| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080296014 | INTERVENTIONLESS COMPOSITE PACKER - An element includes a tube, at least in part including a shape memory material; and a swellable material disposed adjacent the tube. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080296019 | Completion Method for Fracturing and Gravel Packing - In one embodiment telescoping members are extended to bridge an annular gap either before or after it is cemented. Some of the telescoping members have screens and others have flow passages that can be selectively opened with associated valves to frac an interval in any order desired. The valves are then closed after the frac job and the other telescoping members are made to allow screened flow from the fractured formation. In another embodiment an interval to be gravel packed and fractured has a series of screens and selectively opened valves on a bottom hole assembly such as a liner. One or more external packers are provided. The entire interval is gravel packed at one time followed by packer actuation and then selective opening of ports to conduct a fracture operation in any of the zones defined by the set packers and in any desired order. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080302533 | Removable Injection or Production Flow Equalization Valve - One or more valves can be run into a string to land near associated ports in the string for injection or/and production service. When multiple valves are installed they can be initially configured to balance flow into or from a zone. The position of each valve can be altered without removal from the string preferably by a wireline shifting tool. One or more valves can also be removed and replaced when worn preferably using a wireline run tool. The valves can come with an integral sand control feature to facilitate production. Sensors to monitor well conditions and to transmit data to the surface can also be incorporated into the valve module. | 12-11-2008 |
| 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 |
| 20090078408 | Apparatus for Providing a Temporary Degradable Barrier in a Flow Pathway - A flow conduit may have at least one orifice is in the vicinity of a flow source. The source is at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) an optional temporary coating or barrier. The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable material or barrier. The material disintegrates (e.g. under the influence of time or temperature) to optionally produce a product that removes the temporary coating in the area adjacent the barrier. The method is useful in one non-limiting context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is the casing or liner of the well and the flow source is a subterranean reservoir where the temporary coating is a filter cake. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090095368 | HIGH FRICTION INTERFACE FOR IMPROVED FLOW AND METHOD - A tubular body for flowing fluid includes an inside diameter surface of the tubular body; and a surface treatment of the inside diameter surface sufficient to cause a viscous interaction with a fluid flowing therethrough and method. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090101355 | Water Sensing Adaptable In-Flow Control Device and Method of Use - A device and system for controlling fluid flow into a wellbore tubular may include a flow path in a production control device and at least one in-flow control element along the flow path. A media in the in-flow control element adjusts a cross-sectional flow area of the flow path by interacting with water. The media may be an inorganic solid, a water swellable polymer, or ion exchange resin beads. A method for controlling a fluid flow into a wellbore tubular may include conveying the fluid via a flow path from the formation into a flow bore of the wellbore; and adjusting a cross-sectional flow area of at least a portion of the flow path using a media that interacts with water. The method may include calibrating the media to permit a predetermined amount of flow across the media after interacts with water. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090139717 | Multi-Position Valves for Fracturing and Sand Control and Associated Completion Methods - A completion tubular is placed in position adjacent the zone or zones to be fractured and produced. It features preferably sliding sleeve valves one series of which can be put in the wide open position after run in for gravel packing and fracturing zones one at a time or in any desired order. These valves are then closed and another series of valves can be opened wide but with a screen material juxtaposed in the flow passage to selectively produce from one or more fractured zones. An annular path behind the gravel is provided by an offset screen to promote flow to the screened production port. The path can be a closed annulus that comes short of the production port or goes over it. For short runs an exterior screen or shroud is eliminated for a sliding sleeve with multiple screened ports that can be opened in tandem. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090139725 | Use of low impact expansion to reduce flow friction - Systems and methods for increasing fluid flow characteristics within a hydrocarbon production tubing string within a wellbore. An expansion member is passed through the interior flowbore of one or more production tubing string members. The expansion member smoothes the interior surface of the flowbore and may radially expand the interior surface of the flowbore. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090173498 | Screen coupler for modular screen packs - A coupler for gravel packing completions comprising an annular member having an upper end, a lower end, at least one flange disposed along an inner wall surface of the annular member intermediate the upper and lower ends, and at least one deformable portion is disclosed. The coupler may be used to connect one or more screens to a base pipe in a gravel packing completion by deforming the deformable portion such as by passing a swage over the outer wall surface of the annular member. In a similar manner, the coupler may also be used to connect a gravel packing completion component, such as an inflow control device to the base pipe of the gravel packing completion, to contemporaneously connect a screen section and a gravel pakcing completion component to the base pipe. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090183868 | ANNEALING OF MATERIALS DOWNHOLE - A downhole annealing system includes a component to be annealed; a steam generating catalyst in proximity to the component; and a reactant fuel selectively communicative with the catalyst to produce an exothermic reaction and method. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090229838 | Large Bore Packer and Methods of Setting Same - Devices and methods for setting a packer inside a wellbore with little appreciable reduction of the useable area of the wellbore. The outer casing or liner of the wellbore contains one or more integrated casing coupler joints having an increased diameter chamber portion. A large bore packing element is carried within the increased diameter chamber portion. The packing element may be selectively actuated to form a seal against an interior tubular member. Because the packing element is located within the chamber portion of the casing coupler, the packer may be set while saving useable cross-sectional area within the casing. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090255686 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING A TEMPORARY BARRIER IN A FLOW PATHWAY - A flow conduit may have at least one orifice, which conduit is in the vicinity of a flow source. The source is at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) an optional temporary coating or barrier (e.g. filter cake). The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable material. A delayed degradation material layer is present over or covering the degradable material. The delayed degradation material layer degrades at a rate slower than the degradable barrier. The degradable material and delayed degradation material layer disintegrate (e.g. via time, temperature, a solvent). The degradable material optionally produces a product that removes the temporary coating. The method is useful in one context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is the casing or liner of the well and the flow source is a subterranean reservoir where the coating is filter cake. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100011767 | STEAM DRIVEN TURBINE DRIVE - A downhole arrangement including an outer housing, an inner housing disposed within the outer housing and defining with the outer housing a chamber, a turbine disposed within the chamber, and one or more nozzles disposed at the chamber capable of exhausting steam into the chamber. A method for moving a target fluid within a wellbore. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100072711 | EXPANDABLE METAL-TO-METAL SEAL - A seal including a seal body having a bridge, a leg extending from the bridge, a gauge ring in operable communication the seal body to cause axial compression thereof, thereby causing the bridge diameter to change, and a seal interface disposed at the seal body. The seal interface including a relatively harder material and a relatively softer material positioned so that the relatively harder material is disposed between the seal body and the relatively softer material. A method for making a seal. A method for sealing an annular geometry. A seal interface. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100077594 | Subterranean Screen Manufacturing Method - A screen that conforms to the borehole shape after expansion is disclosed. The screen comprises a compliant outer layer that takes the borehole shape on expansion. The outer layer is formed having holes to permit production flow. The material that is selected preferably swells with prolonged contact to well fluids to further close off annular gaps after expansion. In an alternative embodiment, the screen is not expanded and the swelling of the material alone closes off annular gaps. The outer sleeve is placed over the screen and the screen is placed on a base pipe and initially expanded from within the base pipe to secure the components of the screen assembly for running downhole, while minimizing or eliminating any welding among the layers. A variety of expansion tools can be used to expand the screen or screens downhole. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100147509 | Large bore packer and methods of setting same - Devices and methods for setting a packer inside a wellbore with little appreciable reduction of the useable area of the wellbore. The outer casing or liner of the wellbore contains one or more integrated casing coupler joints having an increased diameter chamber portion. A large bore packing element is carried within the increased diameter chamber portion. The packing element may be selectively actuated to form a seal against an interior tubular member. Because the packing element is located within the chamber portion of the casing coupler, the packer may be set while saving useable cross-sectional area within the casing. | 06-17-2010 |
| 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 |
| 20100263871 | Open Hole Frac System - A fracturing operation is done in open hole without annular space isolation. The annular space is spanned by telescoping members that are located behind isolation valves. A given bank of telescoping members can be uncovered and the telescoping members extended to span the annular space and engage the formation in a sealing manner. Pressurized fracturing fluid can be pumped through the telescoped passages and the portion of the desired formation fractured. In a proper formation, cementing is not needed to maintain wellbore integrity. The telescoping members can optionally have screens. Normally, the nature of the formation is such that gravel packing is also not required. A production string can be inserted into the string with the telescoping devices and the formation portions of interest can be produced through the selectively exposed telescoping members. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100282469 | Fracturing with Telescoping Members and Sealing the Annular Space - A fracturing operation is done in open hole. The annular space is spanned by telescoping members that are located behind isolation valves. A given bank of telescoping members can be uncovered and the telescoping members extended to span the annular space and engage the formation in a sealing manner. Pressurized fracturing fluid can be pumped through the telescoped passages and the portion of the desired formation fractured. In a proper formation, cementing is not needed to maintain wellbore integrity. In formations that need annular space isolation, the string in a preferred embodiment can have an external material that grows to seal the annular space in lieu of a traditional cementing operation. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110073296 | SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR WELL SCREENING INCLUDING A FOAM LAYER - An apparatus for screening earth formation components includes: a base pipe configured to allow the passage of formation fluid therethrough; and a foam layer disposed radially outwardly of the base pipe and configured to allow the passage of formation fluid therethrough and minimize the passage of formation solids therethrough, the foam layer including a plurality of hollow structures forming windows therebetween. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for screening earth formation components is also disclosed. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110162837 | Filtration of Dangerous or Undesirable Contaminants - Nanoparticle-treated substrates, such as screens, sand beds or proppant beds, may effectively filter and purify fluids such as waste water or fluids produced from a formation, as well as other liquids. When tiny contaminant particles in a fluid such as waste water flow contact the nanoparticle-treated substrate, the nanoparticles will capture and hold the tiny contaminant particles on the substrate due to the nanoparticles' surface forces, including, but not necessarily limited to van der Waals and electrostatic forces or other associative forces. Coating agents such as alcohols, glycols, polyols, vegetable oil, and mineral oils may help apply the nanoparticles to the surfaces of structures in the filter beds or packs. | 07-07-2011 |
