Including Production Of Earth Fluid By Driving Fluid Patents (Class 166/252.1)
  • Patent number: 11873446
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a novel process of using nonionic surfactants in wells at, near, or below their cloud point temperature for increased oil production from reservoir formations. Adjusting the surfactant cloud point temperature to be proximate to the reservoir temperature results in the maximum surface activity of the surfactant, increased adsorption, and better imbibition performance. The nonionic surfactants may be mixed with a solution on surface and then injected into formation brine for spontaneous brine imbibition and crude oil production from oil-wet unconventional reservoir formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Third Wave Production, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk Herbert Raney, Grant Wesley Haddix
  • Patent number: 11732573
    Abstract: There is provided a method for determining an optimal condition for artificial recharge by using a computer in an artificial recharge system provided with an injection well for injecting fresh water into an aquifer, the method including: a step of calculating a maximum permissible quantity of injection of fresh water to be injected into the aquifer; a step of determining a height of a screen which is an area on a side surface of the injection well where penetrating holes are formed, based on the calculated maximum permissible quantity of injection; and a step of determining an injection pressure of the fresh water to be injected into the aquifer, based on the height of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: DONG-A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR INDUSTRY-ACADEMY COOPERATION
    Inventors: Byunghee Nam, Namsik Park, Roshina Babu
  • Patent number: 11573164
    Abstract: A method for determining properties of different cation exchange sites in a rock core sample, at a preserved state of the rock core sample may include providing a rock core sample that includes a plurality of indigenous exchangeable cations adsorbed onto the cation exchange sites, a plurality of cation exchange sites occupied by a crude oil, and one or more fluids occupying pore spaces in the rock core sample; subjecting the rock core sample to a plurality of coreflooding steps, the plurality of coreflooding step displacing the plurality of indigenous exchangeable cations, the crude oil, and the one or more fluids in at least three separate coreflooding steps to render the rock core sample clean of native components; determining an amount of indigenous exchangeable cations adsorbed onto the cation exchange sites; subjecting the rock core sample clean of native components to a plurality of coreflooding steps to determine a total amount of exchangeable cations adsorbed onto the cation exchange sites when the ro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Quan Chen
  • Patent number: 11567228
    Abstract: To generate dispersion curves for acoustic waves in a radially layered system, a matrix M containing solutions to the wave equation subject to the boundary conditions of the system is constructed. The reciprocal condition number (RCN) of the matrix M is determined as a function of acoustic wave frequency and slowness. The local minima of the RCN in the frequency-slowness plane produces the dispersion curves corresponding to allowable acoustic modes in the system. A sensitivity analysis which identifies the dispersion curves dependent on a selected parameter. The dispersion curves independent of the perturbed parameters are eliminated by perturbing the modeling parameters and generating the RCN of the perturbed matrix M and then subtracting the RCN values of the unperturbed matrix M, leaving the dispersion curves that exhibit dependence on the selected parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiajun Zhao, Ruijia Wang, Qingtao Sun, Richard Timothy Coates
  • Patent number: 11441083
    Abstract: The invention relates to a formulation for the diluting and dispersing of oily residues for the recovery of crude oil in processes for producing petroleum, comprising surfactant elements, as well as the process for recovering crude oil using a method for diluting and dispersing the oily residues generated in the petroleum production process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: AMG de Colombia S.A.S.
