Patents by Inventor Fred Wassmuth

Fred Wassmuth 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).

  • Publication number: 20120199355
    Abstract: A water flooding composition in a method of secondary hydrocarbon recovery. The water flooding composition includes water and a thickening polymer. The thickening polymer includes a hydroxyethyl cellulose backbone polymer having a molecular weight of between about 1,000,000 and about 2,000,000 and a hydrophobic modifier. The hydrophobic modifier has a substitution level in the thickening polymer of between about 0.1 percent and about 2 percent by weight of the thickening polymer. The hydrophobic modifier is an alkyl hydrocarbon based material containing between about 10 and about 24 unsubstituted carbon atoms per group. The thickening polymer has a concentration in the water flooding composition of between about 0.01 percent and about 1 percent by weight of the water flooding composition. The water flooding composition is formulated within these ranges so that the water flooding composition has a suitable viscosity/mobility and so that the water flooding composition is injectable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: ALBERTA INNOVATES - TECHNOLOGY FUTURES
    Inventors: Mehmet Yaman Boluk, Jiang Bai, Blaine Francis Hawkins, Robert Jost, Fred Wassmuth, Liyan Zhao
  • Patent number: 8016039
    Abstract: A method of reducing water influx into a wellbore, wherein the wellbore is in fluid communication with a subterranean formation such as a gas producing formation or gas reservoir. The method particularly places a gelant in a desired position down the wellbore and into the formation in order to thereby reduce the influx of water and enhance the resulting gas production. The method includes the steps of first introducing a gelant into the wellbore and second introducing a temporarily stable foam into the wellbore in order to overdisplace the gelant from the wellbore and into the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurie A. Hodgins, Fred Wassmuth
  • Publication number: 20080135243
    Abstract: A method of reducing water influx into a wellbore, wherein the wellbore is in fluid communication with a subterranean formation such as a gas producing formation or gas reservoir. The method particularly places a gelant in a desired position down the wellbore and into the formation in order to thereby reduce the influx of water and enhance the resulting gas production. The method includes the steps of first introducing a gelant into the wellbore and second introducing a temporarily stable foam into the wellbore in order to overdisplace the gelant from the wellbore and into the formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL INC.
    Inventors: Laurie A. Hodgins, Fred Wassmuth
  • Patent number: 7328743
    Abstract: A modified toe-to-heel waterflooding (TTHW) process is provided for recovering oil from a reservoir in an underground formation. After establishing the conventional TTHW waterflood, the process includes placing a chemical blocking agent at the watered out producing toe portion of the horizontal leg of the production well to create a blockage in the producing toe portion and to create a new producing toe portion in an open portion of the horizontal leg adjacent the blockage through which most of the production takes place. Production is then continued through the new producing toe portion and the open portion of the horizontal leg of the production well. These blocking and producing steps can be continued to progressively block producing toe portions in a direction toward the vertical pilot portion of the production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Turta, Fred Wassmuth, Vijay Shrivastava, Ashok Singhal
  • Publication number: 20070068674
    Abstract: A modified toe-to-heel waterflooding (TTHW) process is provided for recovering oil from a reservoir in an underground formation. After establishing the conventional TTHW waterflood, the process includes placing a chemical blocking agent at the watered out producing toe portion of the horizontal leg of the production well to create a blockage in the producing toe portion and to create a new producing toe portion in an open portion of the horizontal leg adjacent the blockage through which most of the production takes place. Production is then continued through the new producing toe portion and the open portion of the horizontal leg of the production well. These blocking and producing steps can be continued to progressively block producing toe portions in a direction toward the vertical pilot portion of the production well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL, INC.
    Inventors: Alex Turta, Fred Wassmuth, Vijay Shrivastava, Ashok Singhal