Abstract: An apparatus and process are described which can measure the strength of an evanescent field at the surface of an optical fiber. Light is injected into an end of the optical fiber while the portion of the fiber to be tested is contacted with a material having a higher index of refraction than the optical fiber. The amount of light lost, i.e., coupled out of the fiber, is a function of the evanescent field strength at the cladding surface of the optical fiber. This loss can be correlated with optical fibers which have thicker and thinner claddings to determine the thickness of the cladding and/or the extent of removal of the cladding by, for example, etching.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for increasing the capacity of a tubular driven pile. A refrigeration unit is lowered into the pile and grouted in place above a cement plug. The area between the refrigeration unit and the plug is filled with a secondary refrigerant. Seawater fills the pile above the refrigeration unit and is used for refrigeration unit cooling. The refrigeration unit cools the brine until the soil surrounding the pile is frozen. The adfreeze strength of the frozen soil and the pile increase the pull-out resistance of the pile. Further, the end-bearing capacity of the pile is increased as a result of the large frozen mass surrounding the pile.

Abstract: Burned oil shale recycled as heat transfer solids in retorting process conditioned under reducing conditions with hydrocarbon to improve product yield.

Abstract: A method and means for determining the amount of stretch in a well logging cable is disclosed. An optical fiber is run into a well with a logging cable and looped back to the surface. A second optical fiber of nominal length is maintained on the surface. A source of monochromatic light is passed through both fibers and recombined. As the well logging tool is raised and lowered in the wellbore, the number of interference fringes passing a fixed point is determined. The change in length of the optical fiber and, therefore, the cable will be equal to 1/2 the number of interference fringes passing a fixed point times the wavelength of light used. A precise determination of vertical location can then be made when this information is combined with information from a surface mounted odometer or encoder. This information further allows a precise determination of interval bulk density or other formation parameters in which it is important to know the depth of a tool.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the dissolution of the gravel pack and/or the erosion of silicate-containing formations subjected to steam-enhanced oil recovery processes. The method includes the addition of CO.sub.2 into the residual liquid phase of the steam, prior to injection down the well bore, to reduce the pH to form about pH 5 to about pH 9.

Abstract: It has been found that a lubricating oil containing: (1) an alkali metal borate; (2) an oil-soluble sulfur compound; (3) a dialkyl hydrogen phosphite; and (4) a mixture of neutralized phosphates said phosphates being essentially free of monothiophosphates interacts synergistically to provide a lubricant with superior load carrying properties.

Abstract: The present invention is a downhole seismic source capable of generating seismic forces in excess of 1000 newtons. The source produces seismic waves for seismic applications, particularly cross borehole measurements and vertical seismic profiling. Coupled with motion sensing devices, the present invention also performs as a seismic logging tool. The source is comprised of an outer housing, a means for clamping the source securely to the wellbore, and a linear electromagnetic actuator which utilizes permanent magnetic material having remanent magnetic field exceeding about 0.9 T such as rare earth permanent magnetics. The source has a diameter of about 12.5 cm to fit within a typical wellbore and the actuator has a length of about 1 meter.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the dissolution of the gravel pack and silicate- or carbonate-containing formations subjected to steam-enhanced oil recovery processes while inhibiting the corrosion of mild steel. The method includes the controlled addition of a salt to the steam feed water to maintain the pH of the residual liquid phase in the range of from 8 to 10. Preferred salts are ammonium salts, such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride.

Abstract: The response characteristics of a combination of hole-centered electric logging tools in a variety of borehole conditions can be obtained by means of impedance values as entries of a matrix resulting from measurements over a series of depth increments, utilizing an array of M electrode assemblies of equal incremental spacing positioned on a rigid mandrel. While the array is substantially stationary within the borehole, currents from ech electrode are emitted independently, one at a time, allowing the impedance matrix to be formed by the principle of linear superposition in terms of voltage and voltage difference measurements between adjacent electrodes; the impedance matrix is inverted and used to generate a set of tool responses, which when properly compared to a set of tool responses previously generated by computer simulation and addressable by sets of borehole parameters and calibration factors, allows the corresponding borehole conditions to be deduced from the measured data.

Abstract: Carboxylic amide dispersants are reacted with a fluorine-containing acid reagent selected from fluorophosphoric acid, boron trifluoride, fluoboric acid and the ammonium salts thereof. The reaction of the dispersant with the fluorine-containing acid passivates the dispersant to fluorocarbon compositions used as seals, for example in automobile engines.

