Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Christian Reding

Marcus Ray Hudson

James Cernosek

David Earl Ball

Anthony Herman Van Zuilekom

Wei Zhang

Jay DeVille

An expandable element isolation assembly and a well interval isolation device utilizing at least a pair of expandable element isolation assemblies to isolate a well interval are disclosed. An expandable element isolation assembly can comprise an expandable element, and at least one rigid support element that is located external to the expandable element and is positionable between at least part of the expandable element and an inner wall of a formation at an open-hole portion of a wellbore in response to expansion of the expandable element. The at least one rigid support element can reinforce the expanded expandable element, such as through physical contact therewith. A retraction mechanism may be provided to retract the at least one rigid support element upon contraction of the expandable element.

Expandable element assembly with external rigid support element to isolate well interval

A method of cooling at least a portion of a downhole tool located within a drilled wellbore using a fluid pill configured to transfer heat away from a heat-generating segment of the downhole tool. The downhole tool may be a wireline logging tool. The fluid pill can comprise at least one fluid coolant and may include other additives that enable the fluid pill to transfer heat away from a heat-generating segment of the downhole tool even in the presence of one or more fluids present in the drilled wellbore. The fluid pill can be introduced into residual drilling mud in the wellbore, and the downhole tool may thereafter be operated with the heat-generating segment thereof in fluid contact with the fluid pill, whereby heat generated by the heat-generating segment is transferred away from the downhole tool and toward a wall of the wellbore by the fluid pill.

Using fluid pill for heat transfer downhole

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for capturing a large collection of downhole fluid samples and, more particularly, disclosed are methods and systems for using at least two hydraulic pressure lines to alternatingly actuate hydraulic valves disposed in an interlinked series to obtain any large collection of hydraulically actuated components to be energized in sequence. A large collection of downhole fluid samples may be defined as any number of downhole fluid samples wherein the number of downhole fluid samples is larger than the number of actuators.

Method and apparatus for downhole fluid microsample collection with staged hydraulic actuation

A well interval isolation device is disclosed. The wellbore isolation device may have a plurality of expandable elements that cooperate upon expansion downhole in a wellbore to create multiple isolated well intervals. At least two pairs of expandable elements that are spaced apart on a tool string are usable to create both a primary isolated well interval and at least one isolated guard interval on each of an uphole side and a downhole side of the primary isolated well interval. The isolated guard intervals function to further isolate the primary isolated well interval from surrounding well fluid, thereby allowing a difference between the pressure within the primary isolated well interval and the hydrostatic pressure of the well fluid (i.e., the differential pressure) to safely exceed the maximum differential pressure at which any of the individual expandable elements can operate while simultaneously maintaining isolation of the well intervals.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Christian Reding