| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090032237 | Shape Memory Alloy Closure Spring for Subsurface Safety Valves Triggered by Well Fluids - A shape memory material is used for a power spring in a subsurface safety valve. The spring is sized for the force it will deliver when it goes past its transition temperature and reverts to an original shape. The force released by having the spring pass its transition temperature holds the valve closed against hydrostatic pressure. Since the force exerted by the spring does not increase as the valve opens less force is required to hold the valve in the open position, thus lowering opening pressure. The trigger to cross the transition temperature comes from the expected temperature of well fluids at the mounting position of the subsurface safety valve. Other downhole applications are anticipated. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090032238 | Flapper Operating System Without a Flow Tube - A subsurface safety valve features no flow tube to operate the flapper and optionally an equalizing valve in the flapper, if used. It relies on magnetic force that is selectively created to draw the flapper to the open position. A torsion spring can close the valve when the field is removed. Optionally, the fields can be set up to pull and push the flapper open or to do either one. The optional equalizer valve can also be operated by a force field, preferably magnetic. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090057014 | Method of using a Drill In Sand Control Liner - A liner rotates a bit to make more hole. The liner has openings with inserts in them to lend torque resistance to the liner. The inserts have a passage with a send control media in the passage and a seal so that the liner can hold pressure for run in to get proper circulation through the bit. When sufficient hole is made, the liner is hung off an existing cemented tubular and the seal for the passages with the sand control media is removed by a variety of techniques so that the formation can be produced in a single trip. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090188662 | Pressure Balanced Piston for Subsurface Safety Valves - A control system for a subsurface safety valve references the surrounding annulus to put the operating piston in pressure balance. Depending on the configuration and which seal in the system fails, the various embodiments can differ in their failure modes. With the lower end of the piston exposed to annulus pressure all failure modes close the flapper. With the lower end of the piston exposed to tubing pressure, failure of any of the seals except one will result in flapper closure. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090255667 | Crossover Sub with Erosion Resistant Inserts - A crossover tool that resists the erosive forces of high velocity slurry streams of gravel in downhole fracturing and gravel packing operations employs hardened inserts that protect the inside face of the housing as well as the openings through the crossover housing wall. The inserts have an extending portion that goes through housing openings preferably to the outer surface of the housing. The inserts also have inboard flanged surfaces that preferably abut or overlap to give preferably full inner wall protection to the housing from the flow of abrasive slurry. The inserts can be secured to each other or to the interior of the housing to hold them firmly in place. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090277629 | Acoustic and Fiber Optic Network for Use in Laterals Downhole - Communication between a lateral and a main bore is established wirelessly preferably using sensors that transmit sensed parameters in the lateral and transmit acoustically coded messages to the main bore preferably into a fiber optic cable that extends in the main bore. The sensors have stored or/and generated power and communicate from their location to the fiber optic cable in the main bore either directly or indirectly using a network of sensors to relay the information along the lateral to the fiber optic. A surface processor can then associate the data from specific sensors and alternatively communicate with certain sensors to start or stop transmitting data. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20100011559 | Retrofit Seals and Method for Placement in an Existing Groove - A seal is retrofit to an existing seal groove and made whole after being positioned in the groove. It can be an initial coil shape to allow it to slip over a shaft to get to the groove or it can be in a plurality of sections that are joined in place. The sections can be abutting or overlapping and are preferably coated with a brazing material that will ultimately join such ends. The ends can then have a nano-engineered coating that comprises alternating layers of aluminum and nickel that when initiated with applied heat becomes reactive exothermically to join the ends using the brazing material. