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.

Abstract: An actuator that may be used in a wellbore to change the state of a downhole tool. The actuator has an operator that is axially movable in response to changes in tubing pressure. The actuator includes a hydraulic circuit that creates a temporary reference pressure against which the tubing pressure indexes the operator.

Abstract: A method for determining a status of a drill string in a wellbore. The method can include obtaining pressure data and hook load data for the drill string. The pressure data can be filtered to obtain pressure sections. A low pressure threshold can be determined based upon the pressure sections. The hook load data can be filtered to obtain hook load sections. Hook load baselines can be determined based upon the hook load sections. Dynamic thresholds can be determined based upon the hook load baselines. An in-slips status of the drill string can be determined based upon the low pressure threshold, the dynamic thresholds, or both.

Abstract: Mixtures of fibers and solid particles are effective for curing fluid losses and lost circulation in a subterranean well. Stiff fibers are more effective than flexible ones; however, mixtures of stiff and flexible fibers have a synergistic effect. The quantity and particle-size distribution of the solids are optimized according to the stiffness, dimensions and concentrations of fibers.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor system includes a coherent-detection optical time domain reflectometry system to extract phase information from optical signals returned from a fiber optic sensor arrangement in response to a plurality of interrogating pulses. The system includes a frequency-shifting circuit to repeatedly translate the frequency of an optical pulse generated by a narrowband source to generate a train of interrogating pulses of multiple frequencies. The optical signals returned from the sensor arrangement in response to the pulse train is mixed on a photodetector with light from the narrowband source that has not been shifted to generate mixed output signals. The mixed output signals are filtered into frequency bands, and the phase for each frequency band is extracted.

Abstract: Methods for the determination of the Total Gas in Place (TGiP) in gas-bearing formations are provided. Aspects of the subject disclosure also relate to the determination of the TGiP from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs alone or in combination other well logs.

Abstract: Slowness dispersion characteristics of multiple possibly interfering signals in broadband acoustic waves as received by an array of two or more sensors are extracted without using a physical model. The problem of dispersion extraction is mapped to the problem of reconstructing signals having a sparse representation in an appropriately chosen over-complete dictionary of basis elements. A sparsity penalized signal reconstruction algorithm is described where the sparsity constraints are implemented by imposing a l1 norm type penalty. The candidate modes that are extracted are consolidated by means of a clustering algorithm to extract phase and group slowness estimates at a number of frequencies which are then used to reconstruct the desired dispersion curves. These estimates can be further refined by building time domain propagators when signals are known to be time compact, such as by using the continuous wavelet transform.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a chemical seal ring composition that includes polyacrylamide crosslinked with a non-metallic crosslinker such as polylactam. Also, described in a method of forming a chemical seal ring from the chemical seal ring composition.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a subterranean formation traversed by a wellbore includes generating a reservoir model using data collected from the formation, generating a perturbation object comprising a perturbation of the wellbore, integrating the perturbation object with the reservoir model, and forming a geological model wherein the perturbation object is integrated in the reservoir model.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a standoff between a downhole tool and a geological formation are provided. The standoff may be determined using a standoff measurement system that includes an electrode component, one or more electronics components, one or more transformers, and one or more processor units. When the standoff is expected to be no more than a first distance, a first measurement can be made where both originating and resulting electrical signals are induced at the electrode component. When the standoff is expected to be no less than a second distance, a second measurement can be made where an originating electrical signal is induced at one of the transformers while a resulting electrical signal is induced at the electrode component.

Abstract: An electronic assembly for use in a downhole module may include a multilayer ceramic assembly and an electronic component disposed on the multilayer ceramic assembly. The multilayer ceramic assembly includes a ceramic substrate, a nickel plating layer disposed on the ceramic substrate and a gold plating layer having a thickness of less than about 0.5 microns disposed on the nickel plating layer. A wirebond such as an aluminum wirebond extends between the electronic component and the gold plating layer.

