Patents by Inventor Hui-Hai LIU

Hui-Hai LIU 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: 20230385604
    Abstract: A system and methods for predicting well performance are disclosed. The method includes obtaining first geoscience data and first performance data, obtaining second geoscience data and second performance data, and obtaining new geoscience data for a new well. The method further includes training a first neural network and determining predicted second performance data using the first neural network. The method still further includes determining a residual between the second performance data and the predicted second performance data and training a second neural network. The method still further includes determining predicted new performance data for the new well by inputting a subset of the new geoscience data into the first neural network, determining a new residual for the new well by inputting the new geoscience data into the second neural network, and updating the predicted new performance data using the new residual.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Jay Zhang, Jodel Cornelio, Syamil Mohd-Razak
  • Publication number: 20230341312
    Abstract: A method for determining a matrix permeability of a subsurface formation, including the steps: acquiring a core from the subsurface formation, imposing a fluid to the core until the core is saturated with the fluid, conducting a pressure-pulse decay (PD) method on an upstream and a downstream side of the core by applying a pressure-pulse on the upstream and the downstream side of the core, and determining the matrix permeability from decays of the pressure-pulses on the upstream side and downstream side, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Jewel Duncan
  • Patent number: 11740381
    Abstract: A method for determining maximum recoverable hydrocarbon (EMR) in a tight reservoir is disclosed. The method includes determining, based on downhole logs, a total measure of hydrocarbon amount within the tight reservoir, determining, by at least attributing fluid loss during core surfacing of the core sample to hydrocarbons, a non-recoverable measure of hydrocarbon amount within a core sample of the tight reservoir, and determining an EMR measure based on the total measure of hydrocarbon amount and the non-recoverable measure of hydrocarbon amount, wherein during the core surfacing pore pressure reduces from a reservoir condition to a surface condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Jin-Hong Chen, Stacey M. Althaus, HouZhu Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Mohammed Boudjatit
  • Patent number: 11702924
    Abstract: A method for determining SRV and EUR includes: monitoring an amount and a density of a hydrocarbon fluid produced from the production well; obtaining a cumulative amount of the fluid that has accumulated from a beginning of production; obtaining a relationship between the cumulative amount and a square root of the time; determining a deviation point where the relationship changes from linear to non-linear; determining a deviation amount of the fluid corresponding to the deviation point; determining a first density of the hydrocarbon fluid at the beginning of production, a second density at a pore pressure equal to a bottom hole pressure in the production well, a first porosity at the beginning of production, and a second porosity for a pore pressure equal to the bottom hole pressure; and determining SRV and the EUR based on the deviation amount, the first and second densities, and the first and second porosities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang, Huseyin Onur Balan, Feng Liang
  • Publication number: 20230196089
    Abstract: A method for predicting well production is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a training data set for a machine learning (ML) model that generates predicted well production data based on observed data of interest, generating multiple sets of initial guesses of model parameters of the ML model, using an ML algorithm applied to the training data set to generate multiple individually trained ML models based the multiple sets of initial model parameters, comparing a validation data set and respective predicted well production data of the individually trained ML models to generate a ranking, selecting top-ranked individually trained ML models based on the ranking, using the data of interest as input to the top-ranked individually trained ML models to generate a set of individual predicted well production data, and generating a final predicted well production data based on the set of individual predicted well production data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang, Feng Liang
  • Patent number: 11680887
    Abstract: A method for determining a rock property includes positioning a core sample in a core sample assembly that is enclosed in a pressurized container with a flow inlet, a flow outlet, and a pressurized fluid inlet fluidly coupled to a pressurized fluid reservoir that includes a pressurized fluid pump; sequentially performing at least three test operations on the core sample; at each of the at least three test operations, measuring an inlet pressure at the flow inlet, measuring an outlet pressure at the flow outlet, and measuring a confining pressure within the pressurized container; and determining a permeability of the core sample based at least in part on at least one of the measured inlet pressures, at least one of the measured outlet pressures, and at least one of the measured confining pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Jewel Duncan
  • Publication number: 20230168173
    Abstract: A method for determining a rock property includes positioning a core sample in a core sample assembly that is enclosed in a pressurized container with a flow inlet, a flow outlet, and a pressurized fluid inlet fluidly coupled to a pressurized fluid reservoir that includes a pressurized fluid pump; sequentially performing at least three test operations on the core sample; at each of the at least three test operations, measuring an inlet pressure at the flow inlet, measuring an outlet pressure at the flow outlet, and measuring a confining pressure within the pressurized container; and determining a permeability of the core sample based at least in part on at least one of the measured inlet pressures, at least one of the measured outlet pressures, and at least one of the measured confining pressures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Jewel Duncan
  • Patent number: 11643924
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining permeability of subsurface formations are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: positioning a sample of the subsurface formation in a measurement cell, fluidly connecting an inlet and an outlet of the sample to an upstream reservoir and a downstream reservoir, respectively, flowing a fluid through the sample from the upstream reservoir to the downstream reservoir, measuring changes of an upstream pressure associated with the upstream reservoir and a downstream pressure associated with the downstream reservoir in a measurement time period, and determining a matrix permeability of the subsurface formation based on measurement data before the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure merge at a merging time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Jewel Duncan
  • Patent number: 11598711
    Abstract: A method for determining stress-dependent permeability includes providing a core sample in a pressurized core container of a testing apparatus and generating a steady-state flow of gas from an upstream reservoir in the testing apparatus along an axial direction through the pressurized core container into a downstream reservoir in the testing apparatus. During the steady-state flow, an inlet pressure at an inlet to the core sample, an outlet pressure at an outlet of the core sample, and a midpoint pressure at a midpoint of the core sample are measured. The stress-dependent permeability is calculated from a flow rate of the gas through the core sample and the measurements of the inlet pressure, the outlet pressure, and the midpoint pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang, Jewel Duncan