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100025035 | Swelling Delay Cover for a Packer - A swelling packer is covered with a material that is preferably in a tubular form and slipped over the swelling element to be shrink fit with applied heat. The material is formulated to break down at temperatures slightly below the expected downhole temperatures so that ideally the packer has about 48 hours of swelling delay which is normally a time period long enough to allow it to be properly located without it swelling so much as to cause it to be damaged by running in. Various polymers can be used to make an imperious covering for run in that on the way starts to break down. Ideally the material for the cover disappears about the time of sealing or shortly thereafter. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100025049 | SWELLING DELAY COVER FOR A PACKER - A swelling packer is covered with a material that is preferably in a tubular form and slipped over the swelling element to be shrink fit with applied heat. The material is formulated to break down at temperatures slightly below the expected downhole temperatures so that ideally the packer has about 48 hours of swelling delay which is normally a time period long enough to allow it to be properly located without it swelling so much as to cause it to be damaged by running in. Various polymers can be used to make an imperious covering for run in that on the way starts to break down. Ideally the material for the cover disappears about the time of sealing or shortly thereafter. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100088895 | Cylindrical Spring Fabricated by Compressive Force - A spring for use in downhole tools delivers a high force over a long deflection in a relatively uniform fashion. The spring is a tubular shape that is preferably metallic and is preferably plastically deformed into an undulating walled tube either before assembly into a downhole tool or downhole after assembly to the downhole tool. Alternatively the shape can be machined. Spacer rings are used inside and outside the tube as it is compressed to obtain the desired corrugated wall pattern and to prevent localized buckling that can cause wall failure. The spring can conduct pressurized fluids and be rotationally locked to transmit torque and to facilitate milling out. Some machining internally and/or externally can assist in forming the desired corrugated wall shape. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100108312 | Method of Using a Charged Chamber Pressure Transmitter for Subterranean Tools - A sensor and transmitter is employed with a pressurized chamber of a downhole tool to be able to tell at a glance when the tool is delivered for service that it is properly charged. The sensor and transmitter can be integrated within the tool so as to be protected from damage during run in. While in service the sensor and transmitter can monitor pressure in real time and include a capability to send surface signals for real time monitoring of chamber pressures corrected for the service depth, temperature and density of the hydraulic fluid, for example. The signal can be acoustic through the control line or the annulus or delivered through a fiber optic cable or signal wire run in the hydraulic control line, an auxiliary line or through the annulus. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100126712 | Tubing Weight Operation for a Downhole Tool - A downhole tool has housing components that are relatively movable. One of the components is supported downhole while a control line provides fluid pressure to move the other housing component relative to the supported component to put the tool in a first position. Loss of control line pressure allows the weight of tubulars bearing on the upper housing or rods to move it to put the tool in another position. The tubing weight overcomes the hydrostatic pressure in the control line even when there is no applied pressure in the control line to cause relative housing or rods movement to operate a tool. In that sense the tool can be fail safe to shut off flow, for example, on loss of control line pressure while reducing or elimination the need for a large return spring to offset hydrostatic pressure. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100224359 | Subterranean Screen with Varying Resistance to Flow - A screen section is made with variable resistance to flow in the screen material to balance the flow along the screen length. In one variation different discrete zones have screens configured for different percentages of open area while all have the same particle filtration capability. In another variation discrete portions have differing amounts of overlapping screen portions so as to balance flow without affecting the particle size screened. The cross-sectional shape of a wire wrap underlayment for the screen is made closer to trapezoidal to decrease the angle of opening for the incoming flow paths toward the base pipe. In this manner flow resistance is reduced and flow is increased due to reduced turbulence. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100288491 | Subterranean Tubular Cutter with Depth of Cut Feature - A tubular cutter that cuts with extendable and rotating blades has its depth of cut limited upon getting through the tubular to be cut. In a preferred embodiment, the tubular has a loosely mounted member exterior thereto to be engaged by the rotating cutters. When such engagement happens the effect is that the loosely mounted member serves as a cover to the cutters to prevent them from cutting other structures beyond the tubular to be cut. The loosely mounted member is grabbed by the rotating blades for tandem rotation this preventing further cutting action. The load on the mill drops noticeably so that surface personnel have a signal to stop hydraulic pressure to the drive mechanism to allow the blades to retract and the cutter to be removed. