Patents by Inventor William Handy

William Handy 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: 12686746
    Abstract: Highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The highly crosslinked polymer particulate includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The crosslinked polymer granules include a highly crosslinked polymeric material. A characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules is at least 10 micrometers and at most 5 millimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Alan A. Galuska, William Handy, Pavlin B. Entchev, Robert M. Shirley
  • Publication number: 20240254293
    Abstract: Highly crosslinked polymer particulate and methods of manufacturing highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The highly crosslinked polymer particulate includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. Each crosslinked polymer granule includes a highly crosslinked polymeric material and a property-modifying filler. The highly crosslinked polymeric material includes a plurality of polyethylene polymer chains and a plurality of chemical crosslinks. The the plurality of chemical crosslinks includes chemical crosslinks that covalently bond a given polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains to another polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains. The property-modifying filler is configured to modify at least one property of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. A characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules is at least 10 micrometers and at most 5 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Alan A. GALUSKA, Pavlin B. ENTCHEV, William HANDY, Robert M. SHIRLEY
  • Patent number: 11414974
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as a proppant, methods of forming the hydrocarbon wells, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plurality of perforations formed within the downhole tubular and a plurality of fractures formed within the subsurface region. The hydrocarbon wells further include the proppant positioned within the plurality of fractures. The proppant includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and each crosslinked polymer granule has a characteristic dimension of at least 100 micrometers and at most 2 millimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Pavlin B. Entchev, Robert M. Shirley, Alan A. Galuska, William Handy, Dragan Stojkovic
  • Patent number: 11345842
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as lost circulation material and methods of drilling the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region, a drilling rig, a drilling mud supply system, a lost circulation detection structure, and a lost circulation material supply system that includes a lost circulation material. The lost circulation material includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and a characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule is at least 20 micrometers and at most 1 millimeter. Each crosslinked polymer granule contains a highly crosslinked polymeric material that includes a plurality of polyethylene polymer chains. The methods include rotating a drill string to extend a length of a wellbore and, during the rotating, flowing a drilling mud stream. The methods also include detecting a lost circulation event and, responsive to the detecting, providing a lost circulation material to the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Robert M. Shirley, Pavlin B. Entchev, Alan A. Galuska, William Handy
  • Patent number: 11319417
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The methods include positioning a granular polymeric material within a crosslinking apparatus and crosslinking the granular polymeric material with the crosslinking apparatus to form a highly crosslinked polymeric material. The methods also include forming a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules from the highly crosslinked polymeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Alan A. Galuska, Pavlin B. Entchev, William Handy, Robert M. Shirley
  • Publication number: 20210047480
    Abstract: Highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The highly crosslinked polymer particulate includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The crosslinked polymer granules include a highly crosslinked polymeric material. A characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules is at least 10 micrometers and at most 5 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Alan A. Galuska, William Handy, Pavlin B. Entchev, Robert M. Shirley
  • Publication number: 20210047551
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as lost circulation material and methods of drilling the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region, a drilling rig, a drilling mud supply system, a lost circulation detection structure, and a lost circulation material supply system that includes a lost circulation material. The lost circulation material includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and a characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule is at least 20 micrometers and at most 1 millimeter. Each crosslinked polymer granule contains a highly crosslinked polymeric material that includes a plurality of polyethylene polymer chains. The methods include rotating a drill string to extend a length of a wellbore and, during the rotating, flowing a drilling mud stream. The methods also include detecting a lost circulation event and, responsive to the detecting, providing a lost circulation material to the wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Robert M. Shirley, Pavlin B. Entchev, Alan A. Galuska, William Handy
  • Publication number: 20210047482
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The methods include positioning a granular polymeric material within a crosslinking apparatus and crosslinking the granular polymeric material with the crosslinking apparatus to form a highly crosslinked polymeric material. The methods also include forming a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules from the highly crosslinked polymeric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Alan A. Galuska, Pavlin B. Entchev, William Handy, Robert M. Shirley
  • Publication number: 20210047906
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules as a proppant, methods of forming the hydrocarbon wells, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plurality of perforations formed within the downhole tubular and a plurality of fractures formed within the subsurface region. The hydrocarbon wells further include the proppant positioned within the plurality of fractures. The proppant includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules, and each crosslinked polymer granule has a characteristic dimension of at least 100 micrometers and at most 2 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Pavlin B. Entchev, Robert M. Shirley, Alan A. Galuska, William Handy, Dragan Stojkovic
  • Publication number: 20210047483
    Abstract: Highly crosslinked polymer particulate and methods of manufacturing highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The highly crosslinked polymer particulate includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. Each crosslinked polymer granule includes a highly crosslinked polymeric material and a property-modifying filler. The highly crosslinked polymeric material includes a plurality of polyethylene polymer chains and a plurality of chemical crosslinks. The plurality of chemical crosslinks includes chemical crosslinks that covalently bond a given polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains to another polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains. The property-modifying filler is configured to modify at least one property of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. A characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules is at least 10 micrometers and at most 5 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Alan A. Galuska, Pavlin B. Entchev, William Handy, Robert M. Shirley