Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7419937 | Method for providing treatment chemicals in a subterranean well A method of delivering chemicals such as scale inhibitor into a wellbore producing fluids includes providing the chemicals, in a slow-release form, in a container located in the path of the production fluids so that the production fluids pass through the container. ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7290617 | Running a completion assembly without killing a well A technique to place a completion assembly in a well while maintaining the well in an underbalanced condition includes running a plug on a deployment tool to a desired depth in the well. The technique includes setting the plug in the well; retrieving the deployment ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7234522 | Apparatus and method for drilling a wellbore with casing and cementing the casing in the wellbore A float system for use in cementing a casing in a wellbore. The wellbore is drilled with a drill bit attached to the casing. The drill bit is removed after the wellbore is drilled. The float system is lowered into the casing after the drill bit is removed. The float... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7198101 | Downhole release joint A downhole apparatus permitting separation of one part of downhole equipment from another part thereof includes a first part connected to a second part by a connecting member which limits axial and rotational movement of the first and second parts and has first and ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7048066 | Downhole sealing tools and method of use A downhole tool apparatus for insertion into and sealing engagement with a wellbore. The downhole tool includes upper and lower casing engaging members and an intervening sealing member. In one aspect the intervening sealing member may be a deformable material. In a... | 05/23/2006 |
| 6966376 | Method and composition for downhole cementing Disclosed is a method to increase the bonding forces of a hydraulic cement to a subterranean pipe (such as a casing) by the addition of at least one cementitious expansive agent to increase the bulk volume of the cement plug and a latex. The method includes position... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6880642 | Well abandonment plug A method and apparatus of plugging and abandoning a well includes using a plug apparatus and installing bentonite elements in an oil well production casing having a bore. The plug apparatus is lowered into the production casing bore to a selected elevation using a s... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6789627 | Control line cutting tool and method An apparatus includes a first member, a second member releasably attached to the first member, and a control line shear mechanism disposed proximate an interface between the first member and the second member. The first and second members can each have a longitudina... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6655475 | Product and method for treating well bores A product, system and method for treating a well bore using a concentrated treatment composition enclosed in a soluble container. The composition-filled container is deposited in the well, preferably through the drill string, followed by a solvent, such a... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6648071 | Apparatus comprising expandable bistable tubulars and methods for their use in wellbores A technique for connecting expandable tubulars. The technique comprises an expandable connector system that facilitates the connection of tubular components, such as tubulars used in wellbore environments.... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6626074 | Down hole pipe and casing cutter A down hole pipe cutter is provided to cut a section of pipe from the pipe's interior. The device includes a lower guide plate, an upper guide plate, a connector rod interconnecting the lower guide plate to the upper guide plate, and an eccentrically moun... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6585040 | Downhole drilling apparatus A downhole drilling apparatus for interconnection in a casing or liner string having a drill bit disposed thereon for enabling the drilling of intersecting wellbores without removal of the drill bit is disclosed. In a disclosed embodiment, the apparatus c... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6152233 | Surge anchor assembly The present invention is a surge anchor mechanism which includes a main body, lower unit slidable in relation to the main body, and slip members. The slip members have at least one inclined end surface. The lower unit has an inclined surface forming a fru... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6152219 | Downhole pulling tool A downhole pulling tool (100) for retrieving downhole devices (102, 104) from a wellbore is disclosed. The downhole pulling tool (100) includes a mandrel (106) and a sleeve (108) that is slidably disposed about the mandrel (106). The sleeve (108) is movea... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6095245 | Well perforating and packing apparatus and method A repositionable apparatus for perforating and gravel packing an underground well uses gravity or other means to reposition the apparatus instead of a conventional wireline or work string attached to a rig. Perforating and packing can be accomplished with... | 08/01/2000 |
