Abstract: This specification discloses a process for the production of petroleum from a petroleum-containing subterranean reservoir employing an aqueous driving fluid containing, as a thickening agent, a biopolymer. The biopolymer is an extracellular heteropolysaccharide synthesized by an alga. A particular bipolymer is one synthesized by the alga Porphyridium aerugineum. The biopolymer may be employed in the aqueous driving fluid as an in-vivo solution or in a reconstituted form. There is also disclosed a process for the growth of, and synthesis of, biopolymer by an alga such as Porphyridium aerugineum.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation which has undergone an in situ leaching operation which utilized an ammonium carbonate and/or bicarbonate lixiviant. In such a leach operation, ammonium ions will absorb onto the clay in the formation and will present a threat of contamination to any ground waters that may be present in the formation. The present method involves flushing the formation with a strong, basic solution, e.g., sodium or calcium hydroxide, to convert the ammonium ions to ammonia which is easily carried from the formation by the basic solution. After substantially all of the ammonium ions are removed, the formation is then flushed with water to remove any basic solution which may remain in the formation.

Abstract: A motor is electrically coupled to a power source through a motor starter. The motor is selectively operated by a relay to connect and disconnect the power source to the motor. A counter accumulates a count of motor failures and produces an inhibit signal should the frequency of occurrence of such motor failures exceed a given level. The relay is operated by an inhibit signal to cause the motor starter to disconnect the power source from the motor.

Abstract: This specification discloses a process and a culture composition for growth of an alga and synthesis of biopolymer by the alga. The process involves growth of the alga and concomitant synthesis of the biopolymer in an aqueous culture containing as a source of phosphate for said alga dibasic sodium or dibasic potassium phosphate. The nitrogen source can be sodium nitrate or urea. Control of the pH of the culture is effected by injecting a mixture of carbon dioxide and air into the culture during growth of the alga and synthesis of the biopolymer. The carbon dioxide also serves as a source of carbon for growth of the alga and synthesis of the biopolymer and provides agitation/mixing within the culture chamber. Preferably, the mixture of carbon dioxide and air is injected continuously into the culture during the entire growth period of the alga.

Abstract: This specification discloses a method and apparatus for the synthesis of alga biopolymer. The method is comprised of two stages and involves subjecting an aqueous culture containing alga cells and nutrients required for the growth of the alga cells to a first stage of artificial illumination for a period of time such that growth of the alga and synthesis of biopolymer begins followed by a second stage of natural illumination provided by successive cycles of diurnal solar radiation and darkness. During the cycles of diurnal solar radiation and darkness in the second stage, the aqueous culture is continuously contacted with a mixture of carbon dioxide and air. Furthermore, during these cycles of diurnal solar radiation and darkness, the temperature of the aqueous culture is maintained at a level conducive to the growth of the alga cells. The apparatus is employed in the second stage and contains a lower chamber adapted to contain an aqueous thickening culture from a stage-one reactor.

Abstract: A borehole tool for logging the remanent magnetic field of the earth formations surrounding a borehole includes a coil system having transmitter, receiver, and nulling coils; a phase-sensitive detector connected across the receiver and nulling coils to provide signals representative of magnetic susceptibility; and a detector system having a pair of axially spaced magnetometers, a pair of counters, an oscillator, a comparator, and a transmitter to provide signals representative of the total magnetic field differential between the two magnetometers. An uphole receiver compares differentials in the magnetic susceptibility measurements between two positions in the borehole with the total magnetic field differential between the same two positions as an indication of the earth's remanent magnetic field.

Abstract: This specification discloses a technique of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation wherein there is used a fracturing fluid comprised of an aqueous solution of an interaction product of a polysaccharide and a galactomannan.

Abstract: Surfactant waterflooding process involving the injection of a hydrocarbon slug followed by a surfactant slug and a mobility control slug. The hydrocarbon slug has a viscosity less than that of the reservoir oil and is injected within the range of 0.01-0.04 pore volume. The surfactant slug is injected in an amount within the range of 0.05-0.3 pore volume and exhibits a surfactant concentration within the range of 0.5-4.0 weight percent. At least a portion of the mobility control slug has a viscosity at least as great as the viscosity of the hydrocarbon slug.

Abstract: A borehole logging tool employs two neutron sources of differing energy outputs, two gamma-ray detectors, and a neutron detector in the radioactivity logging of a coal-bearing formation. A first of the gamma-ray detectors measures the gamma rays produced by the formation in response to the higher energy neutron source. A second of the gamma-ray detectors measures the gamma rays produced by the formation in response to the lower energy neutron source. The neutron detector measures thermal or epithermal neutrons produced by the formation in response to the neutron sources. These measurements are selectively transferred to a recording system employing a plurality of energy level discriminators, count rate meters, and comparators. The recording system, in response to these measurements, provides output signals representative of the carbon, sulfur, ash, and neutron moderating power of the coal in the formation being logged.

