Patents Represented by Attorney Charles L. Hartman
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Patent number: 5462668Abstract: Additives are usually diluted before they are added to a geothermal brine processing stream. It has been found that one preferred diluent is the conditioned steam condensate produced after power generation in the geothermal plants. One class of additives beneficially diluted by the conditioned steam condensate are crystal structure modifiers. When it is diluted with the steam condensate, the heat-sensitive crystal structure modifier is prevented from being degraded by the heat of the brine so that when blended with the geothermal brine the crystal structure modifier can perform its function of inhibiting the precipitation of alkaline earth salts.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1993Date of Patent: October 31, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone, Carl E. Flint
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Patent number: 5413718Abstract: Geothermal brines are extracted from the earth, flashed and the remaining liquids are injected back into the earth. Although it would be advantageous for resource maintenance to inject the same amount of liquid as extracted, addition of liquid causes massive system upsets that prevent such addition. River or other similar surface waters can now be added to the brine stream created when extracting power from a geothermal source, after adding a crystal structure modifier to the brine stream. In operations where the brine stream is returned to the earth, the weight rate of the brine injected into the earth is brought to at least 90% what it was when extracted from the ground.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1993Date of Patent: May 9, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
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Patent number: 5409614Abstract: NORMs are inhibited or prevented from precipitating with scale produced by a hot aqueous solution by adding multiple portions of a crystal structure modifier to the aqueous solution as it cools before and during removal of silicon containing components by precipitation. Preferred crystal structure modifiers include polyacrylate crystal structure modifiers and phosphonomethylated amines.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1993Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
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Patent number: 5383122Abstract: The pressure build-up of hydrocarbon wells is quickly measured allowing the well to be shut-in for a shorter length of time than previously possible to achieve the same results. After the well has been shut-in at the surface the rate of change of the level of the gas/liquid interface within the well bore is determined. The level change data are converted into pressure build-up data and flow rate data. Applying the convolution integral to the pressure build-up data gives the value of the equilibrated pressure of the well. The deconvoluted data can then be used to solve conventional algorithms to determine the state of the well bore and surrounding formation. The operator of the well can then make a variety of decisions, including continuing to produce from the well, stimulating the well, or abandoning the well.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1992Date of Patent: January 17, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventor: Charles U. Ohaeri
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Patent number: 5378441Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide is removed from natural gas by contacting the natural gas with a scrubber oil that absorbs the hydrogen sulfide. The natural gas typically contains some water, or water can be added, and the resulting mixture is used to form a water-in-scrubber oil emulsion. Sulfur dioxide added to the water-in-oil emulsion reacts with the hydrogen sulfide present in the emulsion.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1993Date of Patent: January 3, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Theodore C. Frankiewicz, Clifford D. Juengst
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Patent number: 5358627Abstract: High quality lubricating oil base stocks are produced from crude oils that contain significant concentrations of aromatic compounds in their higher boiling fractions. First, the crude is fractionated. After the residua fraction has been deasphalted, it is combined with the gas oil fraction. The resultant combined fraction is hydrocracked. The hydrocrackate is separated into a light fraction and a heavy fraction. The heavy fraction is hydrodewaxed, then hydrofinished. The hydrofinished product is combined with the light fraction and distilled into products including middle distillate fuel products and lubricating oil base stocks. The lubricating oil base stocks have high VI.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1992Date of Patent: October 25, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: David E. Mears, Michael G. Hunter
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Patent number: 5342629Abstract: Cellulosic particles, for example wood particles, stored in a pile are preserved by contacting the particles with a thiocarbonate composition.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1991Date of Patent: August 30, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Roger A. Brown, Richard L. Pilling, Donald C. Young
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Patent number: 5324340Abstract: Hot, newly molded glass articles are easily moved using sweepout arms having a plurality of graphite contact members that form a mosaic to present the hot glass piece with a substantially smooth graphite surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1992Date of Patent: June 28, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Shelby M. Withrow, Patrick H. Lloyd
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Patent number: 5288411Abstract: Radioactivity and fluoride ion are inhibited or prevented from precipitating in scale formed from a geothermal brine by adding a scale inhibitor to the cooling brine solution. Preferred scale inhibitors include polyacrylate dispersants and phosphonomethylated amines.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1992Date of Patent: February 22, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
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Patent number: 5288753Abstract: Oligomeric thiocarbonates such as hexathiodicarbonate salts and thioesters are used as pesticides and preservatives. Certain oligomeric thiocarbonate salts, notably quaternary ammonium hexathiodicarbonates, are prepared. The compounds are stabilized with added base and/or sulfide.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1989Date of Patent: February 22, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: James A. Green, II, Donald C. Young
