Augusto L Podio

6497287, Dec 24, 2002

Jun 7, 2000

09/589608

Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX
Paulo M. Carvalho - Rio de Janeiro, BR
Kamy Sepehrnoori - Austin TX

The Board of Regents, The University of Texas System - Austin TX

E21B 4312

166370, 166105

A production system and method for producing fluids from a well are presented. The production system may include a submersible pump and a jet pump. The submersible pump may be arranged within the well. The jet pump may be arranged within the well downstream of the submersible pump. The jet pump may include a power fluid intake configured to receive a power fluid and a produced fluid intake configured to receive a produced fluid. The power fluid intake may be in fluid communication with the submersible pump. The produced fluid intake may be in fluid communication with gas within the well. In an embodiment, the produced fluid intake may be in fluid communication with separated gas within an annulus of the well. Beneficially, the system may allow, among other things, a submersible pump and a jet pump to be used in combination in high gas-liquid-ratio wells without installing a gas vent line.

6634426, Oct 21, 2003

Oct 31, 2001

09/999024

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX, 76308
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX
Dieter J. Becker - Wichita Falls TX
Orvel Lynn Rowlan - Wichita Falls TX

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX

E21B 4700

1662541, 16625015, 16625003, 166372, 166374, 166 64, 166 68, 417508, 137487, 1376242

Plunger lift operations are difficult to optimize due to lack of knowledge of tubing pressure, casing pressure, bottom-hole pressure, liquid accumulation in the tubing and location of the plunger. Monitoring the plunger position in the tubing helps the operator (or controller) to optimize the removal of liquids and gas from the well. The plunger position can be tracked from the surface by monitoring acoustic signals generated as the plunger falls down the tubing. When the plunger passes by a tubing collar recess, an acoustic pulse is generated that travels up the gas within the tubing. The acoustic pulses are monitored at the surface, and are converted to an electrical signal by a microphone. The signal is digitized, and the digitized data is stored in a computer. Software processes this data along with the tubing and casing pressure data to display plunger depth, plunger velocity and well pressures vs. time.

6705403, Mar 16, 2004

Aug 8, 2002

10/216703

Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX
Paulo M. Carvalho - Rio de Janeiro, BR
Kamy Sepehrnoori - Austin TX

The Board of Regents, The University of Texas System - Austin TX

E21B 4312

166370, 166105

A production system and method for producing fluids from a well are presented. The production system may include a submersible pump and a jet pump. The submersible pump may be arranged within the well. The jet pump may be arranged within the well downstream of the submersible pump. The jet pump may include a power fluid intake configured to receive a power fluid and a produced fluid intake configured to receive a produced fluid. The power fluid intake may be in fluid communication with the submersible pump. The produced fluid intake may be in fluid communication with gas within the well. In an embodiment, the produced fluid intake may be in fluid communication with separated gas within an annulus of the well. Beneficially, the system may allow, among other things, a submersible pump and a jet pump to be used in combination in high gas-liquid-ratio wells without installing a gas vent line.

52008940, Apr 6, 1993

Jul 16, 1990

7/552529

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX
Kenneth L. Huddleston - Wichita Falls TX

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX

G01V 100

364422

An echo sounding system includes an acoustic gun which is mounted to the wellhead of a borehole. The acoustic gun produces an acoustic pulse which is transmitted down the borehole. A tubing string is installed in the borehole and it has substantially evenly spaced collars. Fluid is pumped from the borehole, or well, by use of a reciprocating pump driven by a pump rod extending to the surface. The acoustic pulse produces reflections when it strikes the tubing collars and the surface of the fluid. A microphone detects the reflections to produce a return signal. This signal is digitized and stored. The digitized signal is processed to detect the rate of the collar reflections and the stored signal is narrowband filtered with a passband filter centered at the rate of receipt of the collars. Each cycle of the narrowband filtered signal corresponds to one collar reflection. In this signal, each cycle is counted, and extrapolation used when necessary to produce a collar count extending from the surface to the liquid surface.

56532865, Aug 5, 1997

May 12, 1995

8/440217

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX

E21B 4300

1661055

A downhole gas separator is connected to the lower end of a tubing string. The separator includes a tubular body which has a decentralizer mounted to one side for driving the opposite side of the separator against an interior wall of the casing. This creates a narrow flow zone between the separator body and the adjacent casing wall and a wider flow zone on the decentralizer side of the body. A fluid inlet is provided on the side of the gas separator tubular body facing the narrow flow zone. The fluid in the narrow flow zone has a substantially higher concentration of liquid than the fluid in the wider flow zone. Fluid, primarily liquid, flows through the fluid inlet into a chamber within the separator. A dip tube transfers the fluid from the separator chamber to the pump.

54640580, Nov 7, 1995

Mar 17, 1995

8/405736

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX
James W. Jennings - Hearne TX

E21B 4700

16625001

In a pumping well, oil is normally lifted to the surface by a rod which extends from the surface to a downhole pump. A transducer is attached to the rod at the surface to sense the deformation, i. e. , the change in diameter or circumference of the rod to determine change in rod loading. The transducer includes strain gauges which produce output signals proportional to the change in the diameter or circumference of the rod which occurs due to changes in load on the rod. The transducer may also include an accelerometer. The change in load on the polished rod over a pump cycle is used in conjunction with data produced by the accelerometer to calculate a downhole card. The downhole card showing change in pump load is adjusted to reflect absolute rod load by determining an appropriate offset. Various ways to determine the offset are available. Since the pump plunger load is zero on the downstroke when the traveling valve is open, the value necessary to correct the calculated minimum pump value to a zero load condition may be used as the offset.

51173999, May 26, 1992

Jul 16, 1990

7/552465

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX
Kenneth L. Huddleston - Wichita Falls TX
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX

G01S 1500
G01U 100

367 99

An echo sounding system includes a acoustic gun which is mounted to the wellhead of a borehole. The acoustic gun produces a acoustic pulse which is transmitted down the borehole. A tubing string is installed in the borehole and it has substantially evenly spaced collars. Fluid is pumped from the borehole, or well, by use of a reciprocating pump driven by a pump rod extending to the surface. Fluid is received from a surrounding formation and collects in the borehole. The acoustic pulse produces reflections when it strikes the tubing collars and the surface of the fluid. A microphone detects the reflections to produce a return signal. This signal is digitized and stored. The digitized signal is processed to detect the rate of the collar reflections and the stored signal is narrowband filtered with a passband filter centered at the rate of receipt of the collars. The data signal is further processed to determine the time of occurrence of the acoustic pulse and the liquid surface reflection. Each cycle of the narrowband filtered signal corresponds to one collar reflection.

55896332, Dec 31, 1996

Apr 7, 1995

8/418378

James N. McCoy - Wichita Falls TX
Jerry B. West - Dallas TX
Augusto L. Podio - Austin TX

G06F 1500

417 63

An oil well pumping unit has a walking beam which raises and lowers a rod connected to a downhole pump. To perform well analysis, it is desirable to know the position of the rod during the stroke. An accelerometer is mounted on the pumping system unit to move in conjunction with the rod. An output signal from the accelerometer is digitized and provided to a portable computer. The computer processes the digitized accelerometer signal to integrate it to first produce a velocity data set and second produce a position data set. Operations are carried out to modify the signal and produce a position trace with stroke markers to indicate positions of the rod during its cyclical operation.