Abstract: Solvent mixtures for downhole elemental sulfur removal and formation stimulation, and methods for utilizing such solvent mixtures, are described herein. One method includes providing a solvent mixture that includes an elemental sulfur solvent fraction and an odorant fraction that includes a lactate ester solvent. The method also includes injecting the solvent mixture into a hydrocarbon well such that the elemental sulfur solvent fraction of the solvent mixture dissolves elemental sulfur deposited on well components, and contacting the solvent mixture with water such that the lactate ester solvent within the odorant fraction reacts with the water to generate lactic acid. The method further includes stimulating a formation through which the hydrocarbon well extends by flowing the solvent mixture including the lactic acid through the hydrocarbon well and into the formation.

Abstract: A method for approximating an inverse Hessian is provided. One methodology to generate the inverse Hessian is to precondition the gradient, such as by using point-spread function deconvolution, T-power, or source-illumination compensation, prior to using non-stationary matching filters (NMF) to generate the inverse Hessian. Various types of NMF are contemplated, including using filters for different windows in the subsurface or using filters assigned to specific locations in the subsurface. Further, the number of filters for NMF may vary from iteration to iteration. For example, the filters assigned to the specific locations in the subsurface may be generated in a multi-scale manner, in which an initial iteration uses longer scale/longer wavelength features for inversion and subsequent iterations use finer scale/smaller wavelength features for inversion.

Abstract: This application relates to production of renewable fuels, including a method of producing renewable fuels. The method comprises hydrotreating a biofeedstock by contacting reactants comprising a combined feedstock and hydrogen with a hydrotreating catalyst to produce normal paraffins. The combined feedstock comprises a biofeedstock and an additional feedstock. The biofeedstock has about 10% or more of each of metals, phosphorous, and chlorophyll than the additional feedstock. The biofeedstock comprises the metals in an amount of about 300 parts per million (“ppm”) or less, the phosphorous in an amount of about 300 ppm or less, and the chlorophyll in an amount of about 50 ppm or less. The method further comprises isomerizing at least a portion of the normal paraffins to produce branched paraffins in an isomerization effluent.

Abstract: A method may include: hydropyrolyzing a bio feedstock in a hydropyrolysis unit to produce at least a hydropyrolysis oil; introducing at least a portion of the hydropyrolysis oil with a hydrocarbon co-feed into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit; and cracking the hydropyrolysis oil in the fluidized catalytic cracking unit to produce at least fuel range hydrocarbons.

Abstract: Molten carbonate fuel cell configurations are provided that allow for introduction of an anode input gas flow on a side of the fuel cell that is adjacent to the entry side for the cathode input gas flow while allowing the anode and cathode to operate under co-current flow and/or counter-current flow conditions. It has been discovered that improved flow properties can be achieved within the anode or cathode during co-current flow or counter-current flow operation by diverting the input flow for the anode or cathode into an extended edge seal region (in an extended edge seal chamber) adjacent to the active area of the anode or cathode, and then using a baffle to provide sufficient pressure drop for even flow distribution of the anode input flow across the anode or cathode input flow across the cathode.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method for controlling lubrication of a rotary shaft seal. The method involves providing an apparatus having a bulk lubricating oil reservoir, a rotary shaft that passes through the bulk lubricating oil reservoir, and a rotary shaft seal. The rotary shaft seal has a sealing edge in proximity with the rotary shaft creating a contact zone. The contact zone has a film of lubricating oil. The method also involves increasing the rate of heat flow along the rotary shaft to reduce temperature of the film of lubricating oil in the contact zone. Increasing the rate of heat flow along the rotary shaft is accomplished by using rotary shaft materials of construction having sufficient high thermal conductivity, rotary shaft coatings having sufficient high thermal conductivities, or increasing the surface area of the rotary shaft. This disclosure also relates to a method for controlling heat transfer in a contact zone, and a method for improving performance of an apparatus.

Abstract: Provided herein are heat activated fuel detergents, liquid fuel compositions including such heat activated fuel detergents and methods for improving intake valve and injector cleanliness of an engine for a vehicle utilizing such liquid fuel composition.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a lubricating oil may include: measuring a first concentration of components in a lubricating oil prior to introduction into a cylinder in a two-stroke engine using x-ray fluorescence, the components comprising: sulfur and total calcium; collecting a scrape-down lubricating oil that corresponds to the lubricating oil after having been passed through the cylinder during fuel combustion of a fuel comprising 0.5 wt % or less sulfur; measuring a second concentration of the components in the scrape-down lubricating oil using the x-ray fluorescence; and calculating an amount of acid neutralized during combustion based on the first and second concentration of the components. Based on said analysis a change to a property of the scrape-down lubricating oil and/or changing a feed rate of the lubricating oil into the cylinder based on the amount of acid neutralized may be implemented.

Abstract: A plunger lift system, as well as a method for monitoring plunger parameters within a wellbore using such a plunger lift system, are provided. The plunger lift system includes a lubricator attached to a wellhead at the surface and a plunger dimensioned to travel through the production tubing upon being released from the lubricator. The plunger lift system also includes magnetic sensor systems installed along the production tubing, where each magnetic sensor system includes a magnetic sensor for detecting the passage of the plunger as it travels through the production tubing, as well a communication device for transmitting communication signals between the magnetic sensor systems and a computing system located at the surface, where the computing system includes a processor and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions that direct the processor to dynamically determine the plunger position and/or velocity based on the received communication signals.

