Abstract: Disclosed is a concurrency control method and related system for permitting the correct execution of multiple concurrent transactions, each comprising one or more read and/or write operations, in a heterogeneous distributed database system. Read and write operations are processed at the required sites if no site cycles are detected. If any site cycles are detected in a read operation, then new sites are searched for. If any site cycle is detected for any of the sites for a write operation, then the transaction is aborted.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus are disclosed herein for controlling the quantity of oil as a contaminant being discharged with water from a hydrocyclone. The hydrocyclone comprises a conical body with an upper liquid mixture inlet, a drive fluid inlet, an overflow outlet for the separated oil and drive fluid, and an underflow outlet for the separated water. The method includes monitoring the quantity of separated oil with the discharged water and varying the quantity of the drive fluid introduced into the interior of the hydrocyclone whereby the quantity of the oil as a contaminant is minimized.

Abstract: Viscous oil is recovered from a subterranean formation by (a) establishing flow communication between an injection well and a production well in a flow path along the lower portion of a formation pay zone containing the viscous oil, (b) heating the flow path and adjacent portions of the pay zone with hot water or low quality steam, (c) injecting alternating slugs of hot water and steam through the injection well and into the pay zone overlying the heated flow path to cause the oil to liquify and drain into the heated flow path and to be displaced toward the production well, (d) displacing substantially all of the oil in the heated path by hot water, and (e) recovering produced fluids through the production well. The flow path is conveniently created by placing a horizontal well from the vertical injection well into the pay zone.

Abstract: A method as disclosed of assisting in the determination of the existence of conical folding of the geological formation utilizing an existing dipmeter survey obtained through a wellbore penetrating the geological formation. Estimates of plunge and aperture of the geological formation, as well as the position of the wellbore with respect to the geologic formation are made. These estimates are utilized to generate a synthetic dip plot representative of conical folding. The synthetic dip plot is compared to the existing dipmeter survey, and one or more of the estimates are varied to obtain a final synthetic dip plot that has the highest correlation of the dipmeter survey, thereby providing an assistance in the determination of existence of conical folding of the geological formation.

Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tail gas stream by contacting with ZnO producing ZnS which is regenerated to ZnO by dilute O.sub.2. Following regeneration, fresh regenerated ZnO in one ZnO absorber is purged with an effective reducting gas stream producing SO.sub.2 emissions while another ZnO absorber is downstream operating under effective absorption conditions for removing thus produced SO.sub.2 from the first ZnO absorber effluent.

Abstract: An excavating system, such as for drilling an oil or gas well, includes a source of high pressure fluid and a drillstring through which the fluid is conducted to an excavating apparatus connected to the bottom of the drillstring. The excavating apparatus includes a drill bit having mechanical cutting elements for mechanically boring into an earthen formation. The excavating apparatus also includes a nozzle rotatably mounted to the body of the drill bit so that the nozzle is rotatable about an axis of rotation different from the axis of rotation of the drill bit. As the drill bit is rotated about its axis of rotation, high pressure fluid is ejected from the nozzle to rotate the nozzle about its axis of rotation while the nozzle orbits the axis of rotation of the drill bit.

Abstract: A downhole drilling apparatus for use with an undergauge drill bit comprises a downhole drilling motor which includes a housing and means for rotating the drill bit relative to the housing about an axis of rotation. The apparatus also comprises stabilizers connected to the housing for stabilizing the drill bit, and it further comprises cutters connected to the housing for cutting a borehole wall created by passage of the drill bit, wherein the cutters extend radially outwardly relative to the axis of rotation to a greater extent than does the drill bit. A drilling assembly including such a drilling apparatus and a method of drilling a substantially vertical borehole in an earthen formation utilizing such an apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid separator is disclosed for separating a liquid mixture into first and second liquids of different densities. The liquid separator includes a substantially conical chamber having a closed upper portion with a liquid mixture inlet therein. A first liquid collecting mechanism is provided in a lower portion of the conical chamber for collecting and removing a first separated liquid, and a second liquid collecting device surrounds the opening in the lower portion of the conical chamber for collecting and removing a second separated liquid. A return conduit mechanism is provided for returning a portion of the second separated liquid tangentially into an upper portion of the conical chamber to act as a drive fluid to cause the centrally introduced liquid mixture to rotate for effective and efficient separation.

Abstract: A system for directional drilling and related method of use is described herein which utilizes a drillstring suspended within a wellbore with an MWD and downhole turbine or motor connected adjacent a drill bit on a lower end of the drillstring, and with a top drive and/or rotary table connected adjacent an upper end of the drillstring. Within the method, desired limits of drilling associated parameters are inputted into a memory associated with a programmable digital computer. While drilling the wellbore, transmitted values of the drilling associated parameters are inputted into the memory. If the transmitted values are outsude of the desired limits, necessary adjustments are calculated and then made to weight-on-bit (WOB), RPM and/or drillstring azimuthal orientation to bring the transmitted values within the desired limits.

