Abstract: Two modifications of an offshore marine seismic energy source tow system are disclosed. Both systems comprise transmitters and receivers therein for continuously measuring the distance between a vessel towed submerged geophone streamer cable and a towed seismic air gun supporting paravane on each side of the streamer cable for generating and transmitting corrective steering signals to the paravane for maintaining each seismic air gun spaced from the towed submerged geophones at an exact predetermined distance for producing more accurate seismic velocity measurements. One embodiment has the acoustic transmitter on the geophone streamer cable and an acoustic receiver on each paravane in line with the transmitter, and a second embodiment has an acoustic transmitter on each paravane and a corresponding acoustic receiver for each paravane on the geophone streamer cable transversely of the transmitter. Methods for assembling the above two systems are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for heating a well or for initiating an in situ combustion operation to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir, a method for assembling an ignition system for the in situ combustion, and an ignition system comprises an elongated combustion chamber suspended from a hollow electrical cable which supplies both electrical means and fuel gas to the chamber. Air inlet ducts in the walls of the combustion chamber receive air from the annular space between the hollow cable and the wellbore tubing. An electrical ignitor is temporarily energized to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the air inlet cylinder. An adjacent thermocouple is responsive to a flameout for re-energizing an ignitor manually such that burner operation is interrupted only momentarily .

Abstract: A method for forming a long-life gas trap comprises basically (a) machining an elongated solid element in a cruciform cross-sectional shape from mill stock for forming a housing with four arms, (b) machining each arm to a square cross-section with four flat surfaces thereon, (c) boring a hole centrally and longitudinally of the housing for forming an elongated chamber having a longitudinal axis, (d) boring a hole parallel to the elongated chamber in each of the four arms of the cruciform shaped housing contiguous to the elongated chamber for forming four tubes contiguous with the four sides of the elongated chamber, and (e) bending the ends of at least four of the tubes with a bending fixture having a roller to a position normal to the longitudinal axis for forming a gas trap that has longer life because of the high resistance to cracking due to continuously alternating between thermal expansion and contraction.

Abstract: Methods for joining two telescopic cylinders underwater and underground in a temporary and inexpensive manner are disclosed, particularly when used as anchoring piles or in offshore tower legs. A gun fires projectiles radially from internally of the pile formed of telescoped cylinders to form the plurality of outwardly extending anchoring bumps in the walls of the cylinders. The projectiles are fired in a horizontal plane immediately outwardly and from within and normal to two telescopic cylinders underwater, for example, with two bumps being formed by each projectile, which bumps overlie each other tightly prior to their being penetrated by the projectile which holds the two bumps together. A number of radiating guns form a like number of pairs of bumps in a circle around the periphery of the telescopic cylinders to form an efficient, inexpensive, and simple temporary connection holding the two cylinders together.

Abstract: Two vertical flow filters for carrying out various methods for rapidly fluidizing a plug are disclosed.An apparatus comprises a vertical elongated granular media filter having vertically spaced apart plug-breaking-up jets on one side from top to bottom for ejecting high pressure fluid horizontally at the plug for fluidizing it, one portion at a time, starting either at the top or the bottom of the filter. The second apparatus comprises a horizontal cylindrical elongated granular media filter having vertically spaced apart groups of jets on both sides, the jets of each group being in horizontal rows on two opposite sides whereby each successive horizontal row, including both rows on each horizontal plane through the filter, breaks up its respective portion of the plug, starting either at the bottom and working up or starting at the top and working down.

Abstract: Process for producing bitumen from a subterranean reservoir of tar sands comprises heating the casing for melting the bitumen from the tar sands adjacent the casing for forming a passage in the reservoir from upper perforations at the top of the reservoir to lower perforations at the bottom of the reservoir, setting a packer in an annulus between the casing and a tubing therein between the upper and lower perforations, circulating hot fluids from the upper perforations and back into lower perforations for melting more bitumen from the tar sands for forming a predetermined size cavity around the casing, adding a packer and a screen to the tubing, ejecting a gravel pack material slurry into the cavity around the screen, ejecting more hot fluids into the cavity for melting more bitumen from the tar sands, and flowing the melted bitumen through the gravel pack, lower perforations, and screen for filtering out the sand and gravel from the melted bitumen for recovering the melted bitumen at the surface.

