Patents by Inventor Ayman R. Al-Nakhli

Ayman R. Al-Nakhli 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).

  • Patent number: 11976240
    Abstract: A method of removing condensate banking in a subsurface formation using a treatment fluid includes injecting a treatment fluid including nanoparticles and a thermochemical component, the thermochemical component including sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride, into a wellbore having condensate banking, thereby exposing the treatment fluid to subsurface formation conditions. The method further includes allowing a temperature of the wellbore to activate the thermochemical component, causing an exothermic reaction generating nitrogen gas, pressure, and heat. The method further includes allowing the treatment fluid and generated nitrogen gas to mix with the condensate banking, thereby forming a homogenous multi-phase foam and lowering hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore. The method further includes allowing the homogenous multi-phase foam to flow back to the surface due to the pressure generated by the exothermic reaction and lowered hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore, thereby removing the condensate banking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Bader Ghazi Alharbi, Mohammed Ali Al Yami
  • Publication number: 20230399561
    Abstract: A method of removing condensate banking in a subsurface formation using a treatment fluid includes injecting a treatment fluid including nanoparticles and a thermochemical component, the thermochemical component including sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride, into a wellbore having condensate banking, thereby exposing the treatment fluid to subsurface formation conditions. The method further includes allowing a temperature of the wellbore to activate the thermochemical component, causing an exothermic reaction generating nitrogen gas, pressure, and heat. The method further includes allowing the treatment fluid and generated nitrogen gas to mix with the condensate banking, thereby forming a homogenous multi-phase foam and lowering hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore. The method further includes allowing the homogenous multi-phase foam to flow back to the surface due to the pressure generated by the exothermic reaction and lowered hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore, thereby removing the condensate banking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Bader Ghazi Alharbi, Mohammed Ali Al Yami
  • Publication number: 20230392068
    Abstract: A sand consolidation composition includes a hydrocarbon mixture comprising asphaltene, bitumen, or tar, and a binding agent, where the binding agent is an amino silane, and where the composition has a viscosity ranging from 5 to 20 cP at 20 to 25° C. A method of sand consolidation includes introducing the sand consolidation composition in a wellbore, contacting sand downhole with the sand consolidation composition, maintaining the wellbore such that a viscosity of the sand consolidation composition and the sand increases from an initial viscosity of the sand consolidation composition, introducing a thermochemical reagent comprising sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride such that it intimately intermingles downhole with the sand consolidation composition and releases a gas, and after a period, forming a productive consolidated sand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Wajdi M. Buhaezah
  • Publication number: 20230332034
    Abstract: Drilling fluid compositions may include a weighting agent, a nitrite-containing compound, and an ammonium-containing compound, where the nitrite-containing compound and the ammonium-containing compound may be encapsulated together in copolymer micro-particles forming encapsulated thermochemical compounds, and where at least one property selected from the group consisting of the density, the plastic viscosity, the yield point, the gel strength, and the pH, of the drilling fluid composition may be substantially similar to the at least one property of a comparable drilling fluid composition devoid of the encapsulated thermochemical compounds. Methods for reducing a filter cake from a wellbore surface in a subterranean formation are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Mohamed Ahmed Nasr El Din Mahmoud, Zeeshan Tariq
  • Patent number: 11773316
    Abstract: A method for acidizing a subsurface formation using a treatment fluid includes injecting a treatment fluid including a strong acid, a buffer, a thermochemical component, a foaming agent and nanoparticles into the wellbore, thereby exposing the treatment fluid to subsurface formation conditions. The method further includes allowing a temperature of the wellbore to activate the thermochemical component, causing an exothermic reaction generating nitrogen gas, pressure, and heat, thereby forming fractures within the subsurface formation. The method further includes allowing the treatment fluid and nitrogen gas to mix within the subsurface formation, thereby forming a foamed acid within the fractures to acidize the subsurface formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Bader G. Harbi, Mohammed Ali Al-Yami
  • Publication number: 20230287773
    Abstract: Methods of enhancing water injectivity into a subterranean wellbore may include injecting a first composition comprising nitrate anions having a nitrate concentration into a target zone of the subterranean wellbore; injecting a second composition comprising nitrate anions into the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, where the second composition has a nitrate concentration of from about 20% to about 70% the nitrate concentration of the first composition; optionally injecting a third composition comprising nitrate anions into the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, where the third composition has a nitrate concentration of from about 20% to about 70% the nitrate concentration of the second composition; and injecting water, where the water injection pressure is reduced by about 5% to 25% compared to the water injection pressure in an untreated subterranean wellbore, where the nitrate anions are reduced by bacteria present in the subterranean wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Abdulmohsen A. Al-Humam, Ayman R. Al-Nakhli