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100294477 | Auxiliary Conduit Cutting Apparatus - A cutting assembly for external conduits on a tubing string features a breakaway in the string that can be severed with a tensile force. Preferably each external conduit is run through a cutter housing. Upon severing of the string and applying a pickup force, a tension is applied to each external conduit since the severing of the string happens above all the cutter housings. Each housing cuts at least one conduit and the upper portion of the string brings with it the upper portion of the external conduit while the lower portions of each cut external conduit are retained in the cutter housings that remain downhole below the breakaway. In that manner there are no loose external conduit ends to interfere with and/or disturb subsequent fishing or other wellbore operations. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100307748 | Control Line Patch - A control or other line with a hole downhole can be repaired by pumping a device that is driven by pressure delivered behind a leading seal. The device advances until the leading seal passes the opening in the line where its forward movement is stopped. Upstream of the opening a fluid activated seal is energized so that seals now straddle the opening in the wall. A passage that extends between the seals is opened by blowing a rupture disc with internal pressure to once again give access to the downhole tool through the passage that has external seals to straddle the hole in the tubing wall. Normal operation of the downhole tool can then resume. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20110005763 | Subterranean Valve Operated by String Relative Movement - A valve is mounted to a tubular string and has an actuation assembly that is isolated from well fluids. The valve member can be a ball that rotates on a pivot and is actuated by relative rotation of string components that straddle the ball. Rotation of one string component is linked to the closure ball by an external slanted slot with an operating ball that rides in it and connects the rotating string component to the closure ball. Travel stops limit the desired rotation of the closure ball in opposed directions. The closure ball can alternatively be rotated by relative longitudinal string component movement that is converted to relative rotation such as through the use of a j-slot mechanism. Internal seals isolate the slanted slot and operating ball from well fluids. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110303862 | Pressure Energized Spring Seal - A metallic seal for a 90° valve features a generally rectangular shape in section that defines a chamber open to internal pressure that can enlarge the chamber to enhance the sealing effect. Sealing occurs at discrete locations at portions of the seal that are preferably rounded in shape. Overlapping ends that define the entrance to the chamber also are positioned to minimize excessive deflection and resulting plastic deformation that could close off the entrance to the chamber. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110315226 | Telescoping Conduits With Shape Memory Foam as a Plug and Sand Control Feature - A string with a plurality of telescoping members has the telescoping members initially sealed preferably with a shape memory foam so that the foam is initially impervious when run into a subterranean location. Then, after extension of the telescoping members, using pressure in the string, the foam gets above its transition temperature and grows axially in a passage of the telescoping members, to the point of becoming porous so that it can serve as a sand control or other debris exclusion device. Plates with openings can be deployed at opposed ends to maintain the assembly in position when subjected to differential pressure as flow goes through the foam. Alternative materials are envisioned. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120000648 | Shape Memory Cement Annulus Gas Migration Prevention Apparatus - The annular space around a tubular string has a shape memory material that is in a low profile configuration for run in. After the desired position is obtained and the annulus has cement delivered to fill the annular space, the shape memory device is triggered to revert to an original shape that spans the annulus to seal the tubular and the wellbore sides of the annular space against gas migration through the cement. The structures can have varying run in shapes and can also have original shapes that when the material is triggered will act to displace cement to enhance its compaction on the tubular or the wellbore wall. Combinations of shape memory alloys and polymers are also contemplated to enhance the seal against gas migration. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120061073 | Debris Chamber with Helical Flow Path for Enhanced Subterranean Debris Removal - A subterranean debris catcher swirls the incoming debris laden stream by putting grooves or spiral projections on the inside of the inlet pipe. In some embodiments the solids come out of openings in the side of the inlet pipe and in others the solids can exit near the top either directly into the enclosed solids holding volume as the liquid exits straight out or the solids can be discharged out the end of the inlet pipe into the bigger open space defined by the housing. In the latter case the inside housing wall can have a screen or vanes that slow down the solid particles as the fluid continues to a housing exit and eventually to an exit screen before being discharged to either go to the surface or recirculate back along the outside of the tool to the inlet pipe while picking up additional debris. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120151707 | Vacuum Debris Removal with Articulated Pickup and Visual Capability - A debris removal tool has a lower end pickup hose into which debris laden fluid is pulled when there is circulation through the debris removal tool from the surface. An anchor near the open end of the hose stabilizes the lower end near a recess or groove from which debris is to be removed. Once the anchor is set the hose can be extended or retracted as well as rotated on its axis to pick up debris. A camera can be located in or near the hose opening to be able to see where the debris is located and for confirmation that the debris is being removed and that the debris has fully been removed. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120175845 | Shape Memory Material Packer for Subterranean Use - A shape memory polymer is initially fabricated to a size where its peripheral dimension will be at least as large as the borehole wall in which it is to be deployed. After the initial manufacturing the material temperature is elevated above the transition temperature and the material is stretched on a mandrel to retain its inside dimension as its outside dimension is reduced to size that will allow running the seal to a desired subterranean location without failing the material during the stretching. The material is allowed to cool below the transition temperature to hold the new shape. The material on the mandrel is then secured to a tubular string and delivered to the desired location. Wellbore fluid at given temperature raises the material again above the transition temperature, which causes the material to revert to its originally manufactured shape. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120298351 | Fracturing Nozzle Assembly with Cyclic Stress Capability - A fracturing jet nozzle assembly features a series of angles nozzles on a rotatably mounted plate that operates in conjunction with a central nozzle or nozzles. The slanted nozzles are aimed into the perforation where the central nozzle is aimed directly so that the rotation of the nozzle plate from the slanted nozzles results in cyclic impacts in the perforation from where the fractures will propagate. The cyclic loading results in greater fracture formation and propagation. In another variation, relatively movable plates employing slanted nozzles rotate one plate with respect to another to get the effect of cyclic pulses of jetting fluid impingement in the perforation to enhance formation and propagation of fractures from the perforation. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20130000914 | Through Tubing Expandable Frac Sleeve with Removable Barrier - Thin wall sleeves are inserted into a well and expanded into sealing position to a surrounding tubular. Each sleeve has a ball seat. A zone is perforated after a sleeve is secured in position below the perforations. The ball is dropped onto the seat and pressure is built up to complete the fracturing. After all zones are perforated and fractured, the balls are removed, preferably by dissolving them and the thin walled sleeves are left in the tubular against which they have been expanded. Production can then begin from a selected zone. The objects can be of the same size for each sleeve. The sleeves can be run through tubing and into casing. Acid can be pumped to dissolve the objects. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130020092 | Remote Manipulation and Control of Subterranean Tools - A subterranean tool that is self contained for actuation can be run into a desired location on an automatic set mode controlled by a timer. If a problem develops in getting the tool to the desired location in time a magnetic field created by permanent or electro-magnets can be brought to bear on the tool to stop the timer before the tool actuates. Once the tool is subsequently positioned at the desired location another magnetic field can be brought to bear near the tool to set it. Alternatively, the tool can be run to the desired location without activation with the timer and then the magnetic field can be brought to the tool to set it. The magnetic field can be lowered to the tool with wireline or can be dropped or pumped past the tool to actuate the tool. Optionally the field can be generated from within an object that ultimately lands on a seat to provide a backup way to set the tool using tubing pressure. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130043021 | Subterranean Vibrator with Lateral Vibration Feature - A vibratory tool for use in a tubular string to prevent sticking or to release a stuck string features a fluid operated dart valve working in conjunction with an impact sleeve to deliver continuous axial jarring blows in opposed directions as long as flow is maintained. Movement of one of those components axially in opposed directions opens and closes access to opposed lateral ports so that a lateral vibration is also established as flow cyclically occurs and stops sequentially at opposed lateral outlets. | 02-21-2013 |