Abstract: A system for marine seismic exploration has arrays of sources and receivers which discriminate against horizontal traveling source-generated noise. Directive arrays of sources or receivers have a length which is longer than the wavelength of the lowest frequency of the seismic pulse. The spacing between the elements in the array is less than the wavelength of the highest characteristic frequency in the seismic pulse.

Abstract: A semisubmersible, loading, mooring and storage (LMS) facility for handling petroleum products at offshore locations. The LMS facility is comprised of a submerged storage section and a central tower section. The submerged storage section is comprised of a plurality of dual crude/water tanks, each of which has a flexible diaphragm therein to prevent any contact between the crude and the water. The central tower section contains crude only tanks through which the LMS facility is loaded and offloaded with crude and has an offloading and mooring structure on the top thereof. When the LMS facility is in an operable position and the dual tanks are filled with water, the profile of the LMS facility in the water is fixed and will not substantially change during loading or offloading of crude. The LMS facility is loaded by flowing crude into the crude only tanks and then filling the dual tanks from crude only tanks at a rate necessary to compensate for the water being displaced from the dual tanks.

Abstract: An easily removable cover plate for sealingly closing a service opening or the like through a deck of a vessel into a cargo tank. The cover plate has a plurality of latch means spaced about its periphery which are adjustable without disassembly to compensate for different deck thicknesses with which the cover plate may be used.

Abstract: A meat tray of thermoformed plastic foam is provided with high side walls of sufficient stability to retain cut pieces by vertical flutes in the side walls and at the corners.

Abstract: Naphthas are upgraded in a two-stage process to give improved yields of high octane gasoline. The first stage operates at low temperatures of 100.degree.-300.degree. F using a highly active chlorinated alumina containing a metal of the platinum group, while the second stage operates at high temperatures using a reforming catalyst.

Abstract: An integrated process for converting coal to high octane gasoline by gasifying the coal in such manner as to form a gas comprising carbon oxides, hydrogen and methane; contacting this gas in one or a series of steps with one or a series of catalysts, respectively comprising a special high silica to alumina ratio zeolite; converting the carbon oxides and hydrogen by such contact to a product comprising water, high octane aromatic gasoline and light hydrocarbon gases; alkylating the C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 olefins with the isobutane in the light gases to produce alkylate gasoline; admixing the aromatic and alkylate gasolines; and subjecting the C.sub.2.sup.- portion of the product to catalytic methanation via a nickel catalyst to produce synthetic natural gas.

Abstract: Additives that are useful dispersants when placed in lubricants are prepared by (1) reacting an amine or a hydroxy amino compound, such as an amino alcohol, with a halomaleic anhydride and (2) reacting this product with an alkali or alkaline earth metal derivative of a substituted hydroxyaromatic compound.

Abstract: The computer time needed to simulate a multistage fractionating tower is decreased by programming the computer to solve the applicable equations in which there have been replaced the two principal variables, flow ratio and temperature, by a single principal variable S which is the product of the flow ratio times the equilibrium constant of a base component at each particular stage temperature. By so reducing the dimensionalities of the problem, there is achieved the reduction in computer time by successive iterative solution of the equations to achieve realistically close simulation of selected operations of the tower.

Abstract: An acoustic detector is moved through a well to detect sound at various levels within the well. An electrical signal indicative of the detected sound is applied from the acoustic detector by way of a conductor cable to uphole recording equipment including an amplifier, spectrum analyzer, and recorder. The spectrum analyzer provides a frequency spectrum of the amplified signal from the acoustic detector. This frequency spectrum is recorded for use in the identification of flow leaks through or behind the casing of the well in accordance with predetermined spectrum analysis characteristics of single-phase gas and single-phase liquid leaks.

Abstract: A method of improving the permeability of a hydrocarbon bearing formation such as a coal seam by electrolinking a first well and a second well which have been drilled into the formation. Both wells are completed with similar strings of casing. The portion of the casing string which passes into or through the formation is comprised of alternating sections of electrically conductive and nonconductive material. An electrode is lowered into each well into contact with one of the electrically conductive sections. Current is then flowed between the electrodes in the wells until a permeable path through the formation is established. Then one or both electrodes are moved into contact with different conductive sections within the respective wells and the procedure is repeated.

Abstract: The specification discloses a technique for assaying for delayed fission neutrons from uranium to obtain a quantitative measure of uranium ore grade. In one embodiment, a pulsed neutron source of 14-Mev neutrons and a neutron detector are located in a borehole at the level of a formation of interest. The source is operated cyclically to irradiate the formations with bursts of fast neutrons, and the resulting neutrons from the formations are detected. Measurements are made of those neutrons detected between neutron bursts and indicative of delayed neutrons emitted as a result of neutron fission of uranium. Measurements also are obtained in a nonore-bearing formation to record the count of delayed neutrons emitted from oxygen when irradiated. These measurements are compared with those obtained in the ore-bearing formations of interest to correct for the effect of the oxygen background.