| 6050336 | Method and apparatus to isolate a specific zone A method and apparatus are disclosed which allow isolation of a plurality of zones for treatment, particularly sand fracturing. The lowermost barrier can be pumped through tubing and anchored in cased or open holes. In the preferred embodiment, the pumped... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5934372 | Pump system and method for pumping well fluids The invention provides apparatus for producing well fluids from an oil bearing formation penetrated by a well. The apparatus includes a tubing string forming a production flow path for production fluids between the earth's surface and a location in the we... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5765639 | Tubing pump system for pumping well fluids The invention provides apparatus for producing well fluids from an oil bearing formation penetrated by a well including a tubing string forming a production flow path for production fluids between the earth's surface and a location in the well suitable fo... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5758725 | Method and device for enhancing oil and gas flow in a well A method and device for increasing oil and gas recovery include connecting an oil and gas flow enhancing stick to a weighted plunger to speed the decent of the stick to the bottom of a well, which optionally includes a retrieving member to retrieve the pl... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5505258 | Parallel tubing system for pumping well fluids The present invention provides a pumping system having separate parallel power tubing and production tubing strings in which production is pumped up the production tubing through a removable flow control valve and a rod operated insertable and removable p... | 04/09/1996 |
| 5109923 | Wellhead bowl protector The invention relates to apparatus for protecting wellhead bores during drilling operations, and more particularly to bowl protectors for preventing damage to wellhead bore seal surfaces as drilling equipment passes through the wellhead. The invention inc... | 05/05/1992 |
| 4993493 | Retrievable landing method and assembly for a well bore A retrievable landing method and assembly for lowering on a well string into a well bore a retrievable receptacle having a landing shoulder and sealably securing it in position on a tubular member landing seat. The retrievable receptacle is releasably cou... | 02/19/1991 |
| 4905759 | Collapsible gun assembly The described invention includes an apparatus for perforating a well through use of one or more perforating guns in a collapsible perforating assembly. The collapsible perforating assembly includes a collapsible spacer mandrel which may be placed between ... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4877089 | Method and apparatus for coupling wireline tools to coil tubing Apparatus for coupling wireline tools to coil tubing wherein a pull-out, disconnect, is provided. The pull-out consists of two tubular members with flared, bell-shaped portions, one such portion being coaxially disposed within the other. A ferrule applies... | 10/31/1989 |
| 4846279 | Method and means for introducing treatment fluid into a well bore Treatment fluid is injected into the production fluid of a well from a bladder contained in a canister at the bottom portion of the well bore. The flow rate is predetermined through use of a capillary tube connecting the bladder and an injection outlet. D... | 07/11/1989 |
| 4790386 | Method and means for introducing treatment composition into a well bore Treatment composition is released into a well by lowering a container filled with the composition to the bottom of the well. The corrosive well fluid dissolves the composition through the open upper end of the container and corrodes away the walls of the ... | 12/13/1988 |
| 4721159 | Method and device for conveying chemicals through borehole A capsule for conveying chemicals through a borehole for stopping lost circulation is totally made from a thermoplastic or fragile material or has a bottom plate made from such a material. The capsule containing the chemicals is let down until it reaches ... | 01/26/1988 |
| 4706753 | Method and device for conveying chemicals through borehole A capsule for conveying chemicals through a borehole for stopping lost circulation has a fragile bottom plate. A weight for destroying the bottom plate is suspended above the capsule by a cord which extends over knife edges. A messenger for cutting the co... | 11/17/1987 |
| 4338999 | Knockout pin trap A trap to catch knockout plugs or "pins" from casing inflation packers. The trap is mounted in the well casing above a float valve, and catches pins falling from casing inflation packers in the casing above it as these pins are broken off by a cementing p... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4276934 | Method and device for blocking wells to extinguish fires, prohibit saltwater intrusion, etc. A well, such as an oil well, may be plugged, on command, from the well head, by activating a plurality of preplaced motor-driven, foam generating capsules causing a foam to be generated and forced into the well hole where it hardens.... | 07/07/1981 |
| 4191254 | Apparatus and method for plugging voids in a ground stratum Apparatus and method of filling voids in a ground stratum in the vicinity of a well bore are enclosed. The apparatus is a self-contained device and, for example, it can be placed in the well bore in the vicinity of the voids to be plugged by dropping the ... | 03/04/1980 |
