Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Robert Turner

Brett Bouldin

Ahmed Yasin Bukhamseen

Mohamed Nabil Noui-Mehidi

Frode Hveding

Brett W Bouldin

Brian Andrew Roth

Jonathan Webster Brown

Andrey Bakulin

Moataz Abu AlSaud

Michael Jervis

Kenechukwu Ufondu

A method and apparatus for removably plugging a wellbore. The wellbore leads to a reservoir having a reservoir temperature. The method includes: selecting a melting point of a metal alloy based on the reservoir temperature; sealing the metal alloy against an interior wall of a tubing, while the tubing is above a ground in which the wellbore is drilled, such that the metal alloy defines a fluid barrier plug against flow of any portion of the reservoir through the tubing when the tubing is disposed within the wellbore; and heating the metal alloy above the melting point while the tubing is disposed within the wellbore such that the metal alloy flows from the tubing and the fluid barrier plug is eliminated.

Removable plugging method and apparatus

A closure mechanism and a method for plugging a flow control device of a well is provided. The closure mechanism includes a switch having a hollow interior and a U-shaped portion. The closure mechanism also includes a metal insert located within a portion of the hollow interior of the switch. The mechanism further includes a heating device positioned within the well. In the method, the heating device is activated in the well and melts at least a portion of the metal insert. The melted portion of the metal insert collects and re-solidifies within the U-shaped portion of the switch, thereby closing the switch and plugging the flow control device against flow.

Mechanisms and methods for closure of a flow control device

A repairable seal assembly for deployment at a wellbore includes an elongate body, a first seal carried by the elongate body and configured to seal against an adjacent surface, and a transitional component carried by the elongate body. The transitional component is adjustable from a first configuration in which the transitional component defines a gap between the transitional component and the adjacent surface to a second configuration in which the transitional component contacts the adjacent surface to form a second seal at the adjacent surface.

Repairable seal assemblies for oil and gas applications

A downhole tubing string and an umbilical harness are combined in a wellbore. The umbilical harness, which is formed remote from the wellbore, includes an umbilical, and umbilical connectors connected to lines in the umbilical. Connectors attach to well components and make up part of the downhole tubing string. The well components include valves, sensors, and actuators. The umbilical connectors attach to the umbilical at strategic locations so the umbilical connectors can reach and be mated to corresponding component connectors when the umbilical harness and downhole string are combined. Electricity, communication signals, or both, are transmitted along the lines in the umbilical, which are selectively conveyed to each component via the mated connectors. As the umbilical connectors are installed on the umbilical prior to wellsite delivery, the umbilical harness and downhole string are combined by engaging plugs on respective ends of umbilical connectors and corresponding ends of component connectors.

Harness for intelligent completions

A semi-autonomous downhole taxi with fiber optic communication is described. The taxi includes a housing configured to travel within a horizontal section of a wellbore. A docking station is detachably attached to the housing. The docking station is configured to couple to a wireline to pass the taxi through a vertical section of the wellbore. The docking station is configured to be detached from and re-attached to the housing. A fiber optic cable spool is attached to and carried by the housing. A fiber optic cable is wound on the fiber optic cable spool. The fiber optic cable mechanically connects the docking station and the housing. The fiber optic cable is configured to unspool from the fiber optic cable spool as the housing, detached from the docking station, travels through the horizontal section of the wellbore. The fiber optic cable is configured to pass data between the docking station and the housing. The data is associated with wellbore operations to be performed by the taxi in the horizontal section of the wellbore.

Semi-autonomous downhole taxi with fiber optic communication

A flow meter includes a cylindrical tubing configured to be positioned in a wellbore, the cylindrical tubing including a flow mixer configured to produce a turbulent fluid flow of a multiphase fluid in the wellbore. The flow meter includes a tuning fork disposed in the cylindrical tubing separate from the flow mixer, the tuning fork configured to contact the turbulent fluid flow of the multiphase fluid and vibrate at a vibration frequency in response to contact with the turbulent fluid flow, and a controller to determine a fluid density measurement of the multiphase fluid based at least in part on the vibration frequency of the tuning fork.

Multiphase flow meter with tuning fork

A method for performing a well intervention operation includes the steps of: (a) sealingly coupling a lubricator onto an open top end of a well tree, the lubricator having a hollow interior in which a rotatable winch is contained, the winch having a cable wound thereabout; (b) attaching a tool to the cable; (c) lowering the tool within a well bore to which the well tree is attached; and (d) operating the winch from a location exterior to the lubricator to cause rotation of the winch and winding of the cable, whereby the tool is retrieved from the wellbore.

Self-contained well intervention system and method

A method of measuring two or more fluid phases in a downhole well bore that comprises measuring a flow of each of the two or more phases at respective ports at which the two or more phases are unmixed within the well bore. In certain implementations, the well bore is inclined at 20 degrees or less to a horizontal axis. Each of the two or more phases can flow at a rate to achieve low Reynolds numbers in a laminar flow regime.

Multiphase flow metering system for horizontal well compartments

Provided in some embodiments is a well torpedo system that includes a torpedo adapted to be advanced in a wellbore of a subterranean well. The torpedo including an integrated spool adapted to hold a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical including a FO line adapted to couple to a surface component, and an engine adapted to combust solid propellant to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo in the wellbore.

Subterranean well torpedo system

A system for subterranean well developments includes a downhole assembly having well completion components for permanent installation within the subterranean well and interchangeable retrievable hardware. A connection system adapts the retrievable hardware to the well completion components, the connection system operable to provide a connection between the well completion components and the retrievable hardware. A telemetry system is in communication with the retrievable hardware and operable to access data from the downhole assembly. A remote access interface is in communication with the retrievable hardware.

Open smart completion

A gravel pack tool for use in a well including a base pipe selectively deployed in the well that defines an outer annulus between the base pipe and an inner wall of the well, a dissolvable plug in a side wall of the base pipe, and tubing positioned within the base pipe that is in selective communication with a source of a bead forming fluid. When the bead forming fluid flows through the tubular and into the well, compounds in the bead forming fluid react to form beads within the outer annulus. The beads collect along a screen that circumscribes the base pipe and define a gravel pack which through which formation fluid is directed prior to entering production tubing in the wellbore.

Growing community of inventors

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Robert Turner