Patents by Inventor Owen J Hehmeyer
Owen J Hehmeyer 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).
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Publication number: 20240060409Abstract: Methods of stimulating a hydrocarbon well are disclosed herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The methods include retaining a sealing structure within the tubular conduit and, during the retaining, stimulating a zone of the subterranean formation. Subsequent to the stimulating, the methods include fluidly isolating the zone of the subterranean formation from the uphole region by at least partially sealing the plurality of perforations. Subsequent to the fluidly isolating, the methods include moving the sealing structure in a downhole direction within the tubular conduit. The methods also include repeating the retaining, the stimulating, the fluidly isolating, and the moving a plurality of times to stimulate a plurality of corresponding zones of the subterranean formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: James B. THOMAS, Owen J. HEHMEYER, Nancy H. CHOI, Erik N. ENGLISH, Eric R. GRUESCHOW
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Patent number: 11852002Abstract: Methods of stimulating a hydrocarbon well are disclosed herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The methods include retaining a sealing structure within the tubular conduit and, during the retaining, stimulating a zone of the subterranean formation. Subsequent to the stimulating, the methods include fluidly isolating the zone of the subterranean formation from the uphole region by at least partially sealing the plurality of perforations. Subsequent to the fluidly isolating, the methods include moving the sealing structure in a downhole direction within the tubular conduit. The methods also include repeating the retaining, the stimulating, the fluidly isolating, and the moving a plurality of times to stimulate a plurality of corresponding zones of the subterranean formation.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2022Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering CompanyInventors: James B. Thomas, Owen J. Hehmeyer, Nancy H. Choi, Erik N. English, Eric R. Grueschow
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Publication number: 20230018564Abstract: Methods of stimulating a hydrocarbon well are disclosed herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The methods include retaining a sealing structure within the tubular conduit and, during the retaining, stimulating a zone of the subterranean formation. Subsequent to the stimulating, the methods include fluidly isolating the zone of the subterranean formation from the uphole region by at least partially sealing the plurality of perforations. Subsequent to the fluidly isolating, the methods include moving the sealing structure in a downhole direction within the tubular conduit. The methods also include repeating the retaining, the stimulating, the fluidly isolating, and the moving a plurality of times to stimulate a plurality of corresponding zones of the subterranean formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2022Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventors: James B. THOMAS, Owen J. HEHMEYER, Nancy H. CHOI, Erik N. ENGLISH, Eric R. GRUESCHOW
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Patent number: 11512572Abstract: Methods of stimulating a hydrocarbon well are disclosed herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The methods include retaining a sealing structure within the tubular conduit and, during the retaining, stimulating a zone of the subterranean formation. Subsequent to the stimulating, the methods include fluidly isolating the zone of the subterranean formation from the uphole region by at least partially sealing the plurality of perforations. Subsequent to the fluidly isolating, the methods include moving the sealing structure in a downhole direction within the tubular conduit. The methods also include repeating the retaining, the stimulating, the fluidly isolating, and the moving a plurality of times to stimulate a plurality of corresponding zones of the subterranean formation.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: James B. Thomas, Owen J. Hehmeyer, Nancy H. Choi, Erik N. English, Eric R. Grueschow
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Publication number: 20210372254Abstract: Methods of stimulating a hydrocarbon well are disclosed herein. The hydrocarbon well includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The methods include retaining a sealing structure within the tubular conduit and, during the retaining, stimulating a zone of the subterranean formation. Subsequent to the stimulating, the methods include fluidly isolating the zone of the subterranean formation from the uphole region by at least partially sealing the plurality of perforations. Subsequent to the fluidly isolating, the methods include moving the sealing structure in a downhole direction within the tubular conduit. The methods also include repeating the retaining, the stimulating, the fluidly isolating, and the moving a plurality of times to stimulate a plurality of corresponding zones of the subterranean formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: JIM B. THOMAS, OWEN J. HEHMEYER, NANCY H. CHOI, ERIK N. ENGLISH, ERIC R. GRUESCHOW
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Patent number: 8899321Abstract: Described are methods of distributing a viscosity reducing solvent to a set of wells terminating in an underground oil reservoir where the variation in the net solvent injection rate is minimized. The net solvent injection rate is the difference between the total solvent injection rate and the total solvent production rate from the set of wells, for example on an instantaneous or daily rate basis. Minimizing this variation can reduce costs associated with surface solvent storage, subsurface solvent storage, and solvent supply, since solvent supply often is least expensive when supplied at near a fixed rate. One option is to operate well pairs and to inject solvent into one well of the pair while producing oil and solvent from the other well of the pair. These methods are particularly useful in solvent-dominated, cyclic or non-cyclic, viscous oil recovery processes.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2011Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Matthew A Dawson, Owen J Hehmeyer, Robert D Kaminsky, Mori Y Kwan, Jean-Pierre Lebel, Robert Chick Wattenbarger, Thomas J Boone
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Patent number: 8752623Abstract: In solvent-dominated recovery processes for recovering In situ oil, including bitumen, the produced fluid stream includes oil and solvent. The solvent is preferably recovered and reinjected into the reservoir. In previously described methods, solvent is removed from the oil/solvent mixture. In the present method, the oil/solvent mixture is first separated into a heavier stream and a lighter stream from which solvent is independently removed.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Eric B. Sirota, Owen J. Hehmeyer
