Abstract: A computer system and computerized method for allocating production among multiple formations produced by a hydrocarbon well, using isotopic concentration analysis. According to an aspect of the system and method, multiple single-formation isotopic concentration measurements of multiple hydrocarbon gases are taken from each formation. Within each formation, groups of similar isotopic concentration values are defined, and are mapped to geographic regions of the formations. Mixing equations are developed between regions of the different formations, for use in allocating production for a well intersecting those regions. According to another aspect of the system and method, allocation among three or more formations is performed using Monte Carlo analysis of an underspecified mixing equation, and at a measured isotopic concentration value for the commingled flow from the well.

Abstract: The instant invention is a method for numerically propagating waves or solving wave equations on a digital computer. This invention can be used to compute highly accurate solutions to the wave equation, in fact in some cases it computes the analytical solution, something previously considered impossible. The instant method can also propagate waves that are not described by differential equations, such as anisotropic scalar waves. The invention has the advantages that it is computationally efficient, accurate, and flexible. Of importance is the ability to propagate waves that simulate the P-wave arrivals in both isotropic and anisotropic media with a scalar as opposed to a vector equation.

Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a system and method for using satellite communications satellites to control and receive data from a land cableless seismic system. The satellite transmission could transmit control signals (e.g. turn on/off) and receive signals from the remote seismograph units (seismic data, quality control parameters, status, location, etc.) which would subsequently be retransmitted to a processing center or other surface facility.

Abstract: This is a method of separating simultaneous sources that uses an inversion-type approach. Each source will preferably activated at a random time with respect to the others. These random delays tend to make the interference between sources incoherent while the reflections create coherent events within a series of shots. The shot separation is performed via a numerical inversion process that utilizes the sweeps for each shot, the start times of each shot, and the coherence of reflection events between nearby shots. This method will allow seismic surveys to be acquired faster and cheaper.

Abstract: The disclosed compositions and methods utilize hydrophilic polymers modified by the incorporation of one or more hydrophilic side groups. The polymers may exhibit physical association in solution at a specific temperature so as to provide a significant increase in viscosity at the specific temperature. The viscosity of such systems is substantially increased by the further inclusion of one or more hydrophilic components that may exhibit physical association in solution at one or more temperature trigger points and also associate with the one or more hydrophilic polymers modified by the incorporation of one or more hydrophilic side groups.

Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided herein a system and method for Interpolation of seismic data with a POCS (projection onto convex sets) algorithm that can produce high quality interpolation results, at a reduced computational cost. In particular, optimizing the threshold calculations, allowing for aliased data, allowing the algorithm to skip unneeded Fourier transforms, and parallelization makes the method more practical and robust. Robust interpolation of aliased data may be done by limiting the calculations of the beginning iterations to the lowest temporal and spatial frequencies included in the data, then gradually allowing higher temporal and spatial frequencies into the following iterations.

Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided herein a system and method for creating low frequency seismic waves. In brief, the instant invention uses a rotary propeller-type system that has been mounted in, for example, a barge or other marine vessel as a seismic source. In the preferred arrangement, the instant source will generate a seismic signal that has greater low frequency content (e.g., frequencies that are less than about 10 Hz) than has been possible heretofore.

Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided herein a system and method for the imaging and monitoring of the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs and other subsurface features, wherein the collected seismic data contain multiples therein. In brief, the instant invention is a method of removing multiples using surface-related multiple elimination (SRME), wherein wide azimuth seismic data are used to directly compute a multiple prediction via a mixed space-wavenumber-frequency domain implementation.

Abstract: The disclosed compositions and methods utilize hydrophilic polymers modified by the incorporation of one or more hydrophilic side groups. The polymers may exhibit physical association in solution at a specific temperature so as to provide a significant increase in viscosity at the specific temperature. The viscosity of such systems is substantially increased by the further inclusion of one or more hydrophilic components that may exhibit physical association in solution at one or more temperature trigger points and also associate with the one or more hydrophilic polymers modified by the incorporation of one or more hydrophilic side groups.

