Baker Hughes, a Ge Compnay, LLC

Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Alexander Kendall

Guijun Deng

Eugene Stolboushkin

John K Wakefield

Stephen A Graham

Andrew J Cayson

Michael H Johnson

YingQing Xu

Edward O'Malley

Robert O'Brien

Jason Allen

Partha Ganguly

Frank J Maenza

Matthew Stone

Carlos A Prieto

Colin Patrick Andrew

Jonathan Mackey Hanson

Nicholas S Conner

Daniel Sequera

Kousha Gohari

Omar Balcazar

Jai Kishan Koli

Emily Hanson

Christopher Cook

Oscar Becerra Moreno

John K Wakfield

Pete J Clark

Peter J Clark

Corinne Graffagnino

An inflow control device, including a housing, a flow restrictor defined within the housing, an outflow area defined within the housing fluidly connected to the flow restrictor; and a disperser disposed within the outflow area. A method for reducing erosion in an inflow control device, including flowing a fluid through a flow restrictor, creating a jet of fluid leaving the flow restrictor, impinging the jet on a disperser in an outflow area for the flow restrictor, and dispersing the jetting fluid. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, an inflow control device disposed within the borehole.

Inflow control device, method, and system

An embodiment of a fluid control device includes a housing, a fluid channel defined within the housing, the fluid channel having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface and having an inlet, and a flow control body disposed in the fluid channel, the flow control body tapering toward the inlet. The body, in use, causing fluid flowing through the channel to diverge into at least a first path between the first surface and a first side of the body, and a second path defined by at least by the second side of the body. A geometry of the first path and the second path selected is based on a subcool of the fluid at a pressure of the fluid entering the fluid channel, and the geometry is selected to induce cavitation of the fluid to choke fluid flow through the fluid channel.

Selective flow control using cavitation of subcooled fluid

A fluid control device includes a housing, a fluid channel defined within the housing, the fluid channel having an inlet, and a flow control body disposed in the fluid channel, the flow control body tapering towards the inlet. The flow control body, in use, causes a fluid flowing through the fluid channel to flow into an annular fluid flow path within the fluid channel. The annular fluid flow path has a geometry selected based on a subcool of the fluid at a pressure of the fluid entering the fluid channel, and the geometry is selected to induce cavitation of the fluid to choke fluid flow through the fluid channel.

A system for regulating fluid flow in a geothermal energy production system includes a flow control device disposed in an injector well and/or a producer well, which are disposed in a subterranean region. The injector well includes an outflow port configured to inject a fluid into the region, the producer well includes an inflow port configured to receive the fluid from the region, and the outflow port and the inflow port are in fluid communication via one or more passages in the subterranean region between the injector well and the producer well. The flow control device is configured to restrict a flow of a fluid into the producer well based on a temperature and/or a flow rate of the fluid in the flow control device. The temperature and/or the flow rate selected to maintain a temperature of the fluid entering the producer well within a selected range.

Flow control in geothermal wells

A packer assembly includes a tubular having a surface, a gauge ring provided on the surface, a back-up ring positioned adjacent the gauge ring, a packer element arranged adjacent to the back-up ring, an expansion ring arranged adjacent to the gauge ring, the expansion ring including a step portion, and a support ring arranged axially between the back-up ring and the expansion ring. The support ring includes a step feature. The step portion and the step feature are selectively engaged with expansion of the packer element to form an interlock feature that substantially limits rocking of the expansion ring.

Packer assembly including an interlock feature

A downhole flow control configuration including a housing, a converging-diverging flow path in the housing. The flow path includes a first portion including an inlet, a converging section, and a throat section. The first portion preferentially passes a portion of a fluid having a greater subcool. The converging-diverging flow path further includes a second portion comprising a diverging section that recovers fluid pressure lost in the converging section and the throat section, and an outlet and an elongated helical flow path connected to the outlet of the converging-diverging flow path, the helical flow path producing a pressure drop in a fluid flowing therein during use.