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Publication number: 20140034305Abstract: Described is a method of operating a cyclic solvent-dominated recovery process (CSDRP) for recovering viscous oil from a subterranean reservoir of the viscous oil to enhance recovery effectiveness. The cyclic solvent process involves using an injection well to inject a viscosity-reducing solvent into a subterranean viscous oil reservoir. Reduced viscosity oil is produced to the surface using the same well used to inject solvent. The process of alternately injecting solvent and producing a solvent/viscous oil blend through the same wellbore continues in a series of cycles until additional cycles are no longer economical. Conventionally, the solvent composition remains constant over time within each injection cycle and among cycles. In the present method, by contrast, the solvent composition is varied over time thereby providing operational benefits as described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2012Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventors: Matthew A. Dawson, Tapantosh Chakrabarty, Ivan J. Kosik, Owen J. Hehmeyer, Prateek P. Shah, Shivani Syal, Robert Chick Wattenbarger
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Patent number: 8457897Abstract: A method and system for estimating the status of a production well using a probability calculator and for developing such a probability calculator. The method includes developing a probability calculator, which may be a Bayesian network, utilizing the Bayesian network in a production well event detection system, which may include real-time well measurements, historical measurements, engineering judgment, and facilities data. The system also includes a display to show possible events in descending priority and/or may trigger an alarm in certain cases.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Owen J Hehmeyer
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Publication number: 20130124171Abstract: There is provided a method for predicting behavior of a physical system. An exemplary method comprises identifying a set of input variables that have an impact on an output metric and identifying a subset of the set of input variables the subset having a relatively larger impact on the output metric. A physical property model is built to predict the output metric as a function of the subset of the set of input variables. Postulated changes in the subset of the set of input variables are probabilistically ranked using the physical property model. Behavior of the physical system is predicted based on the rank of the postulated changes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2011Publication date: May 16, 2013Inventors: John F. Schuette, Doug S. Kenaley, Owen J. Hehmeyer
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Publication number: 20120325467Abstract: A method of operating a cyclic solvent-dominated recovery process (CSDRP) for recovering viscous oil from a subterranean reservoir of the viscous oil. The cyclic solvent process involves using an injection well to inject a viscosity-reducing solvent into a subterranean viscous oil reservoir. Reduced viscosity oil is produced to the surface using the same well used to inject solvent. The process of alternately injecting solvent and producing a solvent/viscous oil blend through the same wellbore continues in a series of cycles until additional cycles are no longer economical. Aspects of the invention relate to the particular volume of solvent injected in each cycle, when to switch from production to injection, the injection pressure to be used, the production pressure to be used, and to middle and late life operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2010Publication date: December 27, 2012Inventors: Jean-Pierre Lebel, Thomas J. Boone, Adam S. Coutee, Matthew A. Dawson, Owen J. Hehmeyer, Robert D. Kaminsky, Rahman Khaledi, Ivan J. Kosik, Mori Y. Kwan, Robert Chick Wattenbarger
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Publication number: 20110295771Abstract: Described are methods of distributing a viscosity reducing solvent to a set of wells terminating in an underground oil reservoir where the variation in the net solvent injection rate is minimized. The net solvent injection rate is the difference between the total solvent injection rate and the total solvent production rate from the set of wells, for example on an instantaneous or daily rate basis. Minimizing this variation can reduce costs associated with surface solvent storage, subsurface solvent storage, and solvent supply, since solvent supply often is least expensive when supplied at near a fixed rate. One option is to operate well pairs and to inject solvent into one well of the pair while producing oil and solvent from the other well of the pair. These methods are particularly useful in solvent-dominated, cyclic or non-cyclic, viscous oil recovery processes.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2011Publication date: December 1, 2011Inventors: Matthew A Dawson, Owen J Hehmeyer, Robert D Kaminsky, Mori Y Kwan, Jean-Pierre Lebel, Robert Chick Wattenbarger, Thomas J Boone
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Publication number: 20110272152Abstract: To recover oil, including viscous oil, from an underground reservoir, a cyclic solvent-dominated recovery process may be used. A viscosity reducing solvent is injected, and oil and solvent are produced. Unlike steam-dominated recovery processes, solvent-dominated recovery processes cause viscous fingering which should be controlled. To control viscous fingering, operational synchronization is used within groups and not between adjacent groups.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2011Publication date: November 10, 2011Inventors: Robert Kaminsky, Adam Coutee, Matthew A. Dawson, Owen J. Hehmeyer, Hao Huang, Ivan J. Kosik, Jean-Pierre Lebel, Robert Chick Wattenbarger
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Publication number: 20110264373Abstract: Solvent-dominated hydrocarbon recovery processes use chemical solvent(s), rather than a heat-transfer agent, as the principal means to achieve hydrocarbon viscosity reduction. Such processes are fundamentally different from thermally-dominated recovery processes and have unique challenges. Field measurements described herein, such as the rate of solvent production, can be used to manage solvent-dominated hydrocarbon recovery processes, for instance for improving hydrocarbon recovery or solvent efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2011Publication date: October 27, 2011Inventors: Owen J. Hehmeyer, Robert D. Kaminsky
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Publication number: 20110198091Abstract: In solvent-dominated recovery processes for recovering In situ oil, including bitumen, the produced fluid stream includes oil and solvent. The solvent is preferably recovered and reinjected into the reservoir. In previously described methods, solvent is removed from the oil/solvent mixture. In the present method, the oil/solvent mixture is first separated into a heavier stream and a lighter stream from which solvent is independently removed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2011Publication date: August 18, 2011Inventors: Eric B. Sirota, Owen J. Hehmeyer
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Publication number: 20100211423Abstract: A method and system for estimating the status of a production well using a probability calculator and for developing such a probability calculator. The method includes developing a probability calculator, which may be a Bayesian network, utilizing the Bayesian network in a production well event detection system, which may include real-time well measurements, historical measurements, engineering judgment, and facilities data. The system also includes a display to show possible events in descending priority and/or may trigger an alarm in certain cases.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2008Publication date: August 19, 2010Inventor: Owen J Hehmeyer