Patents by Inventor Thomas Donovan Welton

Thomas Donovan Welton 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: 10787601
    Abstract: A method may include circulating a breaker fluid into a wellbore having a filtercake on the walls thereon, the filter cake including copolymer formed from at least one acrylamide monomer and at least one sulfonated anionic monomer, the breaker fluid comprising: a base fluid; and a mixture of hydrolysable esters of dicarboxylic acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Shrieve Chemical Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Donovan Welton
  • Publication number: 20190144736
    Abstract: A method may include circulating a breaker fluid into a wellbore having a filtercake on the walls thereon, the filter cake including copolymer formed from at least one acrylamide monomer and at least one sulfonated anionic monomer, the breaker fluid comprising: a base fluid; and a mixture of hydrolysable esters of dicarboxylic acids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Thomas Donovan Welton
  • Patent number: 10214677
    Abstract: A method may include circulating a breaker fluid into a wellbore having a filtercake on the walls thereon, the filter cake including copolymer formed from at least one acrylamide monomer and at least one sulfonated anionic monomer, the breaker fluid comprising: a base fluid; and a mixture of hydrolysable esters of dicarboxylic acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Balakrishnan Panamarathupalayam, Daniel Alvarez, Thomas Donovan Welton
  • Patent number: 10138415
    Abstract: Systems and methods that use far-field diverting agents and proppant pulsing to enhance fracture geometries in far field areas of a subterranean formation are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: introducing into a well bore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation alternating stages of a proppant-carrying fracturing fluid comprising a plurality of proppant particulates, and a clean fracturing fluid comprising a lesser concentration of proppant particulates than the proppant-carrying fracturing fluid, wherein the alternating stages of the proppant-carrying fracturing fluid and the clean fracturing fluid are introduced into the well bore at or above a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation; and introducing a diverting agent into the well bore during one or more of the alternating stages of proppant-carrying fracturing fluid and clean fracturing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason E. Bryant, Thomas Donovan Welton, Ubong Inyang, Jeremy Butler
  • Patent number: 9890316
    Abstract: Embodiments including methods comprising providing a treatment fluid comprising a first aqueous base fluid and a polymeric gelling agent, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a first surface tension; introducing a fluid mobility modifier into the treatment fluid, wherein the fluid mobility modifier comprises: a first surfactant selected from the group consisting of a non-ionic surfactant; a cationic surfactant; and any combination thereof, and a solvent-surfactant blend comprising a second aqueous base fluid, a second surfactant, a solvent, and a co-solvent, wherein the ratio of the first surfactant to the solvent-surfactant blend is in the range of between about 1:5 to about 5:1, wherein the fluid mobility modifier causes the treatment fluid to adopt a second surface tension that is less than the first surface tension; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Donovan Welton, Glenn S. Penny, Jeremy Holtsclaw, Dipti Singh, Melissa C. Weston, Nathan Schultheiss
  • Publication number: 20170362499
    Abstract: An oilwell treatment composition comprising (i) a solubilizing agent wherein the solubilizing agent comprises a saturated compound of the formula: H—(OCaH2a)x(OCbH2b)y—OCcH2c+1 where a and b are each independently 1, 3, or 4; c is 1, 2 or 3; x and y each independently, are numbers ranging from 1 to 5; (ii) a solid acid precursor and (iii) an aqueous fluid wherein the mass ratio of the solubilizing agent to the aqueous solution is within the range of about 1:3 to about 1:5 and the mass ratio of the solubilizing agent to the solid acid precursor is within the range of about 3:1 to about 2:1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas Donovan WELTON
  • Patent number: 9797231
    Abstract: Methods including providing resin double-coated proppant comprising proppant coated with a first resin and thereafter coated with a second resin atop of the first resin; wherein the first resin is curable by a first curing agent and wherein the second resin is curable by a second curing agent that is different than the first curing agent; curing the second resin by exposing it to the second curing agent; introducing the resin double-coated proppant into at least a portion of a fracture within a subterranean formation; breaking the cured second resin to expose the first resin; introducing the first curing agent into the portion of the fracture where the resin double-coated proppant was placed; and curing the first resin by exposing it to the first curing agent to form a proppant pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Donovan Welton, Philip D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9714560
    Abstract: Treatment fluids suitable for use in subterranean operations may include a base fluid; a protected scale inhibitor; and at least one selected from the group consisting of (1) a metal crosslinker and a gelling agent, (2) an amine-based resin curing agent and an epoxy-based composition, and (3) any combination thereof, wherein the protected scale inhibitor is a scale inhibitor with at least one chelating group functionalized with a protecting group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Donovan Welton
  • Publication number: 20170009129
    Abstract: Systems and methods that use far-field diverting agents and proppant pulsing to enhance fracture geometries in far field areas of a subterranean formation are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: introducing into a well bore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation alternating stages of a proppant-carrying fracturing fluid comprising a plurality of proppant particulates, and a clean fracturing fluid comprising a lesser concentration of proppant particulates than the proppant-carrying fracturing fluid, wherein the alternating stages of the proppant-carrying fracturing fluid and the clean fracturing fluid are introduced into the well bore at or above a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation; and introducing a diverting agent into the well bore during one or more of the alternating stages of proppant-carrying fracturing fluid and clean fracturing fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Jason E. Bryant, Thomas Donovan Welton, Ubong Inyang, Jeremy Butler
  • Publication number: 20150068744
    Abstract: Embodiments including methods comprising providing a treatment fluid comprising a first aqueous base fluid and a polymeric gelling agent, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a first surface tension; introducing a fluid mobility modifier into the treatment fluid, wherein the fluid mobility modifier comprises: a first surfactant selected from the group consisting of a non-ionic surfactant; a cationic surfactant; and any combination thereof, and a solvent-surfactant blend comprising a second aqueous base fluid, a second surfactant, a solvent, and a co-solvent, wherein the ratio of the first surfactant to the solvent-surfactant blend is in the range of between about 1:5 to about 5:1, wherein the fluid mobility modifier causes the treatment fluid to adopt a second surface tension that is less than the first surface tension; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Donovan Welton, Glenn S. Penny
  • Publication number: 20140367101
    Abstract: Treatment fluids suitable for use in subterranean operations may include a base fluid; a protected scale inhibitor; and at least one selected from the group consisting of (1) a metal crosslinker and a gelling agent, (2) an amine-based resin curing agent and an epoxy-based composition, and (3) any combination thereof, wherein the protected scale inhibitor is a scale inhibitor with at least one chelating group functionalized with a protecting group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Donovan Welton
  • Publication number: 20140318779
    Abstract: Methods including providing resin double-coated proppant comprising proppant coated with a first resin and thereafter coated with a second resin atop of the first resin; wherein the first resin is curable by a first curing agent and wherein the second resin is curable by a second curing agent that is different than the first curing agent; curing the second resin by exposing it to the second curing agent; introducing the resin double-coated proppant into at least a portion of a fracture within a subterranean formation; breaking the cured second resin to expose the first resin; introducing the first curing agent into the portion of the fracture where the resin double-coated proppant was placed; and curing the first resin by exposing it to the first curing agent to form a proppant pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas Donovan Welton, Philip D. Nguyen