    Inventor: Antonio Alberto Martínez Gómez
  • Patent number: 11300494
    Abstract: A method for determining properties of different cation exchange sites in a rock core sample may include providing a rock core sample that is in either a preserved state or a non-preserved state, wherein a preserved form of the rock core sample includes a plurality of indigenous exchangeable cations adsorbed onto the cation exchange sites, a plurality of cation exchange sites occupied by a crude oil, and one or more fluids occupying pore spaces in the rock core sample; subjecting the rock core sample to a plurality of coreflooding steps, the plurality of coreflooding step displacing the plurality of indigenous exchangeable cations and the one or more fluids in at least two separate coreflooding steps to render the rock core sample clean of indigenous exchangeable cations; and determining an amount of indigenous exchangeable cations adsorbed onto the cation exchange sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Quan Chen
  • Patent number: 11274515
    Abstract: A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method includes conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT including a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further includes delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: EQUINOR ENERGY AS
    Inventors: Gjermund Grimsbo, Pål Viggo Hemmingsen, Halvor Kjørholt, Gisle Stjern
  • Patent number: 11230902
    Abstract: A packer module with selective control and fluid bypass can be interactive with other packer modules in a system for isolating and evaluating. The packer module includes a motor section, a conversion section, a control section, a sealing member, and an isolated flow path section. The control section includes a ramp sleeve cooperative with the sealing member to set a retracted configuration, an initial sealed configuration, and an isolated sealed configuration of the sealing member. The isolated flow path section includes an isolated flow path channel. The isolated flow path channel can only be opened with the sealing member in the isolated sealed configuration so that a zone formed by the packer module can be isolated and evaluated. Measuring and detecting instruments along the different flow paths through packer module evaluate the fluid properties of the bypass fluids and isolated fluids through the different flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: CNPC USA Corporation
    Inventors: Jayson Byrd, Jianpeng Yue, Peng Cheng, Zhicheng Zhang, Laijun Luo, Liquan Ding
  • Patent number: 11156044
    Abstract: An electric driven hydraulic fracking system is disclosed. A pump configuration includes the single VFD, the single shaft electric motor, and the single hydraulic pump mounted on the single pump trailer. A controller associated with the single VFD and is mounted on the single pump trailer. The controller monitors operation parameters associated with an operation of the electric driven hydraulic fracking system as each component of the electric driven hydraulic fracking system operates to determine whether the operation parameters deviate beyond a corresponding operation parameter threshold. Each of the operation parameters provides an indicator as to an operation status of a corresponding component of the electric driven hydraulic fracking system. The controller initiates corrected actions when each operation parameter deviates beyond the corresponding operation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: National Service Alliance—Houston LLC
    Inventors: John Fischer, John J. Crosetto, David Kubricht, Richard Cheatham, Jeffrey Pollack, Chad Lawman, David Todd, Tyler Nolen
  • Patent number: 11091689
    Abstract: Described herein is a multi-phase aqueous composition containing a surfactant; a first phase comprising water, an acid, and a water-soluble acid retarding agent; and a second phase selected from the group consisting of an immiscible organic phase, a gas, and combinations thereof. Further described are methods of making and using such compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Daeffler, Mohan Kanaka Raju Panga
  • Patent number: 10882773
    Abstract: A mobile water purification system having a trailer, a pretreatment subsystem having a cyclonic separator, a filtering subsystem fluidly connected with the pretreatment subsystem, the filtering subsystem having at least one bedded filter; a reverse osmosis subsystem fluidly connected with the filtering subsystem, the reverse osmosis subsystem having a waste output and a product output; a collection tank fluidly connected with and downstream of the reverse osmosis subsystem; a distribution subsystem fluidly connected with and downstream of the collection tank; a source water inlet mounted to the exterior and fluidly connected to the pretreatment inlet, the source water inlet outside of the at-least partially enclosed space; and a discharge water outlet mounted to the plurality of sidewalls and fluidly connected to the pressure tank, the discharge water outlet having an outlet opening outside of the at least partially-enclosed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Waterfleet, LLC
    Inventor: Alan Pyle
  • Patent number: 10738234
    Abstract: The phenomena of nutrient adsorption are utilised to enhance nutrient bioavailability and enhance methanogenesis efficiency. Thus methods for avoiding or reversing such adsorption or utilising the phenomena in a way favourable to promotion of methanogenesis in a formation, for example, through desorption of bound nutrients, or adsorption competing bacteria nutrients or methanogen toxicants, etc., are provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION
    Inventors: Luke Connell, Regina Sander, Deasy Heryanto, Nicholas Lupton, Michael Camilleri, Zhejun Pan
