Patents by Inventor Gerrit Voordouw

Gerrit Voordouw 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: 11286414
    Abstract: Combinations of a nitroprusside, such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP; Na2[Fe(CN)5NO].2H2O) and a nitrate, are provided, together with methods for the combined use of the nitroprusside and the nitrate as metabolic inhibitors of microbial cultures. The microbial cultures may include sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in aqueous culture. This metabolic inhibition may for example be implemented in the presence of a hydrocarbon, for example in an oil reservoir or in oil field systems and facilities. When applied to an SRB culture in the presence of a hydrocarbon, the combination of the nitroprusside and the nitrate may accordingly be used to ameliorate the biological formation of sulfides, particularly hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UTI Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Tekle Fida, Gerrit Voordouw, Jaspreet Mand
  • Publication number: 20200277525
    Abstract: Combinations of a nitroprusside, such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP; Na2[Fe(CN)5NO].2H2O) and a nitrate, are provided, together with methods for the combined use of the nitroprusside and the nitrate as metabolic inhibitors of microbial cultures. The microbial cultures may include sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in aqueous culture. This metabolic inhibition may for example be implemented in the presence of a hydrocarbon, for example in an oil reservoir or in oil field systems and facilities. When applied to an SRB culture in the presence of a hydrocarbon, the combination of the nitroprusside and the nitrate may accordingly be used to ameliorate the biological formation of sulfides, particularly hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: UTI Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Tekle Fida, Gerrit Voordouw, Jaspreet Mand
  • Publication number: 20180135393
    Abstract: Methods for the recovery of geological hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon reservoirs include injecting a low molecular weight oil soluble hydrocarbon compound and an electron acceptor into a reservoir, which enter a region of the reservoir comprising a microbial culture capable of metabolizing the low molecular weight hydrocarbon compound and the electron acceptor, thereby promoting flow of geological hydrocarbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Gerrit Voordouw, Fatma Gassara, Akhil Agrawal
  • Publication number: 20150053407
    Abstract: Techniques for hydrocarbon recovery from a carbonate reservoir include injecting a microbial stimulation fluid including H2 which enters a region of the reservoir that includes CO2 and a microbial culture which converts at least a portion of the H2 and CO2 into a byproduct to promote dissolution of carbonate compounds in the region of the reservoir, thereby increasing porosity of the region to promote hydrocarbon recovery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Gerrit Voordouw, Yetunde Folarin, Safia Nathoo, Carolina Diaz-Goano
  • Patent number: 8846732
    Abstract: Biogenic sulfide production is synergistically inhibited by treating sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) with a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor. The biocide directly kills a first portion of the SRB. The metabolic inhibitor inhibits sulfate-reducing growth of a second portion of the SRB without directly killing the second portion of the SRB. The treatment of SRB with both a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor provides effective biogenic sulfide inhibition at significantly lower concentrations than would be required if the biocide or metabolic inhibitor was used alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: ConocoPhillips Company, University Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary E. Jenneman, Anne Greene, Gerrit Voordouw
  • Publication number: 20110020467
    Abstract: Biogenic sulfide production is synergistically inhibited by treating sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) with a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor. The biocide directly kills a first portion of the SRB. The metabolic inhibitor inhibits sulfate-reducing growth of a second portion of the SRB without directly killing the second portion of the SRB. The treatment of SRB with both a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor provides effective biogenic sulfide inhibition at significantly lower concentrations than would be required if the biocide or metabolic inhibitor was used alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicants: ConocoPhillips Company - IP Services Group, University Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary E. Jenneman, Anne Greene, Gerrit Voordouw
  • Patent number: 7833551
    Abstract: Biogenic sulfide production is synergistically inhibited by treating sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) with a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor. The biocide directly kills a first portion of the SRB. The metabolic inhibitor inhibits sulfate-reducing growth of a second portion of the SRB without directly killing the second portion of the SRB. The treatment of SRB with both a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor provides effective biogenic sulfide inhibition at significantly lower concentrations than would be required if the biocide or metabolic inhibitor was used alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignees: ConocoPhillips Company, University Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary E. Jenneman, Anne Greene, Gerrit Voordouw
  • Publication number: 20050238729
    Abstract: Biogenic sulfide production is synergistically inhibited by treating sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) with a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor. The biocide directly kills a first portion of the SRB. The metabolic inhibitor inhibits sulfate-reducing growth of a second portion of the SRB without directly killing the second portion of the SRB. The treatment of SRB with both a biocide and a metabolic inhibitor provides effective biogenic sulfide inhibition at significantly lower concentrations than would be required if the biocide or metabolic inhibitor was used alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Gary Jenneman, Anne Greene, Gerrit Voordouw
  • Patent number: 6376173
    Abstract: A reverse genome probe process for detecting the presence of selected microorganisms (which may be bacteria, fungi or viruses) consists of: (a) affixing a nucleic acid preparation from each of the selected microorganisms to a solid surface; (b) preparing a “reverse” probe by labelling a nucleic acid preparation obtained from the sample; (c) contacting the reverse probe with the solid surface under conditions which permit hybridization; and (d) detecting the presence of any reverse genome probe. By using the “reverse” probe (i.e., a probe prepared from the sample, as opposed to a probe prepared from a selected microorganism), a single incubation may be used for the initial characterization of an unknown sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: University Technologies International Inc.
    Inventors: Gerrit Voordouw, Donald W. S. Westlake, Phillip M. Fedorak