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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8166812 | Vibrating wire viscometers Vibrating wire viscometers are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine the viscosity of a downhole fluid is described, the apparatus including a wire to be immersed in a downhole fluid, to vibrate when an alternating current is applied to the wire within a magn... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8069715 | Vadose zone pore liquid sampling system A method and apparatus for collection of pore water samples from a subsurface geologic formation, especially a vadose zone formation having high capillary tension. The method consists of injection of a fluid with known tracer concentrations therein into the formatio... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7913556 | Methods and apparatus to determine the compressibility of a fluid Example methods and apparatus to determine the compressibility of a fluid are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes capturing a fluid in a chamber, pressurizing the captured fluid to first and second pressures, measuring first and second values representati... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7644611 | Downhole fluid analysis for production logging A downhole fluid analysis tool capable of fluid analysis during production logging that includes a phase separator and a plurality of sensors to perform analysis on the fluids collected at a subsurface location in a borehole. ... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7526953 | Methods and apparatus for the downhole characterization of formation fluids Methods and apparatus for investigating a hydrocarbon bearing geological formation traversed by a borehole are disclosed. An example method to characterize a fluid associated with an underground geological formation obtains a sample of the fluid associated with the ... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7379819 | Reservoir sample chain-of-custody Methods of assuring that a representative formation and/or fluid sample of a subterranean reservoir is obtained are provided. One method of validating a reservoir fluid sample obtained from a wellbore includes the steps of acquiring a reservoir fluid sample in the w... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7377169 | Apparatus and methods for acoustically determining fluid properties while sampling An apparatus and methods for acoustically analyzing a fluid sample and determining one or more properties of the sample are disclosed by the present invention. The apparatus comprises a chamber, a transmitter positioned within the chamber for transmitting an acousti... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7360597 | Method and apparatus for gas displacement well systems A method and apparatus is provided for reducing the purge volume of a well during purging and sampling operations. In some system embodiments, the apparatus can be retrofitted to existing small diameter wells. A further embodiment provides a method and apparatus for... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7290443 | Method for measuring formation properties with a time-limited formation test An apparatus and method for determining at least one downhole formation property is disclosed. The apparatus includes a probe and a pretest piston positionable in fluid communication with the formation, and a series of flowlines pressure gauges, and valves configure... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7281439 | Volatile organic compound monitoring A system, method and apparatus for monitoring the subsurface at facilities for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A surface penetration is made in a facility surface providing access to the subsurface soil beneath the facility. A soil probe is placed... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7263880 | Method for measuring formation properties with a time-limited formation test An apparatus and method for determining at least one downhole formation property is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pretest piston positionable in fluid communication with the formation, and a series of flowlines pressure gauges, and valves configured to selecti... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7258167 | Method and apparatus for storing energy and multiplying force to pressurize a downhole fluid sample A method and apparatus store energy in an energy storage medium located in an energy storage chamber. As a sampling tool descends into the borehole, the energy storage medium is pressurized with hydrostatic pressure. A sample is collected in a sample chamber by pump... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7251565 | Determining fluid composition from fluid properties A method for determining the composition of a fluid by using measured properties of the fluid. One embodiment of the method of the current invention generally comprises: selecting a fluid property that has a response to fluid composition that is linear, or can be ap... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7228898 | Gravel pack completion with fluid loss control fiber optic wet connect A gravel pack completion with fluid loss control and fiber optic wet connect. In a described embodiment, a system for completing a subterranean well includes multiple assemblies installed in a wellbore. Each assembly has a fiber optic line. The fiber optic lines are... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7216533 | Methods for using a formation tester A method of testing a downhole formation using a formation tester on a drill string. The formation tester is disposed downhole on a drill string and a formation test is performed by forming a seal between a formation probe assembly and the formation. A drawdown pist... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7210344 | Method for measuring formation properties with a time-limited formation test An apparatus and method for determining at least one downhole formation property is disclosed. The apparatus includes a probe and a pretest piston positionable in fluid communication with the formation, and a series of flowlines pressure gauges, and valves configure... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7210343 | Method and apparatus for obtaining a micro sample downhole The present invention provides a downhole sample tank and a plurality of micro sample chambers. The micro sample chambers can have at least one window for introduction of visible, near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and other electromagnetic energy into the tank... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7195063 | Downhole sampling apparatus and method for using same A method and apparatus for sampling formation fluid includes drawing formation fluid from the subterranean formation into the downhole tool and collecting the formation fluid in a sample chamber. An exit flow line is operatively connected to the sample chamber for s... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7188672 | Well string assembly A well string assembly includes an upper tubular well string part having upper and lower ends between which there is formed a passageway, a lower well string part having upper and lower ends, which lower end is spaced apart from the lower end of the upper well strin... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7096976 | Drilling formation tester, apparatus and methods of testing and monitoring status of tester An integrated drilling and evaluation system includes a drill string having an interior portion and a drill bit, carried on a lower end, that includes ports for communicating fluid between the interior portion of the drill string and an uncased well bore. A packer, ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7093674 | Drilling formation tester, apparatus and methods of testing and monitoring status of tester An integrated drilling and evaluation system includes a drill string having an interior portion and a drill bit, carried on a lower end, that includes ports for communicating fluid between the interior portion of the drill string and an uncased well bore. A packer, ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7083009 | Pressure controlled fluid sampling apparatus and method A formation fluid sampling tool including at least one sample tank mounted in a tool collar. The tool collar includes a through bore and is disposed to be operatively coupled with a drill string such that each sample tank may receive a correspondingly preselected fo... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7066281 | Formation fluid sampling and hydraulic testing tool and packer assembly therefor A drilling apparatus that includes a formation fluid sampling and hydraulic testing tool for a drilling apparatus that includes a drilling string comprised of a drilling pipe and a drilling bit is provided. The tool is mounted on a string that comprises from top to ... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7024917 | Method and apparatus for an acoustic pulse decay density determination An acoustic transducer is in contact with a near wall that has a much different acoustic impedance than a fluid. The transducer transmits an acoustic pulse into into the wall (such as a plate, a wall of a tube or a wall of a sample chamber) that is in contact with t... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7000697 | Downhole measurement apparatus and technique A system that is usable with a subterranean well that has a casing includes an apparatus that is associated with production of fluid from the well and is located downhole in the well in a passageway of the casing. The system also includes a sensor that is located do... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6976535 | Method of utilizing flowable devices in wellbores Flowable devices provide communicate between surface and downhole instruments. The flowable devices having unique addresses are introduced into the flow of a fluid flowing in the wellbore. The flowable devices are used for providing information to a downhole control... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6964301 | Method and apparatus for subsurface fluid sampling The apparatuses and methods herein relate to techniques for extracting fluid from a subsurface formation. A downhole sampling tool is provided with a probe having an internal wall capable of selectively diverting virgin fluids into virgin flow channels for sampling,... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6941804 | Determining the PVT properties of a hydrocarbon reservoir fluid A method of determining an in situ PVT property of a hydrocarbon reservoir fluid that is present in a hydrocarbon-bearing formation layer traversed by a borehole, which method involves the steps of: a) calculating along the hydroca... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6935425 | Method for utilizing microflowable devices for pipeline inspections Microflowable devices can be used in pipelines to perform inspections. Disclosed are methods of using microflowable devices to measure parameters of interest within a pipeline to inspect the pipeline for conditions such as stress, corrosion, wall erosion and the lik... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6923052 | Methods to detect formation pressure Methods for estimating formation pressure from data taken during the drawdown cycle are presented. In one aspect, a method of determining a formation pressure during drawdown of a formation comprises sampling fluid from a formation using a downhole tool having a sam... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6766703 | Apparatus and method for enhancing remote sensor performance and utility Apparatus and methods for sensing one or more physical parameters at a remote location while minimizing or eliminating contact between reservoir fluids and the like at the remote location and the sensor used to sense the physical parameters. In one example arrangeme... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6758090 | Method and apparatus for the detection of bubble point pressure The present invention discloses a method and apparatus to detect bubbles in a fluid sample to determine if gases are present, wherein an ultrasonic source is used and its properties monitored. Fluctuations in the ultrasonic source's electrical properties indicate th... | 07/06/2004 |
| 6745833 | Method of utilizing flowable devices in wellbores This invention relates to flowable devices and methods of utilizing such flowable devices in wellbores to provide communicate between surface and downhole instruments, among downhole devices, establish a communication network in the wellbore, act as sensors, and act... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6702017 | Apparatus and method for well fluid sampling A well fluid sampling tool (5) having a sample chamber (315) at least partly contained within an at least partially evacuated jacket (160, 165, 170), the outermost wall (160) of the jacket (160, 165, 170) being adjacent to or forming an outermost wall of ... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6581454 | Apparatus for measurement An apparatus is provided comprising a first tubular having an inside surface and outside surface defining an outside diameter; a second tubular concentric with the first tubular, the second tubular having an inside surface defining an inside diameter grea... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6443228 | Method of utilizing flowable devices in wellbores This invention relates to flowable devices and methods of utilizing such flowable devices in wellbores to provide communicate between surface and downhole instruments, among downhole devices, establish a communication network in the wellbore, act as senso... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6427529 | Instrument for surveying the depth and volume of oil and brine in a static fluid column of an oil well An instrument and method for surveying the static fluid column of a cased oil well and measuring the volume of oil and brine in the fluid column is disclosed. The instrument uses the inherent differences in specific gravity between water, oil and brine to... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6427530 | Apparatus and method for formation testing while drilling using combined absolute and differential pressure measurement The present invention provides a tool and method for obtaining at least one parameter of interest such as pressure of a subterranean formation in-situ. The tool comprises a carrier member for conveying the tool into a borehole, at least one selectively ex... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6408691 | Well monitoring system A well monitoring apparatus for burial in the ground to sample and monitor subsurface water having a cylindrical bailer unit with an internal reservoir chamber for collection of samples communicated thereto from outside the bailer. A pressurization system... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6378362 | In-situ Vadose zone remote sensor This invention provides saturated and unsaturated Vadose zone remote sample acquisition and in-situ contaminant character identification. The invention is addressed to the management of the Vadose zone. Matters of interest to the agricultural community ma... | 04/30/2002 |