  • Patent number: 11732560
    Abstract: Methods of enhancing water injectivity into a subterranean wellbore may include injecting a first composition comprising nitrate anions having a nitrate concentration into a target zone of the subterranean wellbore; injecting a second composition comprising nitrate anions into the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, where the second composition has a nitrate concentration of from about 20% to about 70% the nitrate concentration of the first composition; optionally injecting a third composition comprising nitrate anions into the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, where the third composition has a nitrate concentration of from about 20% to about 70% the nitrate concentration of the second composition; and injecting water, where the water injection pressure is reduced by about 5% to 25% compared to the water injection pressure in an untreated subterranean wellbore, where the nitrate anions are reduced by bacteria present in the subterranean wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Abdulmohsen A. Al-Humam, Ayman R. Al-Nakhli
  • Patent number: 11578259
    Abstract: A system and method of hydraulic fracturing, including providing a fracturing fluid having a nitrite-containing compound through a wellbore into a subterranean formation to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation, thereby forming fractures in the subterranean formation. The technique includes generating nitrogen gas (and thus foam) in the fractures via the nitrite-containing compound, and in which generating the nitrogen gas facilitates flowback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Wajdi Mohammed Buhaezah
  • Patent number: 11555145
    Abstract: A method for stimulating production of hydrocarbons from a sandstone formation includes the steps of injecting a stimulation fluid formed from a hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and an oxidizing agent, an ammonium containing compound, and a nitrite containing compound into the sandstone formation, where one or both of the hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and the oxidizing agent comprise a degradable encapsulation. The method further includes maintaining the stimulation fluid, the ammonium containing compound, and the nitrite containing compound in the sandstone formation to initiate reaction and generate heat and nitrogen gas. Upon generation of heat and degradation of the degradable encapsulation, the hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and the oxidizing agent react to form hydrofluoric acid in-situ to dissolve silica and silicate minerals and stimulate the sandstone formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Amy J. Cairns, Katherine Hull
  • Patent number: 11454098
    Abstract: A method for stimulating a well includes mixing at least one thermochemical with fracturing fluid to create a fracturing fluid mixture, injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into the well, creating an exothermic reaction with the fracturing fluid mixture, generating a pressure pulse in the well from the exothermic reaction, and fracturing a formation around the well with pressure from the pressure pulse and a hydraulic pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Mohammed A. Bataweel, Mohamed Ahmed Nasr El Din Mahmoud, Abdulazeez Abdulraheem, Zeeshan Tariq
  • Patent number: 11441063
    Abstract: A method for the removal of well bore damage, the method including performing an acid cleaning of one or more of a coiled tubing and the well bore using a hydrochloric acid mixture of 7 to 15 wt % hydrochloric acid and displacing the hydrochloric acid mixture with a first fresh water stream. After acid cleaning, a composition comprising at least 10 wt % acetic acid into the wellbore is injected into the wellbore. After injecting acetic acid, gel jetting of the well is performed with a gel mixture, and the gel mixture is subsequently displaced with a second fresh water stream. After gel jetting, an organic solvent mixture is injected into the well bore and allowing the organic solvent mixture to soak for 2 to 6 hours. Finally, a thermochemical mixture is injected into the well bore, thereby increasing temperature and pressure and cleaning build up from the well bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Rayed M. Zayer, Ahmad S. Busaleh
  • Patent number: 11414972
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for spatially orienting a subterranean pressure pulse to a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The apparatus includes an injection body with a fixed shape, where the injection body is operable to hold an exothermic reaction component prior to triggering an exothermic reaction of the exothermic reaction component, and where the injection body maintains the fixed shape during and after triggering of the exothermic reaction component. The injection body includes a chemical injection port, where the chemical injection port is operable to feed components of the exothermic reaction component to the injection body. The injection body includes a reinforced plug, where the reinforced plug is operable to direct a pressure pulse generated by the exothermic reaction component within the injection body to a perforation to generate a spatially-oriented fracture, where spatial orientation of the spatially-oriented fracture is pre-determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Sameeh Issa Batarseh
  • Patent number: 11339319
