| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 7517836 |
Defoaming methods and compositions |
April 14, 2009 |
| Embodiments of the present invention are directed to defoaming methods and compositions for well treatment fluids. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method of defoaming a well treatment fluid, comprising combining a defoaming composition with the well treatment |
| 7516802 |
Assembly and method for determining thermal properties of a formation and forming a liner |
April 14, 2009 |
| The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for making in situ thermal property determinations utilizing a heat source employed in wellbore stabilization procedures, well drilling, or well perforating, for example. In particular, using a heat source, such as a laser driller, |
| 7516788 |
Methods of marking a zone of a wellbore for localizing the source of produced particulate |
April 14, 2009 |
| A method of localizing the source of a particulate produced with a fluid through a wellbore is provided, the method comprising the steps of: (A) providing marking composition comprising at least one marker that: (i) is capable of binding with a particulate; and (ii) has a detectable prop |
| 7511823 |
Fiber optic sensor |
March 31, 2009 |
| An apparatus, system and method are provided for measuring state properties without requiring an internal or proximate power supply. The apparatus provides a sensing device that is responsive to fluctuations in a state property that are encountered within the test zone. Due to the fl |
| 7510609 |
Low-density cement compositions, density-reducing additives, and methods of use |
March 31, 2009 |
| Density-reducing additives comprising low-density particulates, and cement compositions comprising such additives, are provided. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a cement composition comprising: a cement component; a density-reducing additive comprising particulates that |
| 7510027 |
Borehole drilling control system, method and apparatus |
March 31, 2009 |
| One embodiment includes an apparatus comprising a steerable well bore drilling tool having a main tool body. The steerable well bore drilling tool includes an inertial measurement unit to output a measurement used to determine an azimuthal deviation and inclination of the steerable well |
| 7510017 |
Sealing and communicating in wells |
March 31, 2009 |
| A device includes a main body adapted to couple between a first element of a working string and a second element of the working string. A seal is provided about the main body and is adapted to substantially sealingly engage a wall of the wellbore. An conductor is carried by the main body |
| 7510014 |
Plug systems and methods for using plugs in subterranean formations |
March 31, 2009 |
| Methods and apparatus for subterranean well bore operations. An exemplary embodiment of a method is a method of activating a device in a subterranean well bore, the device having a baffle adapter configured to achieve sealing contact with a cementing plug, the cementing plug having a |
| 7510010 |
System and method for cementing through a safety valve |
March 31, 2009 |
| System and method for cementing through a safety valve. A system includes a flow passage, closure mechanism, opening prong repeatedly displaceable to thereby repeatedly operate the closure mechanism open and closed, and a latching device initially maintaining the opening prong positioned |
| 7509008 |
Method and apparatus for locating a localized temperature change in a workspace |
March 24, 2009 |
| A method for monitoring a workspace comprising deploying a fiber optic distributed temperature sensor cable in the workspace, wherein the sensor is capable of detecting a temperature differential of .+-.10.degree. F. from baseline. A method for monitoring a workspace comprising deploying |
| 7508734 |
Method and apparatus for acoustic data transmission in a subterranean well |
March 24, 2009 |
| The disclosure describes a method and apparatus for effectively communicating data along an acoustic transmission path. The method comprises driving an acoustic transmitter to send a data signal along the acoustic transmission path, where the signal is distorted by ambient noise. The |
| 7507694 |
Surfactant-free emulsions and methods of use thereof |
March 24, 2009 |
| In one embodiment, the present invention provides a drilling fluid composition that comprises a surfactant-free emulsion comprising an oleaginous fluid, a fluid that is at least partially immiscible with the oleaginous fluid, and emulsion facilitating particles. In another embodiment |
| 7506696 |
Borehole drilling control system, method and apparatus |
March 24, 2009 |