Abstract: Disclosed is a one-step method of producing an industrial asphalt from a bituminous material which comprises mixing together without air-blowing:(a) a feed material comprising a bituminous material having a viscosity of at least 50 centistokes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and wherein the feed petroleum residuum forms a single phase when mixed with 5 percent of paratoluene sulfonic acid; and(b) from about 0.1 to 20.0 percent by weight of an organic sulfonic acid, said mixing being done at a temperature in the range of 351 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, whereby the softening point of the feed is substantially increased and the penetration is significantly decreased.

Abstract: Disclosed are additives which are useful as dispersants in marine crankcase oils and hydraulic oils, lubricating oils. In particular, disclosed are hydrocarbyl-substituted amides having at least one primary or secondary amino group which have been modified by treatment with a cyclic carbonate.

Abstract: Disclosed are additives which are useful as dispersants in marine crankcase oils, hydraulic oils, and lubricating oils. In particular, disclosed are polyamino alkenyl or alkyl succinimides modified by reaction with a compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of a divalent hydrocarbyl group of from 2 to 30 carbon atoms with the proviso that the hydrocarbyl carbon atom bound to one ##STR2## group is not also bound to the other ##STR3## group and --R.sub.5 --OR.sub.5 --.sub.p wherein R.sub.5 is alkylene of from 2 to 5 carbon atoms and p is an integer of from 1 to 100; X is selected from the group consisting of bromo, chloro and --OR.sub.6 wherein R.sub.6 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl and phenyl substituted with 1 to 2 substituents selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo, nitro, alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and trifluoromethyl; and m is independently an integer of from 0 to 1.

Abstract: An isomerization catalyst which is useful for lowering the normal paraffin content of a hydrocarbon oil feedstock is described. The catalyst comprises an intermediate pore size silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve and at least one Group VIII metal wherein the metal is occluded in the moleular sieve.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a dispersed Group VIB metal sulfide hydrocarbon oil hydroprocessing catalyst comprising reacting aqueous ammonia and a Group VIB metal compound, such as molybdenum oxide or tungsten oxide, to form a water soluble oxygen-containing compound such as aqueous ammonium molybdate or tungstate. The aqueous ammonium molybdate or tungstate is sulfided in at least three sulfiding steps of increasing temperature including a low temperature sulfiding step, an intermediate temperature sulfiding step and a high temperature sulfiding step. Some of the oxygen associated with said Group VIB metal is replaced by sulfur in each of the sulfiding steps. It has been found the maximum total level of replacement of oxygen by sulfur achieved in the intermediate temperature step is particularly critical to catalyst activity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a catalytic process for the production of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. More particularly, disclosed is a catalytic process for the conversion of methane to C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons, particularly hydrocarbons rich in ethylene or benzene, or both. The process utilizes a metal-containing catalyst, high reaction temperature of greater than 1000.degree. C., and a high gas hourly space velocity of greater than 3200 hr.sup.-1.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons containing vanadium are converted to lower boiling fractions employing a zeolitic cracking catalyst containing a significant concentration of a calcium-containing additive e.g. calcium corbonate dolomite and amorphous as a vanadium passivating calcium silicate agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a catalytic process for the production of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. More particularly, disclosed is a catalytic process for the conversion of methane to C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons, particularly hydrocarbons rich in ethylene or benzene, or both. The process utilizes a metal-containing catalyst, high reaction temperature of greater than 1000.degree. C., and a high gas hourly space velocity of greater than 3200 hr.sup.-1.

Abstract: Disclosed is a catalytic process for the production of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. More particularly, disclosed is a catalytic process for the conversion of methane to C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons, particularly hydrocarbons rich in ethylene or benzene, or both. The process utilizes a metal-containing catalyst, high reaction temperature of greater than 1000.degree. C., and a high gas hourly space velocity of greater than 3200 hr.sup.-1.

Abstract: Disclosed is a catalytic process for the production of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. More particularly, disclosed is a catalytic process for the conversion of methane to C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, particularly hydrocarbons rich in ethylene or benzene, or both. The process utilizes a metal-containing catalyst, high reaction temperature of greater than 1000.degree. C., and a high gas hourly space velocity of greater than 3200 hr.sup.-1.