  • Patent number: 10718186
    Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments of computer-implemented methods, computing systems, and program products for analyzing a flood operation on a hydrocarbon reservoir. An embodiment of a computer implemented method of identifying conformance candidates is provided. The embodiment includes, for a first entity: solving an injection entity index to generate an injection entity index value, solving a production entity index to generate a production entity index value, evaluating an operation entity index that represents operation status to generate an operation entity index value, and combining the injection entity index value, the production entity index value, and the operation entity index value to generate a conformance problem index value for the first entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Morteza Sayarpour, Lokendra Jain, Carmen C. Hinds, Tiantian Zhang
  • Patent number: 10711177
    Abstract: Embodiments herein select a brine composition to be injected into a formation to alter wettability at a surface of the formation to enhance recovery of hydrocarbons from the formation. One embodiment comprises providing: a plurality of substrates representative of a formation, a plurality of brine compositions, and a plurality of reducing agents characterized as yielding oxyanions when added to an aqueous stream. The embodiment comprises selecting a brine composition with at least one reducing agent to be injected into the formation to alter wettability at a surface of the formation to enhance recovery of hydrocarbons from the formation and injecting the selected brine composition into the formation to alter wettability at the surface of the formation to enhance recovery of the hydrocarbons from the formation. The brine composition is selected based on interactions between the plurality of substrates, the plurality of brine compositions, and the plurality of reducing agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Adwait Chawathe, Nariman Fathi Najafabadi, Jagannathan Mahadevan
  • Patent number: 10619456
    Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments of computer-implemented methods, computing systems, and program products for analyzing a flood operation on a hydrocarbon reservoir. For example, an embodiment of a computer implemented method of analyzing a flood operation on a hydrocarbon reservoir having heavy oil is provided. The embodiment includes, for a first injection well of the hydrocarbon reservoir: receiving injection rate data and production rate data, establishing a plurality of time windows based on breakthrough time of each production well that has broken through until the current date, and running capacitance resistance modeling for each established time window to generate interwell connectivities for each well pair. The embodiment further includes determining a value of injected fluid for the first injection well as a function of time in the future using a continuous function estimated interwell connectivity and an estimated oil-cut value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Tiantian Zhang, Morteza Sayarpour, Omer Izgec
  • Patent number: 10613488
    Abstract: System includes one or more processors that are configured to perform iterations of the following until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The one or more processors are configured to select a modified trial schedule. The modified trial schedule is selected based on initial fluid-extraction data and initial trial schedules and, if available, prior modified trial schedules and prior modified fluid-extraction data from prior iterations. The one or more processors are configured to receive modified fluid-extraction data generated by execution of the modified trial schedule with a designated model of the reservoir. The one or more processors are also configured to update the surrogate model with the modified fluid-extraction data and the modified trial schedule. For at least a plurality of the iterations, the modified trial schedule is selected, at least in part, to reduce uncertainty in a sample space as characterized by the surrogate model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Naresh Sundaram Iyer, Steven Hector Azzaro, Glen Richard Murrell, Robert Carl Lloyd Klenner, Panqing Gao
  • Patent number: 10570718
    Abstract: A variety of systems, methods, and compositions that relates generally to well site operations and, more particularly, to the capture and recovery of exhaust gas from machinery located and operated at a well site are disclosed. Exhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide is captured, absorbed or reacted with amine sources, and separated for reuse or further processed for use in subterranean formation operations, such as hydraulic fracturing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip D. Nguyen, Stanley V. Stephenson, Jim Basuki Surjaatmadja
  • Patent number: 10550312
    Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) to about 8000 ppm TDS and a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 750 ppm. The one or more salts may include at least one of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Subhash Chandrabose Ayirala, Ali Abdallah Al-Yousef, Abdulkareem M. Al-Sofi
  • Patent number: 10550681
    Abstract: A method is taught for producing hydrocarbons from a reservoir by drilling two or more wells located proximal a bottom of said reservoir. The method comprises initiating one or more high-mobility zones connecting said wells along the bottom of the reservoir and producing the reservoir from the bottom of said reservoir upwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Bitcan Geosciences & Engineering Inc.