| One embodiment includes an apparatus comprising a steerable well bore drilling tool having a main tool body. The steerable well bore drilling tool includes an inertial measurement unit to output a measurement used to determine an azimuthal deviation and inclination of the steerable well |
| 7506689 |
Fracturing fluids comprising degradable diverting agents and methods of use in subterranean form |
March 24, 2009 |
| Treatment fluids comprising degradable diverting agents and methods of using such treatment fluids in subterranean formations are provided. Examples of methods include methods of fracturing a subterranean formation. Another example of a method is a method of enhancing production from |
| 7506686 |
Diverter plugs for use in well bores and associated methods of use |
March 24, 2009 |
| Zonal isolation of well bores is often desirable for performing downhole operations such as stimulation operations. In certain embodiments, diverter plugs for achieving zonal isolation in a casing string in a well bore may comprise a mandrel having a first end and a second end; a com |
| 7504366 |
Subterranean treatment fluids, friction reducing copolymers, and associated methods |
March 17, 2009 |
| Methods of treating a portion of a subterranean formation, comprising: providing an aqueous treatment fluid comprising water, and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and an acrylic acid ester; and introducing the aqueous treatment fluid into the portion of the sub |
| 7503406 |
Method for processing drilling cuttings in an oil recovery operation |
March 17, 2009 |
| A method for the recovery of oil according to which a well is drilled using a drill bit; drilling fluid is introduced to the drill bit and a mixture of the fluid and cuttings from the well is passed to the ground surface. The mixture is passed into a vessel and the vessel is transpor |
| 7503404 |
Methods of well stimulation during drilling operations |
March 17, 2009 |
| Present embodiments may include methods of stimulating a section of a subterranean formation comprising (a) forming at least a portion of a well bore that at least penetrates a section of the subterranean formation using a drilling operation; (b) stimulating a section of the subterra |
| 7503399 |
Casing shoes and methods of reverse-circulation cementing of casing |
March 17, 2009 |
| A method having the following steps: running a circulation valve comprising a reactive material into the well bore on the casing; reverse-circulating an activator material in the well bore until the activator material contacts the reactive material of the circulation valve; reconfigu |
| 7502531 |
Multi-channel array processor |
March 10, 2009 |
| A method and apparatus for monitoring one or more environmental parameters using interferometric sensor(s), a cross-correlator, a two-dimensional photosensitive array and optical focusing means are described. The method and apparatus allows for near simultaneous monitoring of the paramet |
| 7501818 |
System and methods for T1-based logging |
March 10, 2009 |
| System and methods for using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T.sub.1 measurements for wireline, LWD and MWD applications and down-hole NMR fluid analyzers. The T.sub.1 measurements are characterized by insensitivity to motion, as the detrimental effects arising from tool motion or f |
| 7501385 |
Compositions and methods for water control and strengthening unconsolidated formations |
March 10, 2009 |
| The present invention relates, in general, to subterranean fluids, and more particularly, to subterranean drilling fluids that may be useful for reducing the production of water from a portion of a subterranean formation and/or stabilizing an unconsolidated portion of a subterranean |
| 7500521 |
Methods of enhancing uniform placement of a resin in a subterranean formation |
March 10, 2009 |
| Methods of enhancing uniform placement of a resin in a subterranean formation comprising: introducing a preflush fluid comprising an oil-soluble diverting agent into a portion of a subterranean formation; introducing a resin and an aqueous soluble diverting agent into at least a port |
| 7500519 |
Methods of modifying fracture faces and other surfaces in subterranean formations |
March 10, 2009 |
| Provided are methods of modifying the stress-activated reactivity of subterranean fracture faces and other surfaces in subterranean formations. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: providing a treatment fluid that comprises a base fluid and a surface-treating reagent capable of m |
| 7499846 |
Methods for using high-yielding non-Newtonian fluids for severe lost circulation prevention |
March 3, 2009 |
| A system and method to model and analyze the mixing energies of high-yielding non-Newtonian fluids to prevent chemical lost circulation is disclosed. Laboratory tests are performed under varying conditions from which data on the mixing energies needed to optimize the use of high-yiel |