Abstract: A temperature-sensitive instrument assembly for removable mounting within a vessel, flowline or the like including a flange plate for mounting onto a vessel or flowline nozzle; a hollow mounting tube mounted within and extending through the flange plate into the interior of the vessel, flowline nozzle or the like; a temperature-sensitive element positioned in and extending with the mounting tube into the interior of the vessel, flowline nozzle or the like, the mounting tube having an opening on the downstream side thereof to expose the temperature-sensitive element to fluid conditions within the vessel; and, a shield mounted on the mounting tube opposite from the mounting tube opening for protective positioning upstream of any fluid flow in the vessel, flowline nozzle or the like.

Abstract: Methods and mechanisms for anchoring piles or offshore tower legs to the soil therearound and for joining two telescopic cylinders underwater in a temporary and inexpensive manner are disclosed. A gun fires projectiles radially from internally of the pile to form the plurality of outwardly extending anchoring bumps in the pile. After forming the bumps in the buried pile and simultaneously packing the soil around them, each projectile penetrates its bump and packed soil to provide a pile with increased load-carrying-capacity and with increased resistance-to-pull-out. Likewise, projectiles are fired in a horizontal plane radially outwardly and from within and normal to two telescopic cylinders underwater, for example, with two bumps being formed by each projectile, which bumps overlie each other tightly prior to their being penetrated by the projectile which holds the two bumps together.

Abstract: A method for forming an insulated pipe resistant to high temperatures and great shock forces comprises basically, forming a batt of fiber felt to the inner surface of the pipe, securing a high temperature resistant metal shield over the inner surface of the fiber felt batt, and forming an erosion resistant castable refractory over the inner surface of the high temperature resistant metal shield.

Abstract: Methods for maintaining a steerable paravane supported seismic energy source, as an air gun, positioned laterally at a precise constant predetermined distance from a geophone mounted on a submerged geophone streamer cable while recording offshore marine seismic reflection data from a seismic tow system including electrical controls on a recording boat for towing the paravane and geophone streamer cable. Two modifications are disclosed.

Abstract: An insulated pipe is disclosed comprising a fiber felt batt or first layer secured to the pipe inner surface with studs protruding therethrough this first layer, a high temperature resistant metal shield mounted on the studs and contiguous to the first layer, and a metal grating reinforced erosion resistant castable refractory mounted over all and attached to the tops of the studs for providing an efficient, high temperature and shock resistant, internally insulated pipe.

Abstract: Two methods are disclosed for forming two different bubble cap assemblies for mounting over holes in tray decks of a gas and liquid contact apparatus, as a fractionation tower.

Abstract: A self-operating chemical feeder for an oil well is disclosed comprising a new combination of valves, Timers, a pump, an injection line, a flush line, and a tank of chemical wherein a first valve is responsive to a first timer for repeatedly ejecting spaced apart consecutive precise slugs of a chemical to the injection line for delivery to the oil well and for spacing each of the slugs from the next consecutive slug by a predetermined precise period of time. A second valve is responsive to a second timer for ejecting spaced apart slugs of flush liquid to the injection line, one flush liquid slug for each chemical slug, and for spacing each of the flush liquid slugs by a predetermined precise period of time for insuring oil well treatment on a regular basis as scheduled and for eliminating personnel time required for manually flushing each precise slug of said chemical throughout the well for an extended period of time.