    Inventors: Yanguang Yuan, Mingzhe Dong
  • Patent number: 10494907
    Abstract: Process for treating subterranean oil-bearing formations comprising carbonate rocks with an aqueous composition comprising cationic ammonium salts comprising four hydrocarbon radicals wherein at least one of the hydrocarbon radicals is substituted by an OH-group. The process may be a process for enhanced oil recovery, fracturing, acidizing or antiscale treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Vandana Kurkal-Siebert, Guenter Oetter, Nicole Lichterfeld-Weber
  • Patent number: 10370941
    Abstract: A method for ranking performance of each production well in a plurality of production wells includes sensing a production parameter value for each production well using a sensor and receiving the production parameter value for each production well using a processor. The method also includes performing two or more different calculations for each production well using the production parameter value, each calculation providing a calculated performance indicator, multiplying each calculated performance indicator by a weight factor to provide a weighted performance indicator; and summing each of the weighted performance indicators for each production well to provide a unit-less performance index value for each production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Graham Brown, Eric Thiessen, Coen Smits
  • Patent number: 10370583
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of an aminosulphonate compound corresponding to the following formula (I): R1R2N—CHR3—CHR4—CHR5—SO3? (I) where: •R1 is a preferably C2 to C24 alkyl or alkylamido radical; •R2 is an optionally hydroxylated alkyl radical; •R3, R4 and R5 are, independently of one another, H or OH; it being understood that at least one of the R3, R4 and/or R5 groups is OH, for stabilizing a foam, in particular a foam used to extract hydrocarbons in an underground formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: RHODIA OPERATIONS
    Inventors: Mikel Morvan, Max Chabert
  • Patent number: 10196555
    Abstract: A preconditioning fluid is provided for producing crude oil from a subterranean formation. The preconditioning fluid produces an interface with crude oil in the formation that is more elastic than the interface between formation brine and the crude oil and has a favorable Amott-Harvey wettability index for oil recovery under the dominant hydrocarbon recovery mechanisms. The more elastic interface and improved Amott-Harvey wettability index is consistent with higher recoveries of crude oil from the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventor: Nariman Fathi Najafabadi
  • Patent number: 10132153
    Abstract: An oil recovery process includes recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation and separating the produced water from the oil-water mixture. The produced water includes dissolved gases and the method includes heating and pressurizing the produced water. After the produced water is heated and pressurized, it is flash vaporized through a lesser pressure which produces a vapor and residual produced water. The flash vaporization of the produced water evaporates dissolved gases and the dissolved gases are vented away with the vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Veolia Water Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark C. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 10053972
    Abstract: A methodology and system promote hydrocarbon production from a reservoir using steam assisted gravity drainage. The technique comprises deploying sensors in a subsurface environment containing the reservoir. The sensors are used to obtain data on properties related to a steam assisted gravity drainage region of the reservoir. Based on the data collected from the sensors, the amount of steam injected into areas of the reservoir may be adjusted to facilitate, e.g., optimize, production of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, STATOIL PETROLEUM AS
    Inventors: Robert John Godfrey, Jonathan Paul Ingham, David S. McCormick, Hartmut Hubertus Schütt, Mark Thompson, Richard Tøndel
  • Patent number: 9650871
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing system includes an electrically powered pump that pressurizes fluid, which is piped into a wellbore to fracture a subterranean formation. System components include a fluid source, an additive source, a hydration unit, a blending unit, a proppant source, a fracturing pump, and an electrically powered motor for driving the pump. Also included with the system is a signal assembly that visually displays operational states of the pump and motor, thereby indicating if fluid discharge lines from the pump contain pressurized fluid. The visual display of the signal assembly also can indicate if the motor is energized, so that the discharge lines might soon contain pressurized fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: US Well Services LLC
    Inventors: Jared Oehring, Brandon Neil Hinderliter
  • Patent number: 9506339
    Abstract: A method for managing a fracturing operation. In one implementation, the method may include positioning one or more sources and one or more receivers near a hydrocarbon reservoir; pumping a fracturing fluid into a well bore of the hydrocarbon reservoir; performing a survey with the sources and the receivers during the fracturing operation; comparing the baseline survey to the survey performed during the fracturing operation; analyzing one or more differences between the baseline survey and the survey performed during the fracturing operation; and modifying the fracturing operation based on the differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: WESTERNGECO L.L.C.