Abstract: The methods described herein are conceptually similar to classical migration/imaging for surface seismic data. However, instead of using computed (estimated) Green's functions in the imaging process, the instant invention utilizes measured (near-exact) Green's functions from VSP data to image the surface seismic data. Although the instant invention is best utilized where the velocity profile is approximately 1D (i.e., v(z)), the methods disclosed herein can also be extended to instances where there are some lateral velocity variations. Under these conditions, the instant invention allows for imaging surface seismic data and ‘self-imaging’ VSP data without first having to estimate a velocity model. The measurements obtained from the VSP data can also be used as a tool for calibrating computed Green's functions and migration operators.

Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing process consisting essentially of drilling a wellbore through at least one reservoir formation, installing in said wellbore at least one conduit, ensuring pressure communication between said wellbore and said reservoir formation, at a higher effective stress formation, selecting the location of the pressure communication between the wellbore and the reservoir formation for control of said hydraulic fracturing process and pumping a hydraulic fracturing treatment comprising a fracturing fluid and a proppant, at a sufficient pressure via said conduit to create at least one fracture in the higher effective stress formation. In addition, processes for increasing conductivity near a wellbore and producing fluids from a lower effective stress permeable formation via a fracture extending from the higher effective stress fracture formation into the lower effective stress permeable formation may include applying several approaches to packing or filling fractures with proppant.

Abstract: There is provided herein a system and method of acquiring, processing, and imaging transient Controlled Source ElectroMagnetic (t-CSEM) data in ways that are similar to those used for seismic data. In particular, the instant invention exploits the time-distance characteristics of t-CSEM data to permit the design and execution of t-CSEM surveys for optimal subsequent processing and imaging. The instant invention illustrates how to correct t-CSEM data traces for attenuation and dispersion, so that their characteristics are more like those of seismic data and can be processed using algorithms familiar to the seismic processor. The resulting t-CSEM images, particularly if combined with corresponding seismic images, may be used to infer the location of hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Abstract: Methods and systems for removing water from gas wells are described herein. The water is removed by positioning a pump in a liquid layer below the perforations through which gas enters a gas well and powering a water pump with electrical power generated by an energy recovery system which produces electricity from a gas flow through the energy recovery system to an earth surface.

Abstract: There is provided herein a system and method for the imaging and monitoring of hydrocarbon reservoirs and other subsurface features preferably using seabed or surface sensors in conjunction with one or more downhole sensors. In one preferred embodiment, recordings will be simultaneously made using both seabed and downhole receivers. The energy source might be either a controlled seismic source or ambient noise. In one embodiment, the data will be used to compute a virtual VSP, checkshot, or similar survey by cross correlating a trace recorded at the surface with a trace recorded at depth. In another embodiment, the surface and well sensors will be permanently emplaced and repeated recordings over time will be used to form a time-varying (4-D) image of the subsurface.

Abstract: According to a first preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided an efficient method of computing a 3D frequency domain waveform inversion based on 3D time domain modeling. In the preferred arrangement, 3D frequency domain wavefields are computed using 3D time-domain modeling and a discrete Fourier transformation that is preferably computed “on the fly” instead of solving the large systems of linear equations that have traditionally been required by direct frequency domain modeling. The instant invention makes use of the theory of gradient-based waveform inversion that estimates model parameters (for example velocities) by matching modeled data to field data sets. Preferably the modeled data are calculated using a forward modeling algorithm.

Abstract: An improved system and method for providing reduced acid gas/dewatered light hydrocarbon gas to a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process wherein a plurality of light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction trains are used.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for liquefying natural gas wherein an available methane-rich feed, i.e., natural gas, at an excess pressure is initially expanded to provide expansion work which may be utilized in a number of novel ways, such as to provide refrigeration in a refrigerant cycle used to cool the feed or in one or more refrigerant cycles used in a liquefaction zone to liquefy the feed, or to generate electrical power for use in the liquefaction process or for export. In one embodiment, the expansion work is obtained by use of an expander/compressor device (turboexpander) which expands the feed to (1) drive the compressor of the device and thereby provide compression for a closed loop propane refrigeration cycle to pre-cool the natural gas stream, and (2) produce an expanded, chilled natural gas feed for a liquefaction process.