  • Patent number: 11591905
    Abstract: Methods and systems for increasing normalized production rate of an oil and gas reservoir by optimizing a pressure drawdown of a subsurface formation are disclosed. The methods include determining permeability of the subsurface formation as a function of effective stresses, determining a stress sensitivity factor for the core sample, upscaling the sensitive stress factor, determining the optimum pressure drawdown for the subsurface formation, and controlling the pressure drawdown in a field operation such that it does not exceed the optimum pressure drawdown for the subsurface formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Yanhui Han, Zhuang Sun
  • Patent number: 11579065
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining fracture and matrix permeability of a subsurface formation. The system includes two upstream reservoirs and two downstream reservoirs, and a sample cell connecting to the reservoirs with valves. The sample cell has a confining pressure (CF) from a fluid. A horizontal plug sample with sleeve is placed in a measurement cell with the confining fluid (CF). A pressure gauge is connected to the small upstream reservoir, and a pressure gauge is connected to the small downstream reservoir. The results provide two sets of effective-stress-dependent permeability values (including fracture permeability and matrix permeability, respectively) for characterizing the reservoir properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Huangye Chen
  • Patent number: 11578564
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining shear failure of a rock formation are disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a plurality of parameters related to physical properties of the rock formation, applying the plurality of parameters to a predetermined failure criterion, and determining shear failure of the rock formation based on the failure criterion. In some embodiments the failure criterion is a modified Hoek-Brown failure criterion that takes into consideration an intermediate principal stress, and the difference between normal stresses and an average confining stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Chao Liu, Younane Abousleiman, Hui-Hai Liu, Yanhui Han
  • Publication number: 20230012861
    Abstract: A method for determining maximum recoverable hydrocarbon (EMR) in a tight reservoir is disclosed. The method includes determining, based on downhole logs, a total measure of hydrocarbon amount within the tight reservoir, determining, by at least attributing fluid loss during core surfacing of the core sample to hydrocarbons, a non-recoverable measure of hydrocarbon amount within a core sample of the tight reservoir, and determining an EMR measure based on the total measure of hydrocarbon amount and the non-recoverable measure of hydrocarbon amount, wherein during the core surfacing pore pressure reduces from a reservoir condition to a surface condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicants: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY, SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Jin-Hong Chen, Stacey M. Althaus, HouZhu Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Mohammed Boudjatit
  • Patent number: 11530972
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems, including computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computer systems, for analyzing a rock sample from a hydrocarbon reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220220839
    Abstract: A method for determining SRV and EUR includes: monitoring an amount and a density of a hydrocarbon fluid produced from the production well; obtaining a cumulative amount of the fluid that has accumulated from a beginning of production; obtaining a relationship between the cumulative amount and a square root of the time; determining a deviation point where the relationship changes from linear to non-linear; determining a deviation amount of the fluid corresponding to the deviation point; determining a first density of the hydrocarbon fluid at the beginning of production, a second density at a pore pressure equal to a bottom hole pressure in the production well, a first porosity at the beginning of production, and a second porosity for a pore pressure equal to the bottom hole pressure; and determining SRV and the EUR based on the deviation amount, the first and second densities, and the first and second porosities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang, Huseyin Onur Balan, Feng Liang
  • Publication number: 20220214261
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems, including computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computer systems, for analyzing a rock sample from a hydrocarbon reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220214262
    Abstract: A method for determining stress-dependent permeability includes providing a core sample in a pressurized core container of a testing apparatus and generating a steady-state flow of gas from an upstream reservoir in the testing apparatus along an axial direction through the pressurized core container into a downstream reservoir in the testing apparatus. During the steady-state flow, an inlet pressure at an inlet to the core sample, an outlet pressure at an outlet of the core sample, and a midpoint pressure at a midpoint of the core sample are measured. The stress-dependent permeability is calculated from a flow rate of the gas through the core sample and the measurements of the inlet pressure, the outlet pressure, and the midpoint pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hui-Hai Liu, Jilin Zhang, Jewel Duncan
  • Patent number: 11371905
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting leakage in a permeability measurement system. The method includes connecting a plurality of flow lines to a first dimension of a core sample assembly, connecting one or more flow lines to a second dimension of the core sample assembly, placing the core sample assembly with the connections in a measurement cell such that the flow lines are accessible from outside of the measurement cell, connecting one or more gas sensors to one end of each of the flow lines, connecting an inlet of the measurement cell to a gas tank, setting fluid pressure inside the measurement cell to a predetermined value, and detecting a leakage in the core sample assembly by the one or more gas sensors coupled to the flow lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Huangye Chen
  • Publication number: 20220112422
    Abstract: A subterranean zone can be treated by introducing a mixture of an acid-generating material and a proppant (for example, in a pad fluid or a pre-pad fluid) to the subterranean zone. Fractures and microfractures are created in the subterranean zone using the mixture of the acid-generating material and the proppant. The proppant is positioned within the fractures and microfractures to keep them open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Feng Liang, Hui-Hai Liu, Yanhui Han, Kirk M. Bartko, Rajesh Kumar Saini
  • Publication number: 20220056798
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining permeability of subsurface formations are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: positioning a sample of the subsurface formation in a measurement cell, fluidly connecting an inlet and an outlet of the sample to an upstream reservoir and a downstream reservoir, respectively, flowing a fluid through the sample from the upstream reservoir to the downstream reservoir, measuring changes of an upstream pressure associated with the upstream reservoir and a downstream pressure associated with the downstream reservoir in a measurement time period, and determining a matrix permeability of the subsurface formation based on measurement data before the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure merge at a merging time point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Jilin Jay Zhang, Hui-Hai Liu, Jewel Duncan