains a solvent, a crosslinking agent, and a water-soluble polymer that is a copolymer of an acrylamide monomer and an n-vinyl amide monomer, or a terpolymer of an acrylamide monomer, an n-vinyl amide monomer, and an acrylic-acid based monomer. The treatment fluid is then allowed to crosslink and form a gel in the zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Richard Donald HUTCHINS, Syed Afaq ALI
  • Patent number: 10214681
    Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation including combining an aqueous fluid, a biomaterial, an enzyme, and a deactivator to form a treatment fluid; and introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. A method is also disclosed for treating a subterranean formation by preparing a treatment fluid containing an aqueous fluid that contains bacterial and/or fungal cells that produce an enzyme that degrades the biomaterial, a biomaterial, and a deactivator; controlling degradation of the biomaterial by adding an effective amount of the deactivator to the aqueous fluid prior to the preparation of the treatment fluid; and introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. In the methods, the enzyme degrades the biomaterial and the deactivator is an oxygen-containing arene capable of inhibiting the enzyme from degrading the biomaterial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wingki Lee, Sergey Makarychev-Mikhailov, Richard Donald Hutchins, Camille Meza
  • Publication number: 20180163122
    Abstract: Methods for treating subterranean wells involve treating fluids that contain water and a plurality of water dispersible nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be nanocellulose, rod-like nanoparticles, nanotubes or halloysite or combinations thereof. The water dispersible nanoparticles form one or more aggregates that plug formation pores and may control fluid flow into the formation as well as fluid flow from the formation into a wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Mohan Kanaka Raju PANGA, Valerie Gisele Helene LAFITTE, Richard Donald HUTCHINS, Philippe ENKABABIAN
  • Publication number: 20170349818
    Abstract: A well treatment fluid is disclosed containing water, a crosslinkable component, a crosslinker; and an enzyme breaker containing a cellulase enzyme, the well treatment fluid having a total dissolved solids content of at least about 75,000 mg/L up to about 250,000 mg/L. A method of treating a subterranean formation is also disclosed including placing the well treatment fluid in the subterranean formation. It is also disclosed that the well treatment fluid can be a combination of a first fluid including water, the crosslinkable component, the crosslinker, and the enzyme breaker, and having a total dissolved content A with formation water having a total dissolved content B which is higher than the total dissolved content A of the first fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Andrey Mirakyan, Camille Meza, Richard Donald Hutchins
  • Publication number: 20170158505
    Abstract: An aqueous solution includes HCl present in an amount exceeding 37% by weight. The solution further includes a fixing agent that is urea and/or a urea derivative. The fixing agent is present in the solution in a molar ratio of between 0.25 and 2.0 of fixing agent to HCl, inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Li Jiang, Bruno Lecerf, Timothy G. J. Jones, Richard Donald Hutchins, Murtaza Ziauddin, Andrey Mirakyan, Jian He, Chad Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20160289544
    Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation including combining an aqueous fluid, a biomaterial, an enzyme, and a deactivator to form a treatment fluid; and introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. A method is also disclosed for treating a subterranean formation by preparing a treatment fluid containing an aqueous fluid that contains bacterial and/or fungal cells that produce an enzyme that degrades the biomaterial, a biomaterial, and a deactivator; controlling degradation of the biomaterial by adding an effective amount of the deactivator to the aqueous fluid prior to the preparation of the treatment fluid; and introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation. In the methods, the enzyme degrades the biomaterial and the deactivator is an oxygen-containing arene capable of inhibiting the enzyme from degrading the biomaterial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Wingki Lee, Sergey Makarychev-Mikhailov, Richard Donald Hutchins, Camille Meza
  • Publication number: 20160017216
    Abstract: The invention provides a method made of steps of injecting into a wellbore, a composition comprising a solvent, a surfactant, a foaming gas, a foam enhancer, a crosslinkable polymer, and a crosslinking agent capable of crosslinking the polymer, wherein the foam enhancer increases the foam half-life of the gel composition compared to the gel composition without the foam enhancer; and allowing viscosity of the composition to increase and form a gel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Emilio Jose Miquilena, Roberto Arangath, Arthur Milne, Pedro Saldungaray, Richard Donald Hutchins, Syed A. Ali, Baudel William Quintero, Leiming Li
  • Patent number: 9103202
    Abstract: The invention provides a method made of steps of injecting into a wellbore, a composition comprising a solvent, a surfactant, a foaming gas, a foam enhancer, a crosslinkable polymer, and a crosslinking agent capable of crosslinking the polymer, wherein the foam enhancer increases the foam half-life of the gel composition compared to the gel composition without the foam enhancer; and allowing viscosity of the composition to increase and form a gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Emilio Jose Miquilena, Roberto Arangath, Arthur Milne, Pedro Saldungaray, Richard Donald Hutchins, Syed A. Ali, Baudel William Quintero, Leiming Li
  • Publication number: 20150053402
    Abstract: Methods of treating a subterranean formation are disclosed that include contacting a paste including a liquid chemical and a lightweight fiber having a high aspect ratio with a treatment fluid, and placing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation. Also disclosed is an additive for treating a subterranean formation comprising a paste including a liquid chemical and a lightweight fiber having a high aspect ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: William Troy Huey, Avinash Ramesh, Zinaida Usova, Dean Michael Willberg, Philip F. Sullivan, Richard Donald Hutchins