| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080308279 | Apparatus and Method for Unsticking a Downhole Tool - A downhole tool is provided including apparatus for unsticking the tool from the wall or a borehole. The tool may include a housing defining a longitudinal axis and a sleeve coupled to the housing and mounted for rotation relative to the housing, the sleeve having an exterior surface including at least one projection extending radially outwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis. A transmission mechanism may be coupled to and adapted to rotate the sleeve, and a motor may be coupled to the transmission mechanism. A method for unsticking the downhole tool by rotating a sleeve is also disclosed. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080314587 | Downhole Tool Having an Extendable Component with a Pivoting Element - An extendable component for use in a downhole tool for traversing subsurface formations includes a drive element that defines an axis and has a distal end, and an abutment that is spaced radially from a distal end of the drive element. A driven element defines a driven element axis, is flexibly coupled to the drive element, and includes a proximal end disposed adjacent to the drive element and a distal end. A tilt arm is coupled to the driven element, is disposed at an angle with respect to the driven element axis, and is configured to engage the abutment. The driven element is moveable between a normal position and a tilted position. A contact head is coupled to the driven element distal end and is adapted to engage the wellbore wall. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090044951 | Apparatus and Methods to Control Fluid Flow in a Downhole Tool - Apparatus and methods to control fluid flow in a downhole tool are disclosed. A disclosed example system includes a hydraulically actuatable device having a cavity for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid stored by a reservoir, a first and a second hydraulic pump, a motor and means for selectively flowing hydraulic fluid from the outlet of at least one of the first and second pumps to the at least one cavity. The first and second hydraulic pumps include an inlet fluidly coupled to the reservoir and an outlet fluidly coupled to the cavity, and the motor is operatively coupled to at least one of the pumps. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090101339 | FORMATION EVALUATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method of evaluating a fluid from a subterranean formation drawn into a downhole tool positioned in a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation is provided. The method involves drawing fluid from a formation into an evaluation flowline, drawing fluid from a formation into a cleanup flowline, measuring a property of the fluid in the evaluation flowline and detecting stabilization of the property of the fluid in the evaluation flowline. Fluid properties in a combined flowline may be generated from the evaluation and cleanup flowlines. The fluid properties of the combined flowline may be used to project future evaluation flowline fluid properties. Contamination levels for a given fluid property of a given flowline may also be determined. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090159278 | Single Packer System for Use in Heavy Oil Environments - A technique involves collecting formation fluids through a single packer having at least one drain located within the single packer. The single packer comprises an outer seal layer, and the at least one drain is positioned in the outer seal layer. A viscosity system also is incorporated and enables the viscosity of a surrounding fluid to be selectively lowered for sampling. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090283266 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMATION EVALUATION - A method for acquiring a sample of a virgin fluid from a subsurface formation penetrated by a wellbore surrounded by a layer of contaminated fluid is disclosed. The method includes abutting a first packer against a wall of the wellbore, and extending at least a portion of a second packer beyond the first packer, wherein the second packer is at least partially disposed in the first packer. An inlet to a first flowline is at least partially defined by the first packer, and an inlet to a second flowline is defined by the second packer. The method further includes drawing one of virgin fluid, contaminated fluid and combinations thereof into the first flowline; and drawing virgin fluid into the second flowline. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100018704 | FORMATION FLUID SAMPLING APPARATUS AND METHODS - A fluid sampling system retrieves a formation fluid sample from a formation surrounding a wellbore extending along a wellbore axis, wherein the formation has a virgin fluid and a contaminated fluid therein. The system includes a sample inlet, a first guard inlet positioned adjacent to the sample inlet and spaced from the sample inlet in a first direction along the wellbore axis, and a second guard inlet positioned adjacent to the sample inlet and spaced from the sample inlet in a second, opposite direction along the wellbore axis. At least one cleanup flowline is fluidly connected to the first and second guard inlets for passing contaminated fluid, and an evaluation flowline is fluidly connected to the sample inlet for collecting virgin fluid. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100071898 | Single Packer System for Fluid Management in a Wellbore - A technique involves collecting formation fluids through a single packer having at least one drain located within the single packer. The single packer is designed with an outer structural layer that expands across an expansion zone to facilitate creation of a seal with a surrounding wellbore wall. An inflatable bladder can be used within the outer structural layer to cause expansion, and a seal can be disposed for cooperation with the outer structural layer to facilitate sealing engagement with the surrounding wellbore wall. One or more drain features are used to improve the sampling process and/or to facilitate flow through the drain over the life of the single packer. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100122812 | Single Packer Structure With Sensors - A technique involves collecting formation fluids through a single packer having at least one drain located within the single packer. The single packer is designed with an outer flexible skin and one or more drains coupled to the outer flexible skin. The single packer further comprises one or more sensors positioned to detect one or more specific parameters that may be related to well characteristics and/or single packer characteristics. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100155061 | FORMATION EVALUATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - Methods and apparatuses for evaluating a fluid from a subterranean formation of a wellsite via a downhole tool positionable in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation are provided. The apparatus relates to a downhole tool having a probe with at least two intakes for receiving fluid from the subterranean formation. The downhole tool is configured according to a wellsite set up. The method involves positioning the downhole tool in the wellbore of the wellsite, drawing fluid into the downhole tool via the at least two intakes, monitoring at least one wellsite parameter via at least one sensor of the wellsite and automatically adjusting the wellsite setup based on the wellsite parameters. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100218943 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMATION EVALUATION - A method for acquiring a sample of a virgin fluid from a subsurface formation penetrated by a wellbore surrounded by a layer of contaminated fluid is disclosed. The method includes abutting a first packer against a wall of the wellbore, and extending at least a portion of a second packer beyond the first packer, wherein the second packer is at least partially disposed in the first packer. An inlet to a first flowline is at least partially defined by the first packer, and an inlet to a second flowline is defined by the second packer. The method further includes drawing one of virgin fluid, contaminated fluid and combinations thereof into the first flowline; and drawing virgin fluid into the second flowline. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100294491 | CLEANUP PRODUCTION DURING SAMPLING - Cleanup monitoring and prediction in real time targeting estimation of pumpout volume versus final contamination, including detecting breakthrough of formation fluid to a sampling tool and detecting transition of cleanup regime from a predominantly circumferential cleanup regime to a predominantly vertical cleanup regime. Similar workflow can be employed for estimating contamination at the end of cleanup production for a given pumpout volume. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110061877 | FLOW CONTROL USING A TORTUOUS PATH - Generally, an apparatus for use in a wellbore includes a flow conduit and a structure defining a tortuous fluid path proximate the flow conduit, where the tortuous fluid path receives a flow of fluid. The tortuous fluid path is defined by at least first and second members of the structure, and the first and second members are movable with respect to each other to adjust a cross-sectional flow area of the tortuous fluid path. | 03-17-2011 |