| 20130228327 | Debris Catcher for Retrievable Barrier - A basket is attached below a retrievable bridge plug used during the pressure testing of a well to verify integrity prior to fracturing operations. After the pressure integrity test above the plug, the plug is released and retrieved and a series of balls of increasing diameter are dropped on increasingly larger ball seats to allow shifting sleeves to an open position from the heel of the well toward the surface to sequentially frac in that direction. If any segments of the sealing element break off they are captured and removed in the basket that has flow through opening small enough to retain the debris and allow flow through the basket during removal. The basket is slotted for through fluid flow and can have a breakaway for the support rod if the basket sticks when the plug is removed. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130248252 | Reaming Shoe for Increased Borehole Clearance - An articulated reaming tool is provided in casing or liner drilling on or through the tubular wall with the articulation occurring from within the tubular. Outer limit travel stops are contemplated to optionally be used to retain the elements or blades to the tubular. In the case of liner drilling the drill string has an exterior protrusion to engage the movable components that ream and extend them to increase the clearance for the tubular as the tubular advances when more hole is made. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20140014320 | Debris Chamber with Helical Flow Path for Enhanced Subterranean Debris Removal - A subterranean debris catcher swirls the incoming debris laden stream by putting grooves or spiral projections on the inside of the inlet pipe. In some embodiments the solids come out of openings in the side of the inlet pipe and in others the solids can exit near the top either directly into the enclosed solids holding volume as the liquid exits straight out or the solids can be discharged out the end of the inlet pipe into the bigger open space defined by the housing. In the latter case the inside housing wall can have a screen or vanes that slow down the solid particles as the fluid continues to a housing exit and eventually to an exit screen before being discharged to either go to the surface or recirculate back along the outside of the tool to the inlet pipe while picking up additional debris. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140048251 | Removable Fracturing Plug of Particulate Material Housed in a Sheath Set by Expansion of a Passage through the Sheath - The removable plug features a solid material that is housed in a porous container that has its shape changed to transition from the run in shape to the set shape. A swage is moved through a passage in the container to enlarge the passage and move the container to a borehole wall. The passage is then closed such as with a flapper valve or by moving in a mandrel into the expanded passage and lodging the mandrel in the expanded passage. Various release techniques are described. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140048252 | Removable Fracturing Plug of Particulate Material Housed in a Sheath Set by Relative End Movement of the Sheath - The removable plug features a solid material that is housed in a porous container that has its shape changed to transition from the run in shape to the set shape. A running string and setting tool that creates relative movement deliver the plug and pull on its lower end while holding the top stationary against a backing plate. The container is pulled into itself as the radial dimension grows for the set. There can be a mandrel that remains in position and can lock to the backing plate or alternatively there can be no mandrel or a removable mandrel. The porous container can be removed in a variety of ways to let the solid material escape to be removed with fluid circulating in the wellbore. Alternatively the mandrel can be undermined to let the solid material escape for recovery. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140131953 | Self-energized Seal or Centralizer and Associated Setting and Retraction Mechanism - A self energizing structure can function as a centralizer or as a seal when allowed to spring out after a retainer is moved away from an overlying position for run in to protect the structure. Segments extend from a common base ring and are radially offset during run in. Alternating segments have landing surfaces on opposed ends such that on release of the structure the intervening segments land on such surfaces to form a cohesive single layer with all segments circumferentially aligned and against a surrounding tubular or the borehole wall. The structure is held retracted with a bi-directionally movable sleeve operable in a variety of ways from the surface. Internally the sleeve has splines to push the segments with the landing surfaces back so that the structure can collapse back into the sleeve for removal. Structures can be stacked and used as centralizers with alternating segments removed. | 05-15-2014 |
