| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090049889 | DOWNHOLE MEASUREMENT OF FORMATION CHARACTERISTICS WHILE DRILLING - A method for determining a property of formations surrounding an earth borehole being drilled with a drill bit at the end of a drill string, using drilling fluid that flows downward through the drill string, exits through the drill bit, and returns toward the earth's surface in the annulus between the drill string and the periphery of the borehole, including the following steps: obtaining, downhole near the drill bit, a pre-bit sample of the mud in the drill string as it approaches the drill bit; obtaining, downhole near the drill bit, a post-bit sample of the mud in the annulus, entrained with drilled earth formation, after its egression from the drill bit; implementing pre-bit measurements on the pre-bit sample; implementing post-bit measurements on the post-bit sample; and determining a property of the formations from the post-bit measurements and the pre-bit measurements. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090050369 | DOWNHOLE MEASUREMENT OF FORMATION CHARACTERISTICS WHILE DRILLING - A method for determining a property of formations surrounding an earth borehole being drilled with a drill bit at the end of a drill string, using drilling fluid that flows downward through the drill string, exits through the drill bit, and returns toward the earth's surface in the annulus between the drill string and the periphery of the borehole, including the following steps: obtaining, downhole near the drill bit, a pre-bit sample of the mud in the drill string as it approaches the drill bit; obtaining, downhole near the drill bit, a post-bit sample of the mud in the annulus, entrained with drilled earth formation, after its egression from the drill bit; implementing pre-bit measurements on the pre-bit sample; implementing post-bit measurements on the post-bit sample; and determining a property of the formations from the post-bit measurements and the pre-bit measurements. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090126996 | FORMATION EVALUATION WHILE DRILLING - A sample module for a sampling while drilling tool includes a sample fluid flowline operatively connectable between a sample chamber and an inlet, for passing a downhole fluid. A primary piston divides the sample chamber into a sample volume and a buffer volume and includes a first face in fluid communication with the sample volume and a second face in fluid communication with the buffer volume. An agitator is disposed in the sample volume for agitating the sample fluid. A secondary piston includes a first face in fluid communication with the buffer volume having buffer fluid disposed therein and a second face. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090158837 | APPARATUS AND METHODS TO PEFORM DOWNHOLE MEASUREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION EVALUATION - A system for testing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well includes a downhole tool configured to be coupled to a work string that includes a tool body having a longitudinal bore for circulating a fluid and at least one aperture configured to receive at least one module. The system further includes a plurality of modules that are each configured to engage the at least one aperture and at least one cavity configured for receiving a probe, and a plurality of probes that each include at least one orifice configured for testing the formation, wherein a first of the plurality of probes has a first configuration and a second of the plurality of probes has a second configuration. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090194279 | DOWNHOLE SAMPLING TOOL AND METHOD FOR USING SAME - Methods and apparatuses for sampling fluid from a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore are provided. The subterranean formation has clean formation fluid therein, and the wellbore has a contaminated fluid therein extending into an invaded zone about the wellbore. A shaft is extended from a housing and positioned in a perforation in a sidewall of the wellbore. At least one flowline extends through the shaft and into the housing. The flowline(s) are adapted to receive downhole fluids through the perforation. At least one fluid restrictor, such as a packer, injection fluid or flow inhibitor, may be used to isolate at least a portion of the perforation whereby contaminated fluid is prevented from entering the isolated portion of the perforation. At least one pump selectively draws fluid into the flowline(s). | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090200016 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE FORMATION SAMPLING - A downhole tool for extracting a sample from a subsurface formation includes an emitter of electromagnetic energy configured to heat water in the subsurface formation. A method for extracting a sample from a subsurface formation involves conveying a downhole tool in a wellbore drilled through the subsurface formation, the downhole tool having an emitter of electromagnetic energy configured to heat water in the subsurface formation, and actuating the emitter to expose a portion of the formation to electromagnetic energy. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090211756 | FORMATION TESTER WITH LOW FLOWLINE VOLUME - A downhole tool for use in a well may comprise a vessel having a piston or a valve disposed therein and defining first and second volumes wherein the first volume is configured to receive formation fluid from an inlet port, and an actuator configured to extract formation fluid, the actuator being fluidly isolated from a fluid flow path extending between the inlet port and the first volume. The downhole tool may also comprise a flow-line configured to deliver formation fluid to the vessel, and an actuator configured to register an end of the flow-line with the inlet of the vessel. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090250212 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BALANCED PRESSURE SAMPLING - A method of sampling fluid from a rock formation penetrated by a borehole includes positioning a downhole tool having a flow line in the borehole, establishing an inlet port through which fluid passes from a first point in the formation into the flow line, establishing an outlet port through which fluid passes from the flow line into a second point in the formation, and passing fluid between the formation and the flow line through the inlet and outlet ports. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090288881 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FORM A WELL - Methods and apparatus to form a well are disclosed. An example method involves determining a reservoir fluid map associated with at least a portion of a reservoir. The first fluid map has first fluid composition data associated therewith. The example method also involves measuring a formation fluid and determining a second fluid composition data based on the measurement. The second fluid composition data is compared with the first fluid composition data associated with the reservoir fluid map, and a well trajectory is adjusted based on the comparison. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090316528 | JOB MONITORING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOGGING-WHILE-DRILLING EQUIPMENT - Job monitoring methods and apparatus for logging-while-drilling equipment are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes obtaining a fluid associated with an underground geological formation, analyzing the fluid with one or more sensors to form respective ones of sensor outputs, identifying a downhole scenario associated with the fluid based on the sensor outputs, the identifying being performed while the sensors are within the underground geological formation, and selecting a telemetry frame type based on the identified downhole scenario. | 12-24-2009 |
| 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 |
| 20100181471 | DOWNHOLE MASS SPECTROMETRY - A method comprising using a first mass analyzer of a downhole tool to isolate specific ions within a sample received in the downhole tool, using a second mass analyzer of the downhole tool to stabilize the ions isolated by the first mass analyzer, and using a third mass analyzer of the downhole tool to catalog the stabilized ions. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100200228 | REDUCING DIFFERENTIAL STICKING DURING SAMPLING - Methods comprising lowering a downhole tool via a pipe into a wellbore drilled through a formation via the pipe, establishing fluid communication between the downhole tool and the formation at a location in the wellbore, extracting from the formation a first fluid stream and passing the first fluid stream through the downhole tool for a first duration, breaking fluid communication between the downhole tool and the formation, reestablishing fluid communication between the downhole tool and the formation essentially at the location in the wellbore, extracting from the formation a second fluid stream and passing the second fluid stream through the downhole tool for a second duration, and capturing in the downhole tool a fluid sample of the second fluid stream.mud. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100282516 | FORMATION CORING APPARATUS AND METHODS - Methods comprising: lowering a downhole tool into a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation, wherein the downhole tool comprises a coring tool and a measurement tool; performing a measurement regarding the formation using the measurement tool; determining a section of interest within the formation relative to an axis of the coring tool based on the measurement; orienting a coring bit of the coring tool relative to the section of interest; and extending the oriented coring bit into the formation. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100319912 | FOCUSED SAMPLING OF FORMATION FLUIDS - An apparatus for obtaining a fluid at a position within a wellbore that penetrates a subterranean formation includes a body adapted to be disposed in the wellbore on a conveyance equipped with one or more expandable packers providing a sample region disposed between an upper cleanup zone and a lower cleanup zone when expanded into abutting contact with the wellbore wall; an upper cleanup port provided at the upper cleanup zone; a lower cleanup port provided at the lower cleanup zone; at least one fluid cleanup flowline in fluid connection with the upper and lower cleanup ports; a sampling inlet provided at the sampling region; and a sampling flowline in fluid connection with the sampling inlet for drawing fluid from the sampling region. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110088895 | DOWNHOLE MEASUREMENT OF FORMATION CHARACTERISTICS WHILE DRILLING - Methods and apparatus for acquiring mud gas logging data, comparing the mud gas logging data to second data associated with a sidewall fluid sample measurement, and adjusting calibration data associated with a mud gas logging tool based on the comparison of the mud gas logging data and the second data associated with the sidewall fluid sample measurement. | 04-21-2011 |
