Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Peter A Gordon

Harry William Deckman

Yibing Zhang

Michael Siskin

Limin Song

Huaxing Zhou

Elizabeth L Templeton-Barrett

Spencer A White

Thomas A Petersen

Christian S Mayer

Michael C Romer

Timothy G Benish

P Matthew Spiecker

Brent D Wheelock

Dragan Stojkovic

Kenneth W Desmond

Sabine C Zeilinger

Catalin D Ivan

Huaxing Daniel Zhou

Mikel A Nittoli

Victor Deflorio

Joseph S Bair

A variety of methods are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, a method of making crosslinked aromatic resin beads comprising: contacting a linker agent and a catalyst with an aromatic feedstock at a first temperature effective to react the linker agent with molecules in the aromatic feedstock to form a pre-polymer mixture; combining the pre-polymer mixture with an antisolvent; agitating the pre-polymer mixture and the antisolvent; and heating the pre-polymer mixture and antisolvent to a second temperature to react the pre-polymer mixture to form crosslinked aromatic resin beads, wherein the pre-polymer mixture is dispersed as droplets in the antisolvent.

Proppants derived from crosslinking mixed aromatic resins

A capacitive cable, as well as a method for operating a downhole electro-hydraulic (EH) tool using the capacitive cable, are described herein. The capacitive cable includes at least one standard conductor and at least one capacitive conductor including integrated wire-shaped capacitors. The method includes inserting a tool string including the capacitive cable and an attached downhole EH tool into a wellbore and conducting power from the surface to the downhole EH tool via the standard conductor(s) of the capacitive cable. The method also includes storing electrical energy downhole within the capacitive conductor(s) of the capacitive cable, and activating the downhole EH tool to provide for the rapid release of the electrical energy from the capacitive conductor(s) into the downhole EH tool, initiating an electro-hydraulic event within the wellbore.

Capacitive cable for a downhole electro-hydraulic tool

Methods and systems for measuring cluster efficiency for stages of wellbores are provided herein. One method includes selecting a frequency band for generating broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore and generating the broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore using a pressure pulse generator that is hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The method also includes recording data corresponding to the broadband tube waves and reflected broadband tube waves using pressure receivers that are hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The pressure receivers are arranged into arrays with two or more pressure receivers in each array. The data recorded by the pressure receivers relate to characteristics of reflectors (including perforation cluster/fracture interfaces) within the wellbore. The method further includes processing the recorded data using interferometry and performing full waveform inversion(s) on the processed data to determine frequency-dependent, complex-valued reflection coefficients at each perforation cluster/fracture interface.

Systems and methods for measuring cluster efficiency using broadband tube waves

A method of attenuating annular pressure buildup within a wellbore. The method includes accessing a wellbore, with the wellbore having an annulus disposed between first and second strings of casing. The method also includes placing a column of cement around the second string of casing generally below the first string of casing. The method further includes pumping a fluid mixture into the annulus, forming a fluid column. The fluid mixture comprises a carrier fluid, and a plurality of compressible particles dispersed in the carrier fluid. Each of the compressible particles is fabricated to partially collapse in response to thermal expansion of the fluid mixture. The method also includes placing a wellhead over the wellbore, thereby forming a trapped annulus in the wellbore. The method additionally includes at least partially sealing the annular region along at least one depth above the column of cement to inhibit vertical migration of the compressible particles.

Method of attenuating annular pressure buildup using compressible particles

Proppant particulates are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. In complex fracture networks, it can be difficult to deposit proppant particulates fully within the fractures. In addition, low crush strengths may result in problematic fines formation. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, commonly encountered in various refinery process streams, may serve as an advantageous precursor to proppant particulates. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons may undergo crosslinking under acid-catalyzed conditions in an aqueous solvent in the presence of a surfactant to form substantially spherical particulates that may serve as effective proppant particulates during fracturing operations. In situ formation of the proppant particulates may take place in some cases.

Proppant particulates formed from polyaromatic hydrocarbons

A method for collecting data relating to characteristics of a wellbore by generating tube waves within the wellbore using an electro-hydraulic discharge (EHD) source includes generating tube waves that propagate within a fluid column of a wellbore using an EHD source, where the fluid column is defined by a casing string within the wellbore. The method also includes allowing at least a portion of the generated tube waves to interact with acoustic impedance boundaries that act as reflectors within the wellbore, creating reflected tube waves that propagate within the fluid column. The method further includes recording data corresponding to the generated tube waves and the reflected tube waves using a receiver, where the recorded data relate to characteristics of the reflectors within the wellbore.

Generating tube waves within a wellbore using an electrohydraulic discharge source

A collection of compressible particles. The compressible particles are intended to be used for attenuating pressure build-up within a confined volume such as a trapped annulus in a wellbore. Each of the compressible particles is fabricated to collapse in response to fluid pressure within the confined volume, and comprises carbon. Particularly, each of the particles comprises a plurality of peripheral openings, permitting an ingress of wellbore fluids in response to an increase in pressure within a trapped annulus. The collection of compressible particles together has a reversible volumetric expansion/contraction of &#x2265;10% and up to 25% at pressures up to 10,000 psi. A method of attenuating annular pressure buildup within a wellbore using the collection of compressible particles is also provided.

Compressible carbon particles to mitigate annular pressure buildup using compressible particles

Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of fluid coke material (also referred to as fluid coke proppant particulates). In some instances, the fluid coke proppant particulates are characterized by a bulk density of less than about 0.9 grams per cubic centimeter.

Proppant particulates formed from fluid coke and methods related thereto

A hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore with a surface casing string that couples the wellbore to a wellhead located at the surface and a production casing string that extends through a reservoir within the subsurface. A fluid column is present within the wellbore. The hydrocarbon well also includes a high-frequency tube wave generator that is hydraulically coupled to the wellbore and is configured to generate high-frequency tube waves that propagate within the fluid column. The high-frequency tube waves include a selected waveform containing a specific bandwidth of high-frequency components. The hydrocarbon well further includes a receiver that is hydraulically coupled to the wellbore and is configured to record data corresponding to the generated and reflected high-frequency tube waves propagating within the fluid column, wherein the recorded data relate to characteristics of the wellbore. Moreover, such techniques may also be applied to a pipeline.

Assessing wellbore characteristics using high frequency tube waves

Proppant particulates like sand are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing operations to maintain one or more fractures in an opened state following the release of hydraulic pressure. Fracturing fluids and methods of hydraulic fracturing may also use proppant particulates composed of flexicoke material. Such proppant particulates may have improved transport into fractures because of lower density than traditional proppants like sand and may produce fewer fines that reduce fluid flow through proppant packs.

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Yardley, PA, United States of America

Peter A Gordon