Patents by Inventor Hussein Hoteit

Hussein Hoteit 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: 20230408919
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micromodel with a mixed wettability surface representing a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method includes coating a top surface of a hydrophilic substrate with photoresist, covering a top of the photoresist with a photomask, exposing the covered top of the photoresist to UV light that changes a chemical property of a region of the photoresist corresponding to a pattern of the photomask, removing the photomask, removing the region of the photoresist corresponding to the pattern of the photomask based on the chemical property of the region, depositing a hydrophobic thin-film on top of the hydrophilic substrate, and removing a remaining photoresist covered with the thin-film, such that the surface of the hydrophilic substrate is patterned with both a region covered with the hydrophobic thin-film and an uncovered region of the hydrophilic substrate, creating a mixed wettability surface on the hydrophilic substrate that represents the micromodel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Dong Kyu Cha, Abdullah Abdulaziz AlOmier, Subhash C. Ayirala, Mohammed Badri Al-Otaibi, Ali Abdallah Al-Yousef, Hussein Hoteit
  • Publication number: 20230305186
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for modeling fluid flow through a fracture. The method includes obtaining a normal stress, and a shear stress and determining a first three-dimensional (3D) aperture model. Further, the method includes estimating a normal fracture closure displacement under the normal stress and a fracture dilation under the shear stress and simulating a fluid flow through a second 3D aperture model of the fracture. The second 3D aperture model of the fracture is based on the first 3D aperture, the normal fracture closure displacement, and the fracture dilation. Additionally, the method includes calculating a permeability of the second 3D aperture model of the fracture based on the simulated fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Marwah Mufid Alsinan, Xupeng He, Hyung Tae Kwak, Hussein Hoteit
  • Publication number: 20230151716
    Abstract: A method for history matching utilizing Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) workflow may include selecting a reservoir simulation model of interest, identifying a mathematical model relevant to the reservoir simulation model, and identifying a plurality of history matching parameters as initial priors. The method may include constructing a first model, utilizing the initial priors, to obtain updated priors. The method may include constructing a second model to obtain posteriors. The method may include determining history matching accuracy of the reservoir simulation model by comparing medians of the posteriors and a plurality of measured data. The method may further include, upon determining accuracy of the reservoir simulation model, performing a plurality of predictions of a reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Marwah Mufid Alsinan, Xupeng He, Hyung Tae Kwak, Hussein Hoteit
  • Publication number: 20230095763
    Abstract: A method for fracture dynamic hydraulic properties estimation and reservoir simulation may include obtaining a first set of images of a first fracture. The method may include obtaining a first set of fracture detections from the first set of images, generating a plurality of numerical calculations based on the first set of fracture detections, and generating a second model based on the plurality of numerical calculations and the first set of fracture detections. The method may further include obtaining a second set of images of a second fracture of a new reservoir, generating a second set of fracture detections of the second fracture, and generating dynamic hydraulic estimations of the second fracture. The method may also include generating a three-dimensional reservoir simulation and determining a plurality of recovery schemes for the new reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Marwah Mufid AlSinan, Xupeng He, Ryan Santoso, Hyung Tae Kwak, Hussein Hoteit
  • Publication number: 20230097859
    Abstract: A method may include obtaining fracture image data regarding a geological region of interest. The method may further include determining various fractures in the fracture image data using a first artificial neural network and a pixel-searching process. The method may further include determining a fracture model using the fractures, a second artificial neural network, and borehole image data. The method may further include determining various fracture permeability values using the fracture model and a third artificial neural network. The method may further include determining various matrix permeability values for the geological region of interest using core sample data. The method may further include generating a coarsened grid model for the geological region of interest using a fourth artificial neural network, the matrix permeability values, and the fracture permeability values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Marwah Mufid AlSinan, Xupeng He, Hyung Tae Kwak, Hussein Hoteit
  • Patent number: 11492882
    Abstract: A conformance improvement method involves injecting, via an injection well, a first water slug into a subsurface reservoir. A second water slug is injected, via the injection well, into the subsurface reservoir. The first and second water slugs have different viscosities, at least one of the first and second water slugs includes a surfactant, and the first and second water slugs combine with oil in the subsurface reservoir to form a microemulsion in a layer of the subsurface reservoir. A fluid is injected, via the injection well, into the subsurface reservoir. Oil is collected, via a production well, from the subsurface reservoir. The injected fluid causes the oil to move into the production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignees: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Victor Antonio Torrealba, Hussein Hoteit, Ahmad Alabdulghani
  • Publication number: 20220187491
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a 3D hydraulic aperture of a 3D fracture are disclosed. The method includes, obtaining a geometry of the 3D fracture, determining a fluid flow direction through the 3D fracture, and dividing the 3D fracture into a plurality of 2D cross-sections oriented substantially parallel to the fluid flow direction. The method further includes dividing each 2D cross-section into a plurality of Type I and Type II fracture segments based on a segment aspect ratio and a segment roughness ratio, determining a 2D segment hydraulic aperture for each of the plurality of Type I and Type II fracture segments, and determining the 3D hydraulic aperture of the 3D fracture based, at least in part, on the 2D segment hydraulic apertures of the plurality of Type I and Type II fracture segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicants: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Marwah Mufid AlSinan, Hyung Tae Kwak, Xupeng He, Hussein Hoteit
  • Publication number: 20210172302
    Abstract: A conformance improvement method involves injecting, via an injection well, a first water slug into a subsurface reservoir. A second water slug is injected, via the injection well, into the subsurface reservoir. The first and second water slugs have different viscosities, at least one of the first and second water slugs includes a surfactant, and the first and second water slugs combine with oil in the subsurface reservoir to form a microemulsion in a layer of the subsurface reservoir. A fluid is injected, via the injection well, into the subsurface reservoir. Oil is collected, via a production well, from the subsurface reservoir. The injected fluid causes the oil to move into the production well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Victor Antonio TORREALBA, Hussein HOTEIT, Ahmad ALABDULGHANI
  • Patent number: 10208577
    Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium is presented for use in enhancing oil recovery in a subsurface reservoir comprising. The method, system and computer readable medium defines a plurality of grid levels on a geological model of a subsurface reservoir. Connectivities and transmissibilities are calculated between neighboring cells in the same grid and between connecting cells between different grid levels. Gas and/or fluid dynamics are simulated using dynamic grid refinement where the connectivities and transmissibilities are updated at each time step based on the previously calculated connectivities and transmissibilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Hussein Hoteit, Adwait Chawathe
  • Publication number: 20150100293
    Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium is presented for use in enhancing oil recovery in a subsurface reservoir comprising. The method, system and computer readable medium defines a plurality of grid levels on a geological model of a subsurface reservoir. Connectivities and transmissibilities are calculated between neighboring cells in the same grid and between connecting cells between different grid levels. Gas and/or fluid dynamics are simulated using dynamic grid refinement where the connectivities and transmissibilities are updated at each time step based on the previously calculated connectivities and transmissibilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Hussein Hoteit, Adwait Chawathe