Patents by Inventor Alain Donche

Alain Donche has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Scleroglucan based drilling mud
    Patent number: 5612294
    Abstract: Base composition for water-based drilling muds allowing the number and the amount of the other constituents of the mud to be restricted. In addition to the base solvent, fresh water, sea water or salt water, the said base composition comprises scleroglucan as viscosity agent, the mycelium which produced it and bentonite or an equivalent in limited amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Alain Vaussard, Alain Ladret, Alain Donche
  • Application of muds containing scleroglucan to drilling large diameter wells
    Patent number: 5525587
    Abstract: The present inventors found that the addition of scleroglucan, in particular of unrefined scleroglucan, to the water employed as drilling fluid for drilling wells requiring a high flow rate made it possible to limit formation leaching and improved the removal of cuttings.The invention may be applied to drilling of large-diameter wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Alain Ladret, Alain Donche
  • Application of scleroglucan muds to drilling deviated wells
    Patent number: 5330015
    Abstract: A method for drilling deviated or horizontal wells is facilitated by the use of a scleroglucan-containing aqueous drilling mud. The use of such drilling muds is environmentally and economically advantageous over the use of oil-based drilling muds and is superior to the use of other aqueous-based drilling muds in terms of lubricating power and carrying capacity. Preferably the drilling mud contains unrefined scieroglucan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Alain Donche, Alain Vaussard, Patrick Isambourg
  • Process for enhancing oil recovery using scleroglucan powders
    Patent number: 5323857
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for improving the dispersibility and the filterability of scleroglucan powders, in which a surfactant is incorporated in the coagulated polymer. The powder obtained according to the process has a dispersibility and a filterability after drying of the coagulum which are greatly superior to those of a powder treated after drying with the same quantity of surfactant or of a powder in solution treated with this same quantity of surfactant. The present invention is also directed to methods for preventing the sudden rush of well water into the strata of petroleum fields, to methods for modifying the injection profile, and to methods for improved hydrocarbon recovery from petroleum fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Rosangela Pirri, Yves Huet, Alain Donche
  • Scleroglucan-based compositions and their use as a cementation spacer
    Patent number: 5306340
    Abstract: Use of scleroglucan alone or of mixtures of scleroglucan with a polyalcohol or a dialdehyde as cementation spacers during oil drilling operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Alain Donche, Patrick Isambourg
  • Process for improving the dispersibility and filterability of scleroglucan powders
    Patent number: 5224988
    Abstract: Process for improving the dispersibility and the filterability of scleroglucan powders, in which a surfactant is incorporated in the coagulated polymer. The powder obtained according to the process has a dispersibility and a filterability after drying of the coagulum which are greatly superior to those of a powder treated after drying with the same quantity of surfactant or of a powder in solution treated with this same quantity of surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine
    Inventors: Rosangela Pirri, Yves Huet, Alain Donche