Abstract: A method of pumping an oilfield fluid from a well surface to a wellbore is provided that includes providing a clean stream; operating one or more clean pumps to pump the clean stream from the well surface to the wellbore; providing a dirty stream including a solid material disposed in a fluid carrier; and operating one or more dirty pumps to pump the dirty stream from the well surface to the wellbore, wherein the clean stream and the dirty stream together form said oilfield fluid.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for limiting the probability of failure on demand of a subsea test tree (“SSTT”) includes the steps of providing a safety shut-in system for actuating a safety valve of the SSTT, the safety shut-in system including a surface control station positioned above a water surface connected via an umbilical to a subsea control system positioned below the water surface to actuate the safety valve; and diagnostically testing the safety shut-in system without actuating the safety valve.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sampling while drilling tool includes a drill collar having a first end, a second end, an outer wall extending between the first and second ends, and at least one opening extending through the outer wall to a cavity within the drill collar. The sampling while drilling tool also includes a sample chamber positionable in the cavity through the opening in the outer wall and a passage for conducting a drilling fluid through the drill collar.

Abstract: A calibration assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, a calibration assembly calibrating a downhole formation evaluation tool includes a calibration base having a first geometry, a calibration insert including a first material and having a second geometry, and a second material having a third geometry and being different from the first material. The second geometry enables the calibration insert to receive the second material to form a first composite region, wherein the first and second materials and the second and third geometries are selected such that a calibration property of the calibration assembly apparatus substantially matches a corresponding calibration property of a third material. Additional apparatuses, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A chopper mechanism for providing a fiber to a fluid at an oilfield. The chopper mechanism may be employed to process the fiber from an uncut form to a cut form in order to provide a mixture of the fluid and the fiber with flowback inhibiting character. Techniques of employing the chopper mechanism may be utilized at the site of an oilfield for applications such as fracturing, cementing, and drilling. Additionally, the chopper mechanism itself may be made available as a large high capacity chopper assembly, or a smaller handheld chopper gun for slower rate fiber supply operations.

Abstract: A downhole tool is described. The downhole tool includes a work device and an electronics packaging connected to the work device. The electronics packaging comprises a housing, a substrate, at least one first type component, and at least one second type component. The housing defines a void. The substrate is positioned within the void of the housing and forms a first cavity and a second cavity relative to the housing. The first cavity and the second cavity are isolated to form separate atmospheric chambers. The at least one first type component is disposed in the first cavity and connected to the substrate. The at least one second type component is disposed in the second cavity and connected to the substrate. The at least one first type component is different from the at least one second type component.

Abstract: Real-time visualization of well data is provided on a customized user interface. A visualization module server stores a plurality of visualization modules, each of which is configured to graphically display elements of the well data based on aggregated data in a set of data aggregation servers. One or more advanced user computers are each configured to compose viewers including one or more of the visualization modules, and a viewer server stores the viewers composed on the one or more advanced user computers. Each viewer is configured to graphically display well data in real-time specific to a data context of the one or more well sites, e.g., on one or more end user computers that are each configured to access one or more of the composed viewers on the viewer server.

Abstract: A method for determining a dip of a geological structure in a subterranean formation, involves generating, using a 3D resistivity analyzer, a first intermediate result describing the dip of the geological structure based on 3D resistivity data collected from a borehole penetrating the subterranean formation. The method further involves generating, using a borehole image analyzer, a second intermediate result describing the dip of the geological structure based on a borehole image collected from the borehole. The method further involves generating, by a computer processor combining the first intermediate result and the second intermediate result based on a pre-determined criterion, an integrated result describing the dip of the geological structure.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for treating a zone in a well is disclosed. A tube that is permeable to a material is inserted into a wellbore, creating an annulus inside the wellbore. Two zones—the annular region and the formation surrounding the wellbore—may be treated. The method comprises the following steps. (1) A setting section surrounded by a sleeve is placed inside the tube near the zone to treat, the sleeve being expandable and impermeable to the material. (2) The sleeve is inflated inside the tube near the zone to treat, ensuring that a first zone of the tube is impermeable to the material, but leaving a second zone permeable to the material. (3) A treatment fluid is pumped to the zone to treat, the treatment fluid passing into the annulus via the second zone. (4) The zone to treat is treated with the treatment fluid.