| 7497281 |
Roller cone drill bits with enhanced cutting elements and cutting structures |
March 3, 2009 |
| Roller cone drill bits are provided with cutting elements and cutting structures optimized for efficient drilling of soft and medium formations interspersed with hard stringers. The cutting elements and cutting structures may be satisfactorily used to drill downhole formations with v |
| 7497278 |
Methods of degrading filter cakes in a subterranean formation |
March 3, 2009 |
| Many methods are presented including one that comprises: providing a well drill-in and servicing fluid comprising an aqueous fluid, a viscosifier, a fluid loss control additive, a bridging agent, and an orthoester composition; using the well drill-in and servicing fluid to drill a well |
| 7497258 |
Methods of isolating zones in subterranean formations using self-degrading cement compositions |
March 3, 2009 |
| Methods of isolating particular zones within a subterranean formation utilizing self-degrading cement compositions are provided. An example of a method of the present invention is a method that includes: providing a self-degrading cement composition that includes a degradable material, a |
| 7494263 |
Control system design for a mixing system with multiple inputs |
February 24, 2009 |
| A control system for mixing at least two materials in a physical system having two or more tanks comprises at least two actuators, each actuator being operable to introduce a material into a first tank to form a first mixture, the first mixture flowing into a second tank to form a second |
| 7493957 |
Methods for controlling water and sand production in subterranean wells |
February 24, 2009 |
| Methods for stabilizing unconsolidated or weakly consolidated portions of a subterranean formation and controlling the production of water in those portions include introducing a consolidating agent into the subterranean formation so as to transform a portion of the subterranean formatio |
| 7491929 |
Method and related system of pulsed neutron logging |
February 17, 2009 |
| A method and related system of pulsed-neutron logging. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are a method comprising releasing neutrons from a neutron source of a logging tool within a borehole, detecting gamma rays by a sensor on the logging tool (the gamma rays produced by |
| 7490668 |
Method for designing and constructing a well with enhanced durability |
February 17, 2009 |
| Methods for performing cementing operations in a wellbore, designing wells and constructing wells are illustrated. The methods include applying pressure to the interior of casing in the wellbore during curing of a cement composition in the annulus. Wells constructed with such an applied |
| 7490664 |
Drilling, perforating and formation analysis |
February 17, 2009 |
| A system and method of drilling and/or perforating uses a laser beam to remove material, such as to perforate the casing, cement and formation or drill a well bore. The system and method can further or alternately encompass material analysis that can be performed without removing the |
| 7490428 |
High performance communication system |
February 17, 2009 |
| A system for communicating information in a borehole between tool assemblies in a tool string includes receiving an information signal and separating a first signal that may be a power and low speed signal. A second signal is separated and demodulated from the information signal. The |
| 7488705 |
Oilwell sealant compositions comprising alkali swellable latex |
February 10, 2009 |
| Sealant compositions comprising an alkali swellable latex and a pH increasing material and methods of using the same to service a wellbore are provided. In one embodiment, the sealant composition can be used in a wellbore and includes an alkali swellable latex and a pH increasing mat |
| 7488704 |
Invert drilling fluids for use in drilling in subterranean formations |
February 10, 2009 |
| Methods for drilling, running casing in, and/or cementing a borehole in a subterranean formation without significant loss of drilling fluid are disclosed, as well as compositions for use in such methods. The methods employ drilling fluids comprising fragile gels or having fragile gel |
| 7488141 |
Automated control methods for dry bulk material transfer |
February 10, 2009 |
| A method for blending dry material in a plant comprises automatically controlling fluidization of the dry material, transfer of the material, or both. In various embodiments, the automatically controlling comprises optimizing an amount of time that the dry material is fluidized prior to |
| 7485602 |
Drilling method using isomerized olefins and paraffin hydrocarbons as base oils for invert emuls |
February 3, 2009 |