| 20140138969 | Fishing Guide for Directing a Skewed Fish in a Wellbore - A guide has an open end and a finger structure preferably of a shape memory alloy. The guide is run in small-diameter configuration through a restriction with a fishing tool, such as an overshot, above it. Once through the restriction, power to heaters on the fingers takes the material past its transition temperature to allow the guide lower end to fan out and surround a skewed fish that is in a slanted position and leaning on a wall of a surrounding tubular that has a larger dimension than the restriction. The bottomhole assembly is then advanced until the fish is captured by the fishing tool and pulled out of the hole. The fingers are forcibly retracted as the assembly is pulled back through the restriction. The guide can use retained fingers with an outward bias to flare out after passing through a restriction, thus acting as a fish guide. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140158362 | Flapper Equalizer with Integral Spring - A flapper equalizer plunger embodies a unitary coiled spring that is compressed by the flow tube to shift the plunger to equalize pressure across the flapper before the flow tube tries to move the flapper. The hydraulic control system then need only to overcome the force of a flapper pivot spring to swing the flapper 90 degrees to an open position behind the flow tube. The integral spring is produced with a wire EDM technique and can be symmetrical or asymmetrical around its periphery as a way of offsetting off-center impact from the bottom of the flow tube. The plunger can be rotationally locked if it is asymmetrical. The pitch can be constant or variable and the output force greatly exceeds the force provided by an independent coiled spring. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140246239 | Liner Top Cleaning Method Prior to BHA Removal in Drilling with Advancing Liner Systems - In a steerable drilling liner system the liner running tools that support the bottom hole assembly have the capability of sealingly latching into the liner to allow circulation through the drill bit as the hole is made and reamed. Before removing a seal in a polished bore receptacle inside the liner, the BHA is picked up to confirm release from the liner while leaving the seal in the polished bore. Picking up a second time allows dogs to extend so that setting down weight opens a circulation port to allow debris removal from near the top of the liner along with continued circulation through the BHA. After removal of the BHA and leaving the liner in the hole, the redressed BHA with the spring loaded dogs retained enters the liner and sealingly latches to the liner so that drilling can resume. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140284055 | Subterranean Vibrator with Lateral Vibration Feature - A vibratory tool for use in a tubular string to prevent sticking or to release a stuck string features a fluid operated dart valve working in conjunction with an impact sleeve to deliver continuous axial jarring blows in opposed directions as long as flow is maintained. Movement of one of those components axially in opposed directions opens and closes access to opposed lateral ports so that a lateral vibration is also established as flow cyclically occurs and stops sequentially at opposed lateral outlets. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140305629 | Removable Packer Plug with Installation Bypass Feature - A plug for a seal bore in a packer mandrel has a shiftable annular member that can selectively open bypass ports to facilitate latching and then be shifted as part of a release from the plug by a running tool to close the bypass passage that go around a frangible barrier that will later be broken by impact force. The annular member has minimal structure internally to allow attachment of the running tool. The annular member drillout proceeds quickly with minimal cuttings and the frangible member is broken by impact. On an assembly with multiple packers getting plugs a trip is saved as a plug is delivered into a lower packer with a string supporting the packer above. The plug is set in the lower packer allowing release of the running string for subsequent placement and setting of the next packer in the same trip. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20140318808 | Fracturing Multiple Zones with Inflatables - One or more inflatables are used to initiate fractures in a formation. The onset of fractures after inflation to a predetermined pressure also results in damage to the inflatable and the ability to follow up the stress that initiated the fracture with high flow at high pressure to further propagate the initiated fractures at a location close to their origin. In another variation the inflatable can have openings that are small enough to allow inflation to initiate the fractures and yet continue to allow fluid flow through the openings to propagate the fractures. In yet another variation sliding sleeves with ball seats can be sequentially operated to inflate to fracture followed by opening an adjacent port to propagate. | 10-30-2014 |