Abstract: In seismic delineation of sedimentary section below the surface of a seismic energy propagation medium, a new use for an old article is disclosed. It includes a basic method for generating and shaping a seismic energy pulse comprising (1) generating a first energy pulse downwardly through the shortest distance to a point at the lower end of a vertical straight explosive material for forming a compressional forward portion of the seismic energy pulse, and (2) generating a second energy pulse later to form a rarefactional aft portion of the seismic energy pulse. By varying the length of the explosive material the lengths of the forward and aft portions are varied for controlling the shape of the seismic energy pulse, and by varying the position of the point of ignition of the linear explosive material, additional shaping of the seismic energy pulse results.

Abstract: A system for optimal pressure control in a multistage evaporation unit comprising two or more series connected evaporation stages with at least one of the stages preceded by a heat source, where the fresh or feed solution is passed through heat exchangers in which it is heated by means of the vapors from the subsequent evaporation stages, and where a heat exchanger adapted to permit free flow of the vapor condensate through the heat exchanger inner portion or tube portion is arranged in the line through which the vapor leaves the higher-pressure evaporation stage.

Abstract: Various methods and a multiple thermocouple support assembly are disclosed. The support comprises a tube supported at both ends while extending across a vessel used in processing a fluid over a fixed bed of particulate solids, for example, such as a hydrotreating catalyst in fixed bed reactors, in which temperature measurements are required simultaneously at various defined locations in a horizontal plane across the bed. Features of the support include a particular means for mounting thermocouples in thermowells and particular means for securing the thermowells to the support tube, the thermocouples being pressed against the outer wall of each thermowell opposite to the support tube and the thermowells being spaced from each other and from the support tube for obtaining maximum heat conduction from the fluid or fixed bed of particulate solids with a minimum of heat conduction from the thermowell support tube.

Abstract: Methods for releasably plugging off a section of a pipe line and apparatuses for practicing or carrying out the methods are disclosed. An apparatus comprises one or more pigs, each pig having an inflatable ring therearound, inert gas therein for inflating the ring, and a remote thermal command signal receiver for initiation of expansion of the pigs responsive to a remote thermal command signal of one temperature generated by a generator at the ends of the pipe section to be sealed off for sealing the pigs in the pipe as they reach their respective pipe section termini. The remote command signals comprises thermal energy of precise temperatures.

Abstract: Two basic methods for rapidly fluidizing a plug and two vertical flow filters for carrying out the methods are disclosed. One method comprises injecting a horizontal high pressure plug-breaking-up fluid jet at the bottom portion of the plug for breaking up that portion, injecting another horizontal plug-breaking-up jet at the plug at a predetermined distance above the previous fluid jet for breaking up the next lower portion of the plug, and continuing injecting successive horizontal plug-breaking-up jets, each jet being spaced above the last jet until all of the plug is broken up for rapidly fluidizing the filter media plug. The other method starts fluidizing at the top of the plug and works down.

Abstract: Methods and one apparatus are disclosed for inspecting or working on the internal wall surface of a large drum, as a five story high coke drum for use in a delayed coking unit for restoring petroleum fractions. The apparatus or assembly comprises a triangular spider hanging bracket hoisted up to and connected to one end of a crosshead secured across the top of an opening in the top of the drum, and an inspector's or workman's cage having a hoist hooked to one end of the triangular bracket for traversing the full height of one sector of the drum internal wall before the cage is lowered to a temporary deck, the crosshead rotated through a predetermined angle on the drum top, and the cage raised again for covering another sector of the internal wall surface. This assembly forms a fast, thorough, safe, economical, and efficient system for inspecting and/or working on the internal wall surface of a large drum.

Abstract: A method for decreasing the amplitude and period of bubble pulses following a primary seismic energy pulse comprises generating an expanding air bubble around a body and preventing the air bubble from contracting into the body for attenuating the sudden contraction and collapse of the air bubble, and two valve devices on a closed cylinder for carrying out the latter method resulting in minimizing bubble effect and the size of the bubble for decreasing amplitude and period of bubble oscillation for providing a clear, well-defined acoustical wave.