| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 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 |
| 20090218102 | Multi-Cycle Single Line Switch - Systems and methods for selectively operating multiple hydraulic pressure controlled devices (PCDs) within a borehole using a common inflow and outflow line and a common cycling line. A control system is used wherein each of the PCDs is operationally associated with a separate sleeve controller. The sleeve controller for each PCD controls whether the individual PCD can be actuated by hydraulic pressure variations in the common inflow and outflow lines. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090255675 | Sealing devices having a metal foam material and methods of manufacturing and using same - Sealing devices such as packers comprise a metal foam material disposed on a surface. The metal foam material comprises an initial position comprising a plurality of pockets each having an initial volume and a compressed position in which at least one of the initial volumes of at least one of the plurality of pockets is reduced by compression of the metal foam material, thereby forming a seal. The seal may be formed directly between the metal foam material and a sealing surface such as an inner wall surface of a wellbore to divide an annulus of the wellbore. Alternatively, the seal may be at least partially formed between a sealing material disposed within one or more of the plurality of pockets that is extruded from at least one of the plurality of pockets during compression of the metal foam material. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090277650 | REACTIVE IN-FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR SUBTERRANEAN WELLBORES - An apparatus for controlling fluid in-flow into a wellbore tubular includes a translating flow control element having one or more fluid conveying conduits; and a reactive element that actuates the flow control element. The reactive element may be responsive to a change in composition of the in-flowing fluid. The reactive element may change volume or shape when exposed to or not exposed to a selected fluid. The selected fluid may be oil, water, or some other fluid (e.g., liquid, gas, mixture, etc.). The reactive element may slide the flow control element such that a conduit formed on the flow control element changes length, which then changes a pressure differential across the flow control element. | 11-12-2009 |
| 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 |