| Environmentally acceptable or regulatory compliant oil-based drilling fluids and methods of using same in drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation are disclosed. The fluids are able to meet environmental regulations while maintaining acceptable oil mud rheology and overall oil |
| 7484572 |
Roller cone drill bit with debris flow paths through associated support arms |
February 3, 2009 |
| A roller cone drill bit having a bit body with at least one support arm extending therefrom. Each support arm may have an interior surface and an exterior surface with an associated spindle extending inwardly from the interior surface. A respective cone assembly may be rotatably disposed |
| 7484565 |
Methods and apparatus for injecting fluids at a subterranean location in a well |
February 3, 2009 |
| Disclosed are retrievable through-tubing tools and methods for use in wellbores to inject fluids at subterranean locations wherein the tool have spaced foamed seal elements that are retracted during installation and expand when in use. |
| 7484564 |
Delayed tackifying compositions and associated methods involving controlling particulate migrati |
February 3, 2009 |
| Methods and compositions relating to delayed tackifying compositions that comprise an aqueous tackifying agent and a delayed acid-releasing activator that may be used to stabilize particulates and reduce particulate migration within a subterranean formation. |
| 7482309 |
Methods of drilling wellbores using variable density fluids comprising coated elastic particles |
January 27, 2009 |
| The present invention provides variable density fluid compositions and methods for using such compositions in a subterranean formation. One exemplary embodiment of the variable density fluid compositions of the present invention comprises a variable density fluid comprising: a base f |
| 7480207 |
Filtering and detection of telemetry |
January 20, 2009 |
| The specification discloses systems and methods that provide improved capability to detect and decode encoded telemetry data. More particularly, the specification discloses embodiments for detecting and decoding telemetry data by receiving a plurality of waveforms comprising encoded |
| 7478676 |
Methods and devices for treating multiple-interval well bores |
January 20, 2009 |
| Methods and devices are provided for treating multiple interval well bores. More particularly, an isolation assembly may be used to allow for zonal isolation to allow treatment of selected productive or previously producing intervals in multiple interval well bores. One example of a |
| 7478675 |
Extended settable compositions comprising cement kiln dust and associated methods |
January 20, 2009 |
| An embodiment of the present invention includes a method of cementing in a subterranean formation comprising: providing an extended settable composition comprising hydraulic cement, cement kiln dust, water, and a set retarding additive, wherein the extended settable composition is ca |
| 7475733 |
Communication tool for accessing a non annular hydraulic chamber of a subsurface safety valve |
January 13, 2009 |
| A communication tool (100) includes a housing (102) having recesses (110) and a set of axial locating elements (112) radially extendable through the recesses (110) and engagably positionable within a profile of a tubing retrievable safety valve (50). An anti rotation device (140) is |
| 7475728 |
Treatment fluids and methods of use in subterranean formations |
January 13, 2009 |
| The present invention relates to subterranean treatment operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved treatment fluids and methods of using such improved treatment fluids in subterranean formations. An example of a method of the present invention is a method |
| 7473313 |
Gas-generating additives having improved shelf lives for use in cement compositions |
January 6, 2009 |
| According to various embodiments, gas-generating additives for use in a cement composition comprise: a gas-generating material at least partially coated with a mixture comprising a fatty acid ester of sorbitan, glycerol, or pentaerythritol and having a shelf life of about 12 months o |
| 7472757 |
Well packing |
January 6, 2009 |
| Annular packer (2) arranged on the outside of a production tubing (4) said packer comprises a core (12) comprising elastic polymer swelling by absorption of hydrocarbons. The core (12) may be surrounded by an external mantle of rubber (10), which is permeable to hydrocarbons and may |
| 7472752 |
Apparatus and method for forming multiple plugs in a wellbore |
January 6, 2009 |
| An apparatus and method for forming plugs in a wellbore, according to which a first volume of slurry is introduced into a work string in a wellbore so that it flows through the work string and discharges before hardening to form a plug. A second volume of slurry is also introduced in |