Abstract: Geologic modeling methods and systems may use design-space to design-space mapping to facilitate simulation grid generation for multiple interpretations of a subsurface region. As one example, one or more embodiments of a geologic modeling method may comprise: obtaining first and second geologic models having different structural interpretations of a subsurface region; mapping each of the geologic models to associated design space models representing an unfaulted subsurface region; determining a design-to-design space mapping from the first design space model to the second design space model; using said mapping to copy parameter values from the first design space model to the second of the design space model; gridding each of the design space models to obtain design space meshes; partitioning cells in the first and second design space meshes along faults; reverse mapping the partitioned design space meshes to the physical space to obtain first and second physical space simulation meshes.

Abstract: An angiosperm index-1 and an angiosperm index-2 are correlated to an age of a liquid hydrocarbon sample and can be used to distinguish oil age of Late Cretaceous (100-65 million years before present, or 100-65 Ma BP) vs. Paleogene (65-55 Ma BP) vs. Eocene or younger (<55 Ma BP). This method improves over existing methods that cannot distinguish oil age between Late Cretaceous and Miocene (ca. 100-5 Ma BP).

Abstract: A method and system are described for communicating within a system, which includes a plurality of communication nodes disposed along tubular members in a wellbore. The method includes constructing a communication network and installing the communication nodes along the tubular members. The communication nodes are used to monitor for the presence and/or quantity of sand in the tubular members by analyzing how the contents of the tubular members acoustically affect the signals transmitted between the communication nodes.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for algae cultivation including the integration of electrochemical carbonate production for enhancing algae growth. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for producing a sodium hydroxide from brine using an electrochemical cell, contacting the sodium hydroxide stream with a CO2 gas sweep and producing a carbonate stream, and cultivating an algae slurry in a cultivation vessel comprising at least a portion of the carbonate stream.

Abstract: Velocity tomography using time lags of wave equation migration is disclosed. Seismic tomography is a technique for imaging the subsurface of the Earth with seismic waves by generated a migration velocity model from a multitude of observations using combinations of source and receiver locations. The migration velocity model may be updated in order to reduce depth differences of reflection events (also called residual depth errors (RDE)). Direct measurement of RDE may be difficult in certain complex subsurface areas. In such areas, the RDE may be reconstructed based on time lags of wave equation migration and then used to update the migration velocity model. In particular, the RDE may be directly reconstructed from the time lags of wave equation migration, such as based on a direct relation between RDE and the time lags.

Abstract: A composition can include a Rho zeolite with a RHO topology having a Si to B ratio or a Si to Al ratio greater than or equal to 8. Making such a composition can include heating an aqueous reaction mixture having a molar ratio of atomic Si to atomic B of about 4 to about 50 or a molar ratio of atomic Si to atomic Al of about 4 to about 50 in the presence of a C4-C6 diquat of N,2-dimethylbenzimidazole structure directing agent to a temperature of at least 75° C. to produce a Rho zeolite.

Abstract: Methods of crude oil stabilization may include separating crude oil in a bulk separator into a first light hydrocarbon stream, a first water stream, and a first bottoms stream; separating the first bottoms stream in an intermediate pressure separator into a second light hydrocarbon stream, a second water stream, and a second bottoms stream; separating the second bottoms stream in a separator into a third light hydrocarbon stream, a third water stream, and a third bottoms stream; introducing a stripping gas stream comprising methane into the separator; storing the third bottoms stream in a vessel comprising an outlet for a fourth light hydrocarbon stream; treating at least a portion of the first, second, third, and fourth light hydrocarbon streams in a vapor treatment process to form a final light hydrocarbon stream; and recycling at least a portion of the final light hydrocarbon stream to the separator.

Abstract: Provided herein are catalysts for dewaxing of a feedstock, the catalyst comprising between about 40 wt. % and about 99.9 wt. % zeolite, between about 0 wt. % and about 40 wt. % binder and at least about 0.1 wt. % noble metal, as well as catalyst systems, methods and products produced using the catalysts. The zeolite having a crystal comprising a largest included sphere less than or equal to about 7.5 angstroms, a largest diffusing sphere greater than or equal to about 5.0 angstroms, and a silica to alumina ratio greater than or equal to about 100:1. The catalyst having a temperature-programmed ammonia desorption (“TPAD”) of less than about 0.25 mmol/g.

Abstract: Offshore systems and methods may be configured for offshore power generation and carbon dioxide injection for enhanced gas recovery for gas reservoirs. For example, a method may include: providing an offshore facility including a gas turbine, and a gas separator; producing a produced gas from a gas reservoir to the offshore facility; combusting the produced gas in a gas turbine to produce power and a flue gas; at least partially removing nitrogen from the flue gas in a gas separator to produce a carbon dioxide-enriched flue gas and a nitrogen-enriched flue gas; compressing the carbon dioxide-enriched flue gas in a gas compressor to produce a compressed gas; and injecting the compressed gas from the gas compressor into the gas reservoir, wherein 80 mol % or more of hydrocarbon in the produced gas is combusted and/or injected into the gas reservoir.

Abstract: Catalyst systems are provided, along with corresponding methods, for single stage conversion of synthesis gas to fuel boiling range products with increased selectivity for either naphtha production (C5-C9) or distillate production (C10-C20). The increased selectivity for naphtha production or distillate production is provided in conjunction with a reduced selectivity for higher boiling range components (C21+).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving product yields and/or product quality during co-processing of fast pyrolysis oil in a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) reaction environment. The systems and methods can allow for co-processing of an increased amount of fast pyrolysis oil while reducing or minimizing coke production for a feedstock including fast pyrolysis oil and a conventional FCC feed. The reducing or minimizing of coke production can be achieved in part by adding a low molecular weight, non-ionic surfactant to the mixture of fast pyrolysis oil and conventional FCC feed.