Steam and inflow control for SAGD wells

A backup ring assembly has a plurality of radially offset ring members including an outermost ring member formed from plurality of axially extending segments. Each of the plurality of axially extending segments includes an outer surface. A first interlock member support is coupled to the outer surface of one of the plurality of axially extending segments of the outer most ring member. A second interlock member support is coupled to the outer surface of an another one of the plurality of axially extending segments of the outermost ring member. An interlock member includes a first end supported at the first interlock member support and a second end supported at the second interlock member support. The interlock member restrains radially outward expansion of the ring and circumferential expansion of a gap extending between the one of the axially extending segments and the another one of the axially extending segments.

Multi-layer backup ring

A production system and a frac sleeve assembly of a frac assembly of the production system. The frac sleeve assembly includes a funnel section that reduces in diameter in a direction of an outlet of the frac assembly, a throat section having a selected diameter, and a ball seat at an intersection of the funnel section and the throat section for receiving a ball. When seated in the ball seat, an entire portion of a ball extending into the funnel section is exposed to disintegrating fluid in the funnel section.

Top tooth ball seat

An extrusion ring has a base from which multiple segmented rows of rings integrally extend. Gaps in one row are offset from the adjacent row to cover any gaps. The rows gain strength from a common base that also prevents relative rotation among the rows. The overlapping rings are additively manufactured with breakable restraints in some or all the gaps that fail during the setting such as in shear. Faster running in rates can be realized as each ring row has hoop strength due to the ties in the gap or gaps that are incorporated into the additive manufacturing process to make the assembly. Residual stresses in each ring from the additive manufacturing process are resisted from the ties in the gaps. Ties between overlapping rows are also contemplated.

Multi-layer packer backup ring with closed extrusion gaps

A sealing element is flanked by wedge-shaped extrusion ring assemblies. The extrusion rings are continuous for 360 degrees and are slotted from the outside dimension and alternatively from the inside dimension to allow the diameter to increase to the surround tubular or open hole. The extrusion rings climb a ramp on an adjacent pedestal ring on the way out to the borehole wall. Depending on the dimension of the gap to be spanned the extrusion ring slides a variable distance up the pedestal ring ramp. An optional anchor ring is initially forced up an opposite ramp of the pedestal ring. If the sealing gap is short the anchor ring can be eliminated. For larger gaps the anchor ring moves out far enough toward the borehole wall to contact the extrusion ring located on an opposing ramp of the pedestal ring so that reaction forces are directed to keep the anchor ring wedged in position for support of the extrusion ring assembly.

Slotted anti-extrusion ring assembly

Multi-layer backup ring including interlock members

A seal backup including: a ring-like body, the body including: a first portion of the body having a first generally zig-zag construction, the first generally zig-zag construction facilitative of radial expansion of the first portion; a second portion of the body having a second generally zig-zag construction, the second generally zig-zag construction facilitative of radial expansion of the second portion; a parting feature disposed between the first portion of the body and the second portion of the body facilitative of relative movement between the first portion of the body and the second portion of the body.

Seal backup, seal system and wellbore system

A packer system includes a gauge ring, an expanding ring arranged adjacent to the gauge ring, a back-up ring, a packer element arranged adjacent to the back-up ring, and a support ring arranged between the back-up ring and the expanding ring. The support ring promotes radial outward expansion of the expanding ring.

Packer assembly including a support ring

An array of sliding sleeve valves are uniquely addressable without control lines or wires to open for a treatment and then close and then selectively open for production. The discrete movements employ an available pressure source such as tubing pressure and change the piston areas on opposed sides of a sliding sleeve valve to get the desired movements. Access valves to tubing pressure can be actuated in a desired sequence with signals such as acoustic or electromagnetic, for example. Access to one piston area that communicates opposed and offsetting piston areas to the tubing hydrostatic can be achieved with a straddle tool breaking a rupture disc. The piston is then in pressure balanced and can be moved in a desired direction with the straddle tool straddling access locations to the piston from above or below.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Alexander Kendall