Ohio Patent of the Month – November 2022

Terves, LLC, a leading technology developer in the oil and gas industry, have recently been awarded a patent for their design of a temporary well isolation device.

Production wells use a series of tubing and tooling to move fluid from the downhole position to the surface of the well. The construction of a new well often requires a temporary isolation barrier to better control – or limit – fluid flow while construction continues. One common scenario uses frangible barriers along the toe of the well casing, building pressure in the casing in order to test for leaks. The frangible barrier is then removed, unrestricting fluid flow. Unfortunately, if not removed properly, this barrier may fall to the bottom of the wellbore and block fluid flow.

Terves’ isolation device uses chemical-based temporary barriers. The device has a temporary casing which holds a passage and an internal container of this chemical material. The passageway is temporarily covered by a barrier. When the temporary barrier is dislodged, a trigger mechanism creates an open passageway so that the fluid can move down the passageway, towards the chemical container. When the chemical material – which might be either acidic or basic – is exposed to the fluid in the well, the chemical material causes corrosion and dissolution of the temporary housing. The removal of the temporary housing allows for the free flow of fluid through the wellbore. By forcibly degrading the material, it ensures any material that may move down to the bottom of the wellbore will be too small to block fluid flow. The device can also be set up to last for a certain time period, further automating the process of removing the temporary barrier.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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