Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Joshua V Symms

Richard Lee Giroux

Jobby T Jacob

Eric R Evans

Travis W Massey

Jeffery Morrison

Ryan R Bacsik

Zachary S Trine

Nicholas W McFarlin

Mike Bock

Michael J Sepulveda

Yidara Wolf

Rohit Joshi

Luis A Urdaneta

A method for cementing a casing string allows for a deactivation fluid to be injected into a toe of a wellbore in sufficient quantities without displacing cement accumulated in an annulus around the casing string. The method includes landing a first isolation device within a flow path to isolate a shoe track from an annular isolation apparatus and a communication tool. A seal member of the annular isolation apparatus is radially extended around the casing string to fluidly isolate an annulus above the seal member from a toe of the wellbore. A cement slurry is pumped through at least one radial port into the annulus above the seal member without passing through the shoe track. The deactivation fluid is pumped through a bypass mechanism of the first isolation device and into the shoe track while the toe of the wellbore is fluidly isolated from the annulus above the seal member.

Limitless injection shoe

A plug for use in a wellbore has a piston that is movable on a body. A control valve is disposed in communication between the wellbore and a piston chamber and can capture wellbore pressure in the piston chamber. A closure on the body can transition from a closed condition to an open condition relative to the port in response to the movement of the piston. A fixture releasably holds the closure in the closed condition on the body. The fixture releases in response an increased pressure differential on the piston above an initial pressure differential between the captured chamber pressure and the wellbore pressure.

Hydrostatically insensitive testing and injection plug

A multistage cementing assembly is used for cementing casing in a borehole. A subsurface tool on the casing holds a subsurface plug therein using a temporary retainer. The subsurface plug is located in a subsurface location below one or more stage tools or cementing collars on the casing. First stage cement passing down the casing can pass through a passage of the subsurface plug to flow out of a float valve. A wiper plug passed through the casing behind the cement is then engaged with the subsurface plug. Pressure buildup can release the two plugs as a unit from the temporary retainer. Before reaching the float valve, a deformable ring on the subsurface plug can engage in a locator ring on the casing to indicate the plug unit's location during operations. Eventually, additional stages can be cemented using the one or more stage tools uphole on the casing.

Sub-surface plug release assembly

A running tool sets and cements a liner in a borehole. While the tool's bypass section is closed, a plug deployed to the tool diverts hydraulic pressure to set a liner hanger in the borehole. The setting plug is unseated, and the bypass section is switched opened by deploying another plug to an opening seat and shifting a control sleeve open relative to a bypass port. While the tool's packoff remains sealed in the hanger, cement pumped out the bypass port is bullheaded into a lap of the liner and borehole. When cementing is complete, the bypass section is switched closed by deploying another plug to a closing seat and shifting the control sleeve closed relative to the bypass port. The bypass section is then placed in a flow-through condition where fluid communication is reestablished through the tool to the liner by allowing fluid to flow past the plugs in the tool.

Top-down cementing of liner assembly

A catcher for use in a wellbore includes a housing and an insert disposed within the housing. A method of using the catcher includes disintegrating at least a portion of the insert while the insert is held rotationally stationary with respect to the housing by a taper connection between the insert and the housing.

Catcher for dropped objects

A stage tool used in a wellbore has a housing consisting of two sub-housings that couple together. A first sleeve is movably disposed in the housing bore and is held closed with a temporary connection relative to a side port of the housing. The first sleeve has a first seat of millable material. A second sleeve is also movably disposed in the housing bore and is held opened with a temporary connection relative to the side port. The second sleeve has a second seat of millable material. An opening plug is landed on the first seat so pressure can break the connection and shift the first sleeve open relative to the side port. After pumping cement out of the tool, a closing plug is pumped to the second seat so pressure can break the connection and shift the second sleeve closed relative to the side port. The first sleeve includes a bypass that allows for fluid to pass beyond the seated plug.

Stage tool having composite seats

A sealing device includes a tubular body having a bore; a collet seat having a plurality of collets; a frangible sealing element disposed in the collet seat and blocking fluid communication through the bore; and a releasable sleeve releasably attached to the tubular body and retaining the collet seat against the tubular body. In one embodiment, the plurality of the collets includes threads mated with threads on the tubular body. In another embodiment, the plurality of the collets is attached to the sleeve.

Buoyant system for installing a casing string

A flow control apparatus includes a housing having a bore extending and a port formed through a wall of the housing; and a port sleeve disposed in the housing and having a port in communication with the port of the housing. The apparatus also includes a first sleeve releasably attached to the housing, wherein the first sleeve is movable from a first position preventing axial movement of the port sleeve relative to the housing to a second position allowing axial movement of the port sleeve relative to the housing. The apparatus further includes a second sleeve releasably attached to the port sleeve, wherein the second sleeve is movable from a first position blocking fluid communication through the port of housing and the port of the port sleeve to a second position allowing fluid communication through the ports.

Flow control device

A cementing port collar has an opening sleeve biased from a closed position to an opened position relative to the collar's exit port, and a first restraint temporarily holds the opening sleeve closed. The collar also has a closing sleeve biased from an opened position to a closed position, and a second restraint temporarily holds the closing sleeve opened. During cementing, the first restraint is electronically activated with a first trigger to release the opening sleeve opened so cement slurry can pass out of the collar's exit port to the borehole annulus. When cementing is completed, the second restraint is electronically activated with a second trigger to release the closing sleeve closed to close off the collar to the borehole so the cement can set. The restraints can include bands of synthetic fiber, which are burned by fuses activated by a controller of the collar responding to passage of RFID tags.

Electronically-actuated cementing port collar

A straddle apparatus deploys in a borehole with tubing to treat different formation zones. The apparatus has packer elements and a flow element. The packer elements have fill ports in fluid communication with the tubing and have packer valves. These packer valves are biased to open fluid communication between the elements and the fill port so the elements can be inflated to seal off a borehole section. The flow unit has a flow port in fluid communication with the tubing and has a flow valve biased to close fluid communication between the flow port and the borehole. Once the elements inflate, a control unit electronically activate the packer valves to close fluid communication between the elements and the fill ports. Then, the control units electronically activates the flow valve to open fluid communication between the flow port and the borehole so treatment can be applied to the formation zone.

Growing community of inventors

Cypress, TX, United States of America

Joshua V Symms