Patents by Inventor Tom Heinz
Tom Heinz 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).
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Patent number: 7745380Abstract: A method of treating a wellbore that includes circulating a wellbore fluid in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore fluid comprises an oleaginous base fluid and a wellbore additive colloidal solid material, and wherein the wellbore additive colloidal solid material is formed by grinding a solid particulate material and a polymeric dispersing agent for a sufficient time so that the polymeric dispersing agent is absorbed to the surface of the resulting colloidal solid particles and less than 10% of the resulting colloidal solid particles have a diameter greater than 10 microns, but not more than five percent of the particles are less than 0.2 micron in diameter, wherein the grinding is carried out in the presence of an oleaginous base fluid and wherein the grinding is carried out so that the wellbore additive colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter d50 less than 2.0 microns.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew J. Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M. Reid, Tom Heinz
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Composition of base fluid and polymeric dispersing agent-absorbed polymer-coated colloidal particles
Patent number: 7727939Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2004Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew J Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M Reid, Tom Heinz -
Patent number: 7589049Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2005Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew J. Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M. Reid, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20090124521Abstract: A method of treating a wellbore that includes circulating a wellbore fluid in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore fluid comprises an oleaginous base fluid and a wellbore additive colloidal solid material, and wherein the wellbore additive colloidal solid material is formed by grinding a solid particulate material and a polymeric dispersing agent for a sufficient time so that the polymeric dispersing agent is absorbed to the surface of the resulting colloidal solid particles and less than 10% of the resulting colloidal solid particles have a diameter greater than 10 microns, but not more than five percent of the particles are less than 0.2 micron in diameter, wherein the grinding is carried out in the presence of an oleaginous base fluid and wherein the grinding is carried out so that the wellbore additive colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter d50 less than 2.0 microns.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2009Publication date: May 14, 2009Applicant: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew J. Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M. Reid, Tom Heinz
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Patent number: 7449431Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the comminution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.68 and preferably the solid particulate material may be selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate, combinations and mixtures of these-and other similar solids.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2004Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew J Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M Reid, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20060188651Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2005Publication date: August 24, 2006Inventors: Andrew Bradbury, Christopher Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William Reid, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20050101493Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2004Publication date: May 12, 2005Applicant: M-I L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew Bradbury, Christopher Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William Reid, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20050101492Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2004Publication date: May 12, 2005Applicant: M-I-L.L.C.Inventors: Andrew Bradbury, Christopher Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William Reid, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20030203822Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2002Publication date: October 30, 2003Inventors: Andrew J. Bradbury, Christopher A. Sawdon, Sonny Clary, William M. Reid, Tom Heinz
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Patent number: 6517502Abstract: An orthotic device includes a pair of panel members and a mechanical advantage device that bridges the pair of panel members together to form a belt with two free end portions detachably connectable to each other. The mechanical advantage device has a drawstring element that causes the mechanical advantage device to move from an expanded state wherein the bridged end portions are disposed apart from one another to a contracted state wherein the respective bridged end portions are drawn towards each other. Methods are also described. One method includes the steps of donning the orthotic device about the patient's chest, connecting the free end portions of the orthotic device together with the mechanical advantage device in the expanded state, and pulling the drawstring element a selected distance to move the mechanical advantage device from the expanded state to the contracted state for a desired level of tightening.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2001Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Biocybernetics InternationalInventors: Arnold M. Heyman, Tom Heinz
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Publication number: 20010034498Abstract: An orthotic device includes a pair of panel members and a mechanical advantage device that bridges the pair of panel members together to form a belt with two free end portions detachably connectable to each other. The mechanical advantage device has a drawstring element that causes the mechanical advantage device to move from an expanded state wherein the bridged end portions are disposed apart from one another to a contracted state wherein the respective bridged end portions are drawn towards each other. Methods are also described. One method includes the steps of donning the orthotic device about the patient's chest, connecting the free end portions of the orthotic device together with the mechanical advantage device in the expanded state, and pulling the drawstring element a selected distance to move the mechanical advantage device from the expanded state to the contracted state for a desired level of tightening.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2001Publication date: October 25, 2001Inventors: Arnold M. Heyman, Tom Heinz