    Inventors: Craig J. Beasley, Iain Bush
  • Patent number: 9267369
    Abstract: In some aspects, techniques and systems for modeling fluid flow are described. A flow model represents intersecting flow paths for well system fluid. The flow paths intersect at a flow path intersection. A band matrix and an intersection table are generated based on the flow model. The band matrix represents fluid flow within the respective flow paths, and the intersection table represents fluid flow between the flow paths at the flow path intersection. The flow model can be operated using the band matrix and the intersection table, for example, to calculate fluid flow variables at various locations along the flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Pandurang Manohar Kulkarni, Dinesh Ananda Shetty, Avi Lin
  • Patent number: 9267367
    Abstract: A process for recovering hydrocarbons with steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) with pressure differential injection. Methods for producing hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation having at least two well pairs include installing a highest pressure well pair in the subterranean formation; installing a lowest pressure well pair in the subterranean formation; applying a pressure differential across the highest pressure well pair and the lowest pressure well pair; injecting steam into the first injection well to form a first steam chamber; injecting steam into the final injection well to form an adjacent steam chamber; monitoring the steam chambers until they merge into a final steam chamber; ceasing the flow of steam into the first injection well; and injecting steam into the final injection well to maintain the final steam chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Wheeler, Daniel R. Sultenfuss
  • Patent number: 9217318
    Abstract: In some aspects, a target net treating pressure for an injection treatment of a subterranean region is determined. Fracture growth orientation in a subterranean region is modeled by a computer system. In the model, the fracture growth is a response to fluid pressure acting on the subterranean region. A target net treating pressure for fluid acting on the subterranean region during an injection treatment of the subterranean region is determined based on the modeled fracture growth orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, David Blair Allison
  • Patent number: 9194215
    Abstract: A method and arrangement are proposed for introducing a CO2 composition into a subterranean geological formation for storage of CO2 therein. The CO2 composition is initially injected into the formation using a first set of injection parameters at which the CO2 composition is a supercritical fluid having first viscosity and density values. The injection parameters are then modified such that the CO2 composition is injected into the formation using at least one second set of injection parameters at which the CO2 composition is a supercritical fluid having second viscosity and density values that are different from said first viscosity and density values, wherein said injection parameters include the injection temperature, injection pressure and hydrocarbon content of the CO2 composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Lars Høier, Bamshad Nazarian
  • Patent number: 9139364
    Abstract: A method for geo-sequestration of a carbon dioxide includes selection of a target water-laden geological formation with low-permeability interbeds, providing an injection well into the formation and injecting supercritical carbon dioxide (SC—CO2) into the injection well under conditions of temperature, pressure and density selected to cause the fluid to enter the formation and splinter and/or form immobilized ganglia within the formation. This process allows for the immobilization of the injected SC—CO2 for very long times. The dispersal of scCO2 into small ganglia is accomplished by alternating injection of SC—CO2 and water. The injection rate is required to be high enough to ensure the SC—CO2 at the advancing front to be broken into pieces and small enough for immobilization through viscous instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Yifeng Wang, Charles R. Bryan, Thomas Dewers, Jason E. Heath
  • Patent number: 9109152
    Abstract: The present invention describes the method of making an ether sulfate surfactant solution hydrolytically stable by adding one or more alkalinity generating agents at levels greater than 0.05%. The surfactant solutions of the present invention have half-lives >8 months at 100° C. and find uses in EOR applications, environmental cleanups, detergent industry, and any other surfactant based high temperature applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Upali P. Weerasooriya, Gary A. Pope, Quoc P. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20150114633
    Abstract: A methodology and system promote hydrocarbon production from a reservoir using steam assisted gravity drainage. The technique comprises deploying sensors in a subsurface environment containing the reservoir. The sensors are used to obtain data on properties related to a steam assisted gravity drainage region of the reservoir. Based on the data collected from the sensors, the amount of steam injected into areas of the reservoir may be adjusted to facilitate, e.g., optimize, production of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Robert John Godfrey, Jonathan Paul Ingham, David S. McCormick, Hartmut Hubertus Schutt, Mark Thompson, Richard Tøndel
  • Patent number: 8899321
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Matthew A Dawson, Owen J Hehmeyer, Robert D Kaminsky, Mori Y Kwan, Jean-Pierre Lebel, Robert Chick Wattenbarger, Thomas J Boone
  • Publication number: 20140246193
