Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

University of Texas System

Xiaoguang Allan Zhong

Michael Linley Fripp

David Joe Steele

James Dan Vick, Jr

Oivind Godager

Shobeir Pirayeh Gar

Thomas Jules Frosell

Zachary R Murphree

Chad William Glaesman

Anthony Phan

Stephen Michael Greci

John C Gano

Jack Gammill Clemens

Richard Decena Ornelaz

Walter E Voit

Gregory Thomas Werkheiser

Nathan James Harder

Daniel Keith Moeller

Russell Irving Bayh

David Allen Dockweiler

Abdolreza Gharesi

Shengjun Yin

Abdel Hamid R Abeidoh

Benjamin Jon Wellhoefer

Kejia Yang

Peter C Dagenais

Nelson Yan Loo Lee

Bing Hong Chee

Yong Dai Tan

Ee Wen Wong

Abdel Hamid Abeidoh

James Dan Vick

Provided is a wellbore tractor and method for operating a well system. The wellbore tractor, in one aspect, includes a base member, and one or more turbines fixed to the base member for rotating the base member in a first rotational direction based upon a first direction of fluid flow. The wellbore tractor, according to this aspect, further includes one or more wellbore engaging devices radially extending from the base member, the one or more wellbore engaging devices contactable with a surface of a wellbore for displacing the base member and one or more turbines axially downhole as the one or more turbines rotate in the first rotational direction.

Autonomous tractor using counter flow-driven propulsion

A downhole sealing device, a well system employing a downhole sealing device, and a method for sealing within a wellbore. The downhole sealing device, in one aspect, includes one or more downhole sealing features, and an elastomeric element comprising a thiourethane/acrylate polymer coupled to the one or more downhole sealing features. In at least one aspect, the elastomeric element is operable to be compressed in a downhole application against a tubular as a seal.

High performance regular and high expansion elements for oil and gas applications

A swellable packer assembly that includes a mandrel, a sealing element disposed about a least a portion of the mandrel, and a degradable metal coating disposed about at least a portion of an outer surface of the sealing element. The degradable metal coating fluidly isolates the portion of an outer surface of the sealing element from an exterior of the coating and the sealing element is formed of a material responsive to exposure to a fluid in a wellbore to radially expand from the mandrel. The degradable metal coating is selectively removable from the mandrel downhole so as to expose the sealing element to the fluid in the wellbore.

Metallic delay barrier coating for swellable packers

An apparatus includes a sub-surface safety valve (SSSV) to be positioned in a wellbore. The SSSV is configurable to move between a closed position and an open position. While in the closed position, the SSSV prevents downhole fluid in the wellbore to flow to a surface of the wellbore. While in the open position, the SSSV allows the downhole fluid in the wellbore to flow to the surface of the wellbore. The apparatus further includes an electrostatic motor to be positioned in the wellbore and to be coupled to the SSSV. The electrostatic motor is to be selectively powered to move the SSSV between the closed position and the open position.

Electrostatic motor control of a sub surface safety valve

A method and apparatus according to which a backup ring is radially expanded to prevent, or at least reduce, extrusion of a sealing element. The backup ring includes an inner ring segment and an outer ring segment. The inner ring segment defines opposing first and second end portions. The outer ring segment defines opposing third and fourth end portions. The third end portion of the outer ring segment telescopically receives, and overlaps, the first end portion of the inner ring segment. Radially expanding the backup ring includes sliding the backup ring up an external tapered surface of a wedge ramp. Sliding the backup ring up the external tapered surface of the wedge ramp telescopes the first end portion of the inner ring segment outwardly from the third end portion of the outer ring segment.

Radially expandable anti-extrusion backup ring

A unitary junction for deployment in a wellbore, wherein the unitary junction permits electrical power and communications signals to be established in both a lateral wellbore and a main wellbore utilizing. The unitary junction assembly generally includes a conduit having a first upper aperture, a first lower aperture and a second lower aperture where the first lower aperture is defined at the distal end of a primary leg extending from a conduit junction and the second lower aperture is defined at the distal end of a deformable lateral leg extending from the conduit junction. A lower wireless energy transfer mechanism is positioned along at least one of the legs between the distal end of the leg and the junction. The lower wireless energy transfer mechanism is in wired communication an upper energy transfer mechanism permitting electrical communication to be established across the intersection of wellbore branches utilizing the unitary junction.