    Abstract: A method for the simultaneous removal of filter cake from a wellbore and fracturing of the wellbore using a mixture including a chelating agent and a thermochemical. The method including feeding a mixture into the wellbore, contacting the filter cake with the mixture, reacting the chelating agent and the thermochemical to produce heat and pressure, removing the filter cake from the wellbore, and creating microfractures in the wellbore using pressure produced from the reacting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Mohamed Ahmed Nasr El Din Mahmoud, Abdulazeez Abdulraheem, Zeeshan Tariq
  • Patent number: 11215043
    Abstract: Petroleum may be recovered from a sub-surface reservoir by reducing the break-down pressure of a geological formation from an original break-down pressure to a reduced break-down pressure by exothermically reacting one or more reaction components in a carrier fluid adjacent to or within the geological formation, and forming fractures in the geological formation by hydraulic fracturing the geological formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Waheed Syed Arshad, Guadalupe Adrian Buenrostro Mendoza
  • Publication number: 20210363866
    Abstract: A method for stimulating a well includes mixing at least one thermochemical with fracturing fluid to create a fracturing fluid mixture, injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into the well, creating an exothermic reaction with the fracturing fluid mixture, generating a pressure pulse in the well from the exothermic reaction, and fracturing a formation around the well with pressure from the pressure pulse and a hydraulic pressure source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHAD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Mohammed A. Bataweel, Mohamed Ahmed Nasr El Din Mahmoud, Abdulazeez Abdulraheem, Zeeshan Tariq
  • Patent number: 11168553
    Abstract: Petroleum may be recovered from a sub-surface reservoir by reducing the break-down pressure of a geological formation from an original break-down pressure to a reduced break-down pressure by exothermically reacting one or more reaction components in a carrier fluid adjacent to or within the geological formation, and forming fractures in the geological formation by hydraulic fracturing the geological formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Waheed Syed Arshad, Guadalupe Adrian Buenrostro Mendoza
  • Publication number: 20210292635
    Abstract: A method for the simultaneous removal of filter cake from a wellbore and fracturing of the wellbore using a mixture including a chelating agent and a thermochemical. The method including feeding a mixture into the wellbore, contacting the filter cake with the mixture, reacting the chelating agent and the thermochemical to produce heat and pressure, removing the filter cake from the wellbore, and creating microfractures in the wellbore using pressure produced from the reacting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHAD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Mohamed Ahmed Nasr El Din Mahmoud, Abdulazeez Abdulraheem, Zeeshan Tariq
  • Publication number: 20210179929
    Abstract: A method for stimulating production of hydrocarbons from a sandstone formation includes the steps of injecting a stimulation fluid formed from a hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and an oxidizing agent, an ammonium containing compound, and a nitrite containing compound into the sandstone formation, where one or both of the hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and the oxidizing agent comprise a degradable encapsulation. The method further includes maintaining the stimulation fluid, the ammonium containing compound, and the nitrite containing compound in the sandstone formation to initiate reaction and generate heat and nitrogen gas. Upon generation of heat and degradation of the degradable encapsulation, the hydrofluoric acid generating precursor and the oxidizing agent react to form hydrofluoric acid in-situ to dissolve silica and silicate minerals and stimulate the sandstone formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Amy J. Cairns, Katherine Hull
  • Patent number: 10989029
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for spatially orienting a subterranean pressure pulse to a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. The apparatus includes an injection body with a fixed shape, where the injection body is operable to hold an exothermic reaction component prior to triggering an exothermic reaction of the exothermic reaction component, and where the injection body maintains the fixed shape during and after triggering of the exothermic reaction component. The injection body includes a chemical injection port, where the chemical injection port is operable to feed components of the exothermic reaction component to the injection body. The injection body includes a reinforced plug, where the reinforced plug is operable to direct a pressure pulse generated by the exothermic reaction component within the injection body to a perforation to generate a spatially-oriented fracture, where spatial orientation of the spatially-oriented fracture is pre-determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Sameeh Issa Batarseh
  • Patent number: 10961833
    Abstract: A method for stimulating production of hydrocarbons from a sandstone formation includes the steps of injecting a stimulation fluid into the sandstone formation, the stimulation fluid formed from a hydrofluoric acid precursor and an oxidizer; injecting an ammonium containing compound into the sandstone formation; and injecting a nitrite containing compound into the sandstone formation. The method further includes maintaining the stimulation fluid, the ammonium containing compound, and the nitrite containing compound in the sandstone formation to initiate reaction of the ammonium containing compound and the nitrite containing compound to generate heat and nitrogen gas, where upon generation of heat within the formation the hydrofluoric acid precursor and the oxidizer react to form hydrofluoric acid in-situ to dissolve silica and silicate minerals and stimulate the sandstone formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayman R. Al-Nakhli, Amy J. Cairns