Patents by Inventor Riley Bryan Needham

Riley Bryan Needham 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: 8353340
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relate to in situ combustion. Configurations of the injection and production wells facilitate the in situ combustion. Utilizing wet combustion for some embodiments promotes heat displacement for hydrocarbon recovery with procedures in which one or more of the production and injection wells are configured with lengths deviated from vertical. In some embodiments for either dry or wet combustion, at least the production wells define intake lengths deviated from vertical and that are disposed at staged levels within a formation. Each of the productions wells during the in situ combustion allow for recovery of hydrocarbons through gravity drainage. Vertical separation between the intake lengths of the production wells enables differentiated and efficient removal of combustion gasses and the hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Partha S. Sarathi, Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr., Riley Bryan Needham, Abhishek Dutta
  • Publication number: 20110011582
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relate to in situ combustion. Configurations of the injection and production wells facilitate the in situ combustion. Utilizing wet combustion for some embodiments promotes heat displacement for hydrocarbon recovery with procedures in which one or more of the production and injection wells are configured with lengths deviated from vertical. In some embodiments for either dry or wet combustion, at least the production wells define intake lengths deviated from vertical and that are disposed at staged levels within a formation. Each of the productions wells during the in situ combustion allow for recovery of hydrocarbons through gravity drainage. Vertical separation between the intake lengths of the production wells enables differentiated and efficient removal of combustion gasses and the hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Partha S. Sarathi, Wayne Reid Dreher, JR., Riley Bryan Needham, Abhishek Dutta