Energy transfer mechanism for wellbore junction assembly

A wellbore isolation device includes a mandrel, a sealing element disposed around at least a portion of the mandrel, and a delay coating disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the sealing element. The sealing element includes a swellable material and the delay coating covers a cross-linked polymer. The delay coating is configured to swell or degrade in a wellbore fluid.

Delay coating for wellbore isolation device

A unitary multilateral junction for deployment in a wellbore, wherein the multilateral junction permits electrical power and communications signals to be established in both a lateral wellbore and a main wellbore utilizing capacitive coupling and a cavity resonator. The unitary junction assembly generally includes a conduit with a first upper aperture, a first lower aperture and a second lower aperture where the first lower aperture is defined at the distal end of a primary passageway extending from a conduit junction and a second lower aperture defined at the distal end of a lateral passageway extending from the conduit junction. A lower wireless energy transfer mechanism in the form of a capacitive coupler is positioned along at least one of the passageways between the distal end of the passageway and the junction. A cavity resonator is adjacent the capacitive coupler to enhance the electric field signal of the capacitive coupler.

A valve assembly employed in subterranean wellbore systems includes a flapper member biased to a closed position by a pair of opposed wire springs. The wire springs provide sufficient torque to ensure robust operation of the flapper member and permit sufficient fluid flow through the limited space available in the valve assembly. A pair of symmetrical pair of wire springs may be robustly manufactured and individually installed without unnecessary accumulation of manufacturing tolerances or errors, thereby providing predictable torque levels to the flapper member. The wire springs may be secured in blind holes or other features defined in a circumferential surface of the flapper member to ensure the springs remain engaged with the flapper member throughout the operation of the valve assembly.

Robustness of flapper valve open/close

A downhole tool including an insertion member arranged to insert into and form an annular seal with a receiving member using an annular seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a compliant metal spring and a separate metal cover overlapping at least a portion of an outside of the spring, wherein the cover and spring extend radially outward from the downhole tool so as to be compressed when the insertion member is inserted within the receiving member to form an annular metal-to-metal seal between the insertion member and the receiving member. A method of coupling the downhole tool and the receiving member in a well includes inserting the insertion member of the downhole tool into the receiving member and energizing and forming an annular metal-to-metal seal by compressing the seal assembly between the insertion member and the receiving member when inserting the insertion member into the receiving member.

Downhole tool with compliant metal-to-metal seal

Disclosed herein are aspects of a barrier coating layer of an expandable member wellbore tool for use in a wellbore. The barrier coating layer, in one aspect, covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the expandable member and has a composition formulated to react with a wellbore fluid and erode within a predetermined amount of time to allow a wellbore fluid to contact and hydrolyze the expandable member.

Barrier coating layer for an expandable member wellbore tool

Provided is a wellbore tractor and method for operating a well system. The wellbore tractor, in one aspect, includes a base member, a hydraulically powered drive section coupled to the base member, and one or more turbines coupled to the hydraulically powered drive section for powering the hydraulically powered drive section based upon fluid flow across the one or more turbines. The wellbore tractor, according to this aspect, further includes one or more wellbore engaging devices radially extending from the hydraulically powered drive section, the one or more wellbore engaging devices contactable with a surface of a wellbore for displacing the wellbore tractor axially downhole.

A unitary multilateral junction for deployment in a wellbore, wherein the multilateral junction permits electrical power and communications signals to be established in both a lateral wellbore and a main wellbore utilizing. The unitary junction assembly generally includes a conduit with a first upper aperture, a first lower aperture and a second lower aperture where the first lower aperture is defined at the distal end of a primary passageway extending from a conduit junction and a second lower aperture defined at the distal end of a lateral passageway extending from the conduit junction. A lower wireless energy transfer mechanism is positioned along at least one of the passageways between the distal end of the passageway and the junction. The lower wireless energy transfer mechanism is in wired communication an upper energy transfer mechanism permitting electrical communication to be established across the intersection of wellbore branches utilizing the unitary junction.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Xiaoguang Allan Zhong