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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8141641 | Backup safety flow control system for concentric drill string A technique is presented for providing a double-barrier to formation fluids during drilling operations with a concentric drill string having an inner bore and an annulus. A primary flow control system is used to provide a first barrier to formation fluids in the inn... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8132625 | Dual action jet bushing An eductor sub is used as a portion of a downhole debris removal apparatus. It features an eductor outlet port that is selectively closed for run in to allow flow pumped through a tubing string to all go to the lower end of the debris removal tool to fluidize the de... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8118101 | Ball catcher with retention capability A ball catcher is designed to stop balls that are the same size or different sizes at an inlet on a seat that is connected to a movable biased sleeve. Once the ball or other shaped object lands at the seat the flow around it increases differential pressure on the se... | 02/21/2012 |
| 7934559 | Single cycle dart operated circulation sub A circulating sub is run in with the circulating port closed. A dart blocks a central passage and moves two concentric pistons in tandem to open the circulation port while retaining the dart. The outer piston shoulders out in the circulation port open position. A se... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7866397 | Activating mechanism for controlling the operation of a downhole tool An activating mechanism for controlling the operation of a downhole tool in a drill string and which is intended to be housed in a portion of the drill string upstream of the downhole tool, in which: the activating mechanism has a first mode in which it allows throu... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7661478 | Ball drop circulation valve A downhole tool can perform a series of operations with balls of the same size where movement caused by pressuring up on the first ball positions the next seat to accept another ball just like it. In a preferred embodiment a circulation sub is run in with a port clo... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7637323 | Ball seat having fluid activated ball support Apparatuses for closing a well conduit comprise a housing having a longitudinal bore and a seat disposed within the bore. A chamber is disposed within the housing and includes a plug element support member, such as ram or piston, operatively associated within the ch... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7533728 | Ball operated back pressure valve A method for selectively closing a downhole one way check valve, the method having the following steps: attaching the valve to a casing; locking the valve in an open configuration; running the casing and the valve into the wellbore; reverse circulating a composition... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7431091 | Method and apparatus for wellbore fluid treatment A tubing string assembly for fluid treatment of a wellbore includes substantially pressure holding closures spaced along the tubing string, which each close at least one port through the tubing string wall. The closures are openable by a sleeve drivable through the ... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7416029 | Downhole tool A downhole tool which can perform a task in a well bore, such as circulating fluid radially from the tool. The function is selectively performed by virtue of a sleeve moving within a central bore of the tool. Movement of the sleeve is effected by dropping a ball thr... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7377321 | Testing, treating, or producing a multi-zone well An assembly having plural valves is run into a wellbore having plural zones, where each of the valves is actuatable by dropping a valve-actuating object into the corresponding valve. The valves are successively actuating, in a predetermined sequence, to an open stat... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7360600 | Subsurface safety valves and methods of use A subsurface safety valve comprises a tubular body adapted for placement within a wellbore and defining a fluid passageway. A valve closure member, such as a flapper valve, is carried by the tubular body and movable through a closure path between positions opening a... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357181 | Apparatus for autofill deactivation of float equipment and method of reverse cementing A method for cementing a casing in a wellbore, the method having the following steps: attaching a valve to a casing; locking the valve in an open configuration; running the casing and the valve into the wellbore; reverse circulating a cement composition down an annu... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350582 | Wellbore tool with disintegratable components and method of controlling flow The present invention generally provides a pressure isolation plug for managing a wellbore with multiple zones. The pressure isolation plug generally includes a body with a bore extending therethrough, a first disintegratable ball sized and positioned to restrict up... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347289 | Dart-operated big bore by-pass valve A by-pass tool is provided which has a large bore throughflow passage when in an inactive drilling mode, and which is capable of being activated upon launching of an activation dart from the surface, to an active mode in which drillstring fluids can be diverted to a... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7322417 | Technique and apparatus for completing multiple zones An apparatus that is usable with a well includes a string and a plurality of tools that are mounted in the string. The string includes a passageway. The tools are mounted in the string and are adapted to be placed in a state to catch objects (free-falling objects an... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7322432 | Fluid diverter tool and method The present invention relates to a diverter tool used in a pipe string used to lower a liner and a cutting apparatus on the end thereof into a partially cased wellbore. The diverter tool has a diverter body that defines a longitudinal flow passage and has the divert... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7311153 | Flow-biased sequencing valve A technique that is usable with a well includes providing a sequencing valve to in a first state to communicate a first flow through a first port of the valve and in a second state close fluid communication through the first port. The technique includes communicatin... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7308934 | Fracturing isolation sleeve An apparatus operatively coupled to a well having a production casing positioned therein, the apparatus including a first device having and internal bore, a second device having an internal bore, and a fracture isolation sleeve disposed at least partially within the... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7243728 | Sliding sleeve devices and methods using O-ring seals as shear members Devices and methods for releasably securing components of a device having a sliding sleeve arrangement to prevent premature actuation due to vibration. In a currently preferred embodiment, standard elastomeric O-rings are used as shear members. The O-ring shear memb... | 07/17/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7150326 | Bi-directional ball seat system and method The present invention provides a bi-directional ball seat and method of use. In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a fluid control system that includes a radial protrusion that can be selectively engaged and disengaged upstream and/or from a bal... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7134505 | Method and apparatus for wellbore fluid treatment A tubing string assembly is disclosed for fluid treatment of a wellbore. The tubing string can be used for staged wellbore fluid treatment where a selected segment of the wellbore is treated, while other segments are sealed off. The tubing string can also be used wh... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7108068 | Floating plate back pressure valve assembly A back pressure valve assembly for use in a well casing string. The valve assembly comprises a housing with a stationary and a floating plate therein. The floating plate is moveable between an open position spaced from the stationary plate and a closed position enga... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7100700 | Downhole ball dropping apparatus A ball release mechanism is mounted near the intended seat. The ball or balls are kept out of the circulating stream. High circulation rates followed by curtailment of circulation places an outlet port in position to allow the ball or balls to be pushed out by a spr... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7080687 | Anti-rotation method and apparatus for limiting rotation of cementing plugs An apparatus for preventing or limiting the rotation of cementing plugs in a casing string during drillout. The apparatus includes an outer housing with a sleeve disposed therein. The sleeve has an inner surface configured to engage cementing plugs received therein ... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7066249 | Cementing manifold assembly Apparatus for cementing a string of tubulars in a borehole comprises an enclosure having a bore therethrough, an axially fixed sphere canister having a sphere aperture therethrough, a sphere valve member having a valve body disposed internally of said bore, and a sp... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7055605 | Downhole circulation valve operated by dropping balls A downhole tool (10) for selectively circulating fluid in a borehole is disclosed. The tool operates via the use of a combination of deformable drop balls (36) and smaller hard drop balls (40). In use a deformable drop ball (36) moves a s... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7051821 | Adjustable hole cleaning device An adjustable hole cleaning device is provided for cleaning a hole in a subterranean formation. A drillstring containing the device is rotated to drill a hole through the subterranean formation. While rotating the drillstring, drilling fluid is circulated through th... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7032668 | Cementing system and method for wellbores The present invention provides a cementing system and method for wellbores by cementing an annulus between a wellbore casing and a wellbore. In at least one embodiment, the invention includes a landing collar defining a restricted passage, a wellbore casing defining... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7025131 | Electrical tubing control and remediation apparatus and method of use The method of operating a subsurface safety valve and preventing or remediating the formations of hydrate, wax, or paraffin solids in the well bore of an oil or gas well comprising coating the external area of the intermediate portion of a string of tubing to electr... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7021389 | Bi-directional ball seat system and method The present invention provides a bi-directional ball seat and method of use. In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a fluid control system that includes a radial protrusion that can be selectively engaged and disengaged upstream and/or from a bal... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6966380 | Valves for use in wells A valve assembly to control the intake of fluid. The valve assembly has a valve body and a valve choke disposed therein. The valve choke has a choke bore through the interior of the valve choke. The valve choke has a plurality of orifices to the choke bore spaced at... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6966368 | Plug and expel flow control device Devices and methods for fluid flow control within a production tubing string wherein a temporary flow blockage is established and selectively removed from the tubing string so that pressure testing or operation of a hydraulic tool within the string may be performed.... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6959766 | Downhole ball drop tool A ball drop tool for dropping an actuating ball to a ball seat located in a tool or tool string therebelow. The ball drop tool includes a housing with a ball drop cage positioned therein. The ball drop cage has a rocker arm pivotably attached thereto. In a first pos... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6923255 | Activating ball assembly for use with a by-pass tool in a drill string A by-pass tool to be incorporated in a drill string, in combination with an activating ball assembly operative to adjust the tool between an activated mode and a de-activated mode. The tool has a valve seat engageable by the activating ball assembly to move its slee... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6920930 | Drop ball catcher apparatus A drop ball catcher apparatus for use with downhole tools in oil well drilling and installation operations. A drop ball catcher apparatus is used to receive and stow a drop ball ejected from a ball-actuated downhole tool. ... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6907936 | Method and apparatus for wellbore fluid treatment A tubing string assembly is disclosed for fluid treatment of a wellbore. The tubing string can be used for staged wellbore fluid treatment where a selected segment of the wellbore is treated, while other segments are sealed off. The tubing string can also be used wh... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6904970 | Cementing manifold assembly A cementing manifold is disclosed that preferably includes: modular housings that can be stacked together and interconnected to add multi-dart or multi-sphere capability; identical, interchangeable valves; internal bypass capability; a minimum number of protrusions ... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6902006 | Lock open and control system access apparatus and method for a downhole safety valve A lock open device for a flapper is disclosed. The tool engages in the sub-surface safety valve (SSSV) body and rotates the flapper to the open position, without shifting the flow tube. The flapper base is preferably held by a shearable thread and has a groove for e... | 06/07/2005 |