    Abstract: A thermal recovery method employing an electrical pre-heating method to condition the hydrocarbon-bearing formation as a means of improving recovery when steam injection is later applied. In addition, a method of comparing the applied electrical flux and resulting temperature profile to determine the heat transfer properties of each of a plurality of reservoir regions along the length of a horizontal well is disclosed. Advantageously, the heat flux supplied to each of the regions may be varied relative to each other region to compensate for different thermal transfer properties which may exist in the formation within each of the regions. Such controlled variation in thermal energy transfer, compensating for variances in fluid mobility and thermal properties in the reservoir allows for a more even steam chamber development and therefore optimized oil recovery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: HUSKY OIL OPERATIONS LIMTED
    Inventor: Cody WOLLEN
  • Patent number: 8789587
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring and controlling an injection operation is disclosed. A plurality of distributed fiber optic sensors is located in a production well. Fluid is injected into an injection well spaced apart from the production well. A parameter of a formation between the production well and the injection well is determined from measurements from the formation obtained using the fiber optic sensors. At least one of an injection of fluid into the injection well and a flow into the production well is controlled in response to the determined parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Paulo Tubel, Brian Bidigare, Michael Johnson, John Harrell, Benn Voll
  • Patent number: 8739867
    Abstract: A remediation process that a employs improved quantitative method(s) of estimating of the volume and/or mass of contaminant in the subsurface, removal and or in situ degradation of the contamination using subsurface pulsing treatment (“SPT”) technology, and evaluation of the degree of remediation by re-applying the quantitative contaminant evaluation methods. The process uses SPT technology with the addition of a vacuum or sub-atmospheric pressure to an extraction well in order to create a push-pull effect to remove free contaminant or residual in conjunction with the pressure wave driving force created in the excitation or excitation well. The process can quantitatively measure the amount of residual contaminant, which up until now has not been possible or tractable using in situ methods, as well as measure the amount of residual that can be removed by SPT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: RemMetrik, LLC
    Inventor: Steven Panter
  • Patent number: 8726537
    Abstract: In a method and equipment for continuous sintering of pelletized mineral material, a partition wall (7, 8) arranged between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5, 6) is in the height direction placed at a distance from the pellet bed (2), so that in between the partition wall (7, 8) and pellet bed (2), there is left a gap (s) that allows gas to flow between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5; 6) through the gap (s) in order to equalize the pressure between the cooling chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventor: Marko Palander
  • Patent number: 8701768
    Abstract: Systems and methods for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. Some method include providing heat to a section of the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation, allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the section to a selected temperature to generate an in situ deasphalting fluid in the section, contacting at least a portion of the in situ deasphalting fluid with hydrocarbons in the section to remove at least some asphaltenes from the hydrocarbons in the section, and producing at least a portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbons from the formation. The in situ deasphalting fluid may include hydrocarbons having a boiling range distribution between 35° C. and 260° C. at 0.101 MPa. A majority of the hydrocarbons in the section may have a boiling point greater than 260° C. at 0.101 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Marian Marino, Gary Lee Beer, Richard Pollard, Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria Roes
  • Patent number: 8682589
    Abstract: A system and method for supplying an additive into a well is disclosed that includes estimating injection rates for the additives and setting of one or more fluid flow control devices in the well based on a computer model. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Brian L. Thigpen, C. Mitch Means, Guy P. Vachon, Garabed Yeriazarian, Jaedong Lee, Chee M. Chok, Clark Sann, Xin Liu
  • Patent number: 8646525
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing sweep efficiency of an enhanced oil recovery process in a subterranean reservoir is disclosed. The system and method include computing a displacement coefficient representative of heterogeneity of an unswept region in the subterranean. A functional relationship between operating conditions of one or more well control devices and the displacement coefficient is determined. The sweep efficiency of the enhanced oil recovery process can be optimized by adjusting the well control devices such that the displacement coefficient is minimized. Streamline simulation can be utilized to compute the displacement coefficient from the flow capacity and storage capacity of the unswept region in the subterranean reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Omer Izgec, George Michael Shook
  • Patent number: 8602099
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of mineral oil from mineral oil deposits with large temperature gradients, in which, for increasing the mineral oil yield, highly permeable regions of the mineral oil formation are blocked by injecting formulations which, after being forced into the deposit, form highly viscous gels under the influence of the deposit temperature. A plurality of portions of the formulation which in each case can form gels at different temperatures and therefore result in very complete blocking of highly permeable regions of the formation are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Wintershall Holding GmbH, Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy
    Inventors: Vladimir Stehle, Konrad Siemer, Volker Riha, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Liubov Altunina, Vladimir A. Kuvshinov
  • Publication number: 20130277049
