Patents by Inventor Andrew H. Falls

Andrew H. Falls 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).

  • Oil recovery with water containing carbonate salt, CO.sub.2, and surfactant
    Patent number: 4863618
    Abstract: In displacing oil by injecting CO.sub.2, water and surfactant at high pressure, surfactant loss by adsorption is reduced by including alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate salt in the injected water to increase the pH of the solution at the conditions encountered in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Andrew H. Falls
  • Gas flooding with dilute surfactant solutions
    Patent number: 4856589
    Abstract: A gas flooding process for displacing oil within a reservoir is improved by injections of a surfactant having a composition and concentration correlated with those of the brine used to remain substantially within the water phase of the injected fluid at a concentration below the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Myron I. Kuhlman, John K. Borchardt, Andrew H. Falls
  • Oil recovery with water containing carbonate salt and CO.sub.2
    Patent number: 4762178
    Abstract: In a carbonated waterflood oil recovery process the corrosivity of a premixed solution is reduced by dissolving the CO.sub.2 in water containing enough sodium carbonate or bicarbonate to maintain a pH of at least about 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Andrew H. Falls, Myron I. Kuhlman
  • Oil recovery with water containing carbonate salt, CO.sub.2, and surfactant
    Patent number: 4733727
    Abstract: In displacing oil by injecting CO.sub.2, water and surfactant at high pressure, surfactant loss by adsorption is reduced by including alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate salt in the injected water to increase the pH of the solution at the conditions encountered in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Andrew H. Falls
  • Process for optimizing the noncondensible gas content of an oil-displacing steam-foam-forming mixture
    Patent number: 4570711
    Abstract: In a process for injecting a steam-foam-forming mixture into a subterranean reservoir to displace oil, injecting a mixture containing only as much noncondensible gas as required for substantially reducing the mobility of an injected steam-foam-forming mixture containing a given kind and amount of surfactant and electrolyte, which amount of noncondensible gas to add is calculated from a specified equation interrelating the reservoir temperature and pore size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1986
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Andrew H. Falls, Jimmie B. Lawson, George J. Hirasaki