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Patent number: 5279108Abstract: A mixture of urea, ammonia, and water is injected into the exhaust of jet engines to lower the amount of NO.sub.x emitted from jet engines.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1992Date of Patent: January 18, 1994Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventor: Tony J. Loll
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Patent number: 5268108Abstract: Radioactivity and fluoride ion are inhibited or prevented from precipitating in scale formed from a geothermal brine by adding a dispersant to the cooling brine solution. Preferred dispersants include polyacrylates and polyphosphonic acids.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1991Date of Patent: December 7, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
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Patent number: 5256301Abstract: Soluble salts are prevented from precipitating from a brine concentrate produced from the flashing a geothermal brine by diluting the brine concentrate with preconditioned condensate. The pH of the condensate is first adjusted to within two pH units of brine concentrate. Then concentration of sulfide ion is reduced by oxidizing sulfide to sulfate by exposure to air for a period of time sufficient to oxidize a substantial portion of the sulfide, but short enough to prevent a substantial concentration of oxygen from dissolving in the condensate. The preconditioned condensate is then mixed with the brine concentrate to form an injection stream. The injection stream is then injected into the earth.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1992Date of Patent: October 26, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Darrell L. Gallup, Manuel E. Obando
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Patent number: 5252308Abstract: High purity ammonia is quantitatively produced from urea by reaction with water in the presence of acid. A major advantage of the invention is that urea can be safely transported to a conversion site, then converted to ammonia. The net result is that high purity ammonia is available wherever it is needed without the toxic hazard presented by transporting ammonia.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1991Date of Patent: October 12, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventor: Donald C. Young
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Patent number: 5246593Abstract: The concentration of amorphous silica in an aqueous solution is monitored to determine a concentration above which silica will precipitate. The precipitation concentration is data processed with a means for data processing by solving the Setchnow equation for aqueous solutions containing silica. The means for data processing generates a signal that, if need be, can be used to automatically adjust the parameters of the system to prevent silica precipitation or to carefully control the precipitation rate. An alternative embodiment provides a method for determining amorphous silica concentration, then data processing the solution to the Setchnow equation, generating a signal, and adjusting the parameters of the system. The apparatus and method of this invention are particularly useful in geothermal power plants.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1991Date of Patent: September 21, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventor: Darrell L. Gallup
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Patent number: 5240709Abstract: Encapsulating particles of solid thiocarbonate salts, esters and complexes with air- and water-impermiable coatings produces compositions having long-term stability.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1991Date of Patent: August 31, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Richard L. Pilling, Donald C. Young
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Patent number: 5224543Abstract: Scale inhibitor is added to a cross-linked fracturing fluid as an integral part of the fracturing fluid. Preferred fracturing fluids are borate cross-linked and the preferred scale inhibitor is polyacrylate. In another embodiment of this invention, the fracturing fluid is prepared by adding a scale inhibitor to a fracturing fluid at a pH of between 8.5 and 10.5. In a third embodiment, the fracturing fluid prepared above is used to fracture subterranean formations. In a fourth embodiment, the fracturing fluid is used to pressurize a subterranean formation to break scale near the hydrocarbon wellbore.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1991Date of Patent: July 6, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: David R. Watkins, Joseph J. Clemens, John C. Smith, Surinder N. Sharma, Hetty G. Edwards
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Patent number: 5203987Abstract: Residua comprises upgraded by first partitioning a hydrocracked residua into a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction. The vapor fraction is hydrotreated forming a first hydrotreated product. The liquid fraction is partitioned into a residua fraction and a light liquid fraction. The light liquid fraction can be hydrotreated or hydrocracked to form a hydroprocessed product. The hydrotreated product and the hydroprocessed product are then combined forming a substantially upgraded synthetic crude product refinable as a routine crude in a refinery into products that meet stringent specifications. In particular, residua can be upgraded to make a quality jet fuel fraction and a naphtha fraction containing less than 1 ppmw sulfur and nitrogen.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 1991Date of Patent: April 20, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventor: Emiliano de la Fuente
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Patent number: 5190677Abstract: Encapsulating particles of solid thiocarbonate salts, esters and complexes with air- and water-impermiable coatings produces compositions having long-term stability.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1991Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Union Oil Comany of CaliforniaInventors: Union Oil Company of California, Donald C. Young
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Patent number: RE34953Abstract: A takeout jaw .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.for use in a bottle-forming machine .[.is formed in a semicircular shape and.]. contains a spring clip for holding immovably .[.a piece of.]. .Iadd.an arcuate, .Iaddend.non-metallic .[.contact material.]. .Iadd.takeout jaw insert .Iaddend.within .[.a.]. .Iadd.an arcuate .Iaddend.pocket in the body of the takeout jaw.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1992Date of Patent: May 30, 1995Assignee: Union Oil Company of CaliforniaInventors: Michael L. Denney, Shelby M. Withrow, John M. DeLancey, Sr.