    Abstract: The invention relates to the development of an analytical model to predict the velocity of the continuously expanding front of the steam chamber in a steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) hydrocarbon production system. The developed analytical model has advantages over reservoir simulation tool in that it is very fast and can be easily calibrated with field observation well data before making good prediction. One field study shows that the developed model can achieve excellent prediction for a field SAGD performance. A better understanding of the size of the steam chamber and the velocity of the front should provide better time, cost and energy efficiency for the production of high viscosity hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY
    Inventor: Yongnuan LIU
  • Patent number: 8534358
    Abstract: A method is proposed for heating a hydrocarbons reservoir, comprising the provision of an installation comprising: a first wellbore equipped with an injection string fitted with an adjustable choke and an extraction string fitted with an adjustable choke, a set of sensors, intended to measure physical variables, an automatic device making it possible to control and monitor the operation of the installation; the circulation of steam from one string to the other; the control of the steam injection flow rate in function of a target value; the keeping of a set of physical variables within a predetermined range of values by continuous action of the automatic device on the choke of the injection string, and on the choke of the extraction string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Total S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre Lemetayer, Emmanuel Toguem Nguete, Bruno Marty
  • Publication number: 20130153215
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for improving production of hydrocarbon resources. A method for improving recovery from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir includes drilling a well comprising a horizontal segment through a reservoir interval and installing a pipe string in the horizontal well segment, wherein the pipe string comprises a plurality of screen assemblies. Each of the plurality of screen assemblies is located and a hole is drilled in the pipe string at a portion of the plurality of screen assemblies. Each hole is drilled at a desired orientation to a radial axis of the drill string.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: George R. Scott, Russell M. Bacon
  • Patent number: 8439111
    Abstract: Hydrocarbons are recovered from subterranean formations by waterflooding. The method comprises passing an aqueous displacement fluid via an injection well through a porous and permeable sandstone formation to release oil and recovering said released oil from a production well spaced from said injection well, wherein (a) the sandstone formation comprises at least one mineral having a negative zeta potential under the formation conditions; (b) oil and connate water are present in the pores of the formation; and (c) the fraction of the divalent cation content of the said aqueous displacement fluid to the divalent cation content of said connate water is less than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignees: BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Gary Russell Jerauld, Arnaud Lager, Patrick Lee McGuire, Kevin Webb
  • Patent number: 8386226
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and instructions encoded in a computer-readable medium can perform operations related to stochastic simulation of subterranean fracture propagation. A plurality of subterranean formation models, each representing a subterranean formation, are analyzed to obtain information on predicted results of applying an injection treatment to the subterranean formation. Each of the analyzed subterranean formation models is generated by simulating forces acting on rock blocks of the subterranean formation during the injection treatment. Each simulation has an input parameter value determined for that simulation based on sampling a distribution of values for a characteristic of the subterranean formation. The characteristic may include, for example, a natural fracture parameter. The information on the predicted results of applying the injection treatment may include, for example, an output probability distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: David P. Craig
  • Patent number: 8335650
    Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to determine phase-change pressures are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes capturing a fluid in a chamber, pressurizing the fluid at a plurality of pressures, measuring a plurality of transmittances of a signal through the fluid at respective ones of the plurality of pressures, computing a first magnitude of a first subset of the plurality of transmittances, computing a second magnitude of a second subset of the plurality of transmittances, comparing the first and second magnitudes to determine a phase-change pressure for the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kai Hsu, Kentaro Indo, Peter S. Hegeman, Carsten Sonne
  • Patent number: 8307893
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of hydrocarbon production from a hydrocarbon reservoir. The method includes providing a substantially horizontal wellbore having at least one productive interval within a hydrocarbon reservoir and forming at least one non-conductive transverse fracture in the reservoir along the substantially horizontal wellbore. An injection well is also provided. A fluid is injected into the reservoir through the injection well to displace hydrocarbons within the reservoir toward a production portion of the substantially horizontal wellbore. Fluid production from the at least one production interval into the substantially horizontal wellbore flows through an inflow control device that can restrict the fluid flow. A non-conductive transverse fracture can form a barrier within the reservoir to divert injected fluids to increase sweep efficiency and reduce the influx of injected fluids into the production interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Leopoldo Sierra, Loyd E. East, Jr., Mohamed Y. Soliman