Abstract: A dipmeter signal processing method and system are disclosed, wherein portions of at least three are matched, utilizing correlation intervals, to derive a plurality of possible offsets. For each of the offsets, the spatial coordinates are defined of an associated vector parallel to an implicit bedding plane. The coordinates are utilized to combine nonparallel vectors to generate a plurality of dips. The dips that substantially repeat for a given depth or repeat from one depth level to the next within a given depth zone are retained to retain a single dip for each depth. A display is then outputted of each dip at each depth.

Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tailgas stream by contacting with ZnO producing ZnS which is regenerated to ZnO by dilute O.sub.2. Following regeneration, freshly regenerated ZnO is purged with an effective reducing gas stream.

Abstract: Oxygen enriched gas to Claus furnace or catalytic reactor is diluted with a process derived dilute H.sub.2 S or SO.sub.2 stream to prevent excessie temperature rise due to use of the oxygen enriched gas.

Abstract: A method and related system are disclosed for controlling the operation of a fixed rate pumped hydrocyclone liquid separation unit to maintain a desired back-pressure therein. A pressure control valve and a liquid level control valve are connected to a separated liquid discharge conduit extending from at least one hydrocyclone. The pressure control valve operates in response to the pressure of the liquid introduced into the hydrocyclone and the liquid level control valve operates in response to the liquid level within a liquid holding vessel that supplies the liquid through a fixed rate pump to the hydrocyclone.

Abstract: A method for selectively placing and removing a plugging agent in a formation adjacent a wellbore comprising preheating the wellbore, heating and injecting the plugging agent at a temperature higher than its melting point, shutting in the well to allow the plugging agent in the formation to cool and solidify, reheating the formation adjacent the wellbore, and swabbing back the liquidified plugging agent from the low permeability zones adjacent the wellbore. The expected benefit is reduction of permeability in the high permeability zones without a corresponding loss of permeability in the low permeability zones. The method provides better vertical sweep and improved recovery.

Abstract: Oxygen feed to a Claus plant is controlled by calibrating a hydrocarbon-representative response signal, but not a hydrogen sulfide representative response signal, responsive to the ratio of hydrogen sulfide:sulfur dioxide in effluent from the Claus plant.

Abstract: Subsea template and method for using the same. A subsea template includes a plurality of gimballed joints for receiving piles therethrough which are anchored in the sea floor. Also included are a plurality of gimballed joints for receiving well conductors therethrough. A template is lowered to the sea floor. The piles and well casings are inserted into their associated gimballed joints from a substantially vertical axis and when finally positioned, are fixedly connected to the gimballed joint associated therewith thus obviating the need for leveling the template.

Abstract: A flexible flowline support is disclosed, which can be connected to a subsea wellhead assembly preventing the flowline from being bent in too short of a radius. A flowline support base is connectable by way of guidelines to the subsea wellhead assembly and includes a flowline connector having a first end upwardly disposed and connected to the flowline support base and having a second end operatively connectable to the subsea wellhead assembly. A cradle assembly is mounted to the flowline support base adjacent the first end of the flowline connector and has an upper trough-like surface over which the flexible flowline can lay for connection to the first end of the flowline connector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for indicating the position of a cement wiper plug in a wellbore during liner or casing cementing operations. The arrival of the cement wiper plug at a shearable, temporary restriction means in a pipe string is sensed by an increase in pipe string pressure at the surface. Using the knowledge of the location of this shearable, temporary restriction means, a determination of whether or not it is desirable to displace the cement wiper plug to a landing assembly at the bottom of the pipe string can be made. A predetermined amount of displacing fluid, sufficient to either completely or partially displace the cement wiper plug to the landing assembly, can then be introduced into the pipe string.

Abstract: A method for modeling and building drill bits. An array of spatial coordinates representative of selected surface points on a drill bit body and on cutters mounted thereon is created. The array is used to calculate the position of each cutting surface relative to the longitudinal axis of the bit body. A vertical reference plane which contains the longitudinal axis of the bit body is established. Coordinates defining each cutter surface are rotated about the longitudinal axis of the bit body and projected onto the reference plane thereby defining a projected cutting surface profile. In manufacturing a drill bit, a preselected number of cutters are mounted on the bit body. A model of the geometry of the bit body is generated as above described. Thereafter, the imbalance force which would occur in the bit body under defined drilling parameters is calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of use thereof are disclosed herein for determining cement conditions adjacent a casing set within a wellbore. At least one acoustic transmitting and receiving transducer and at least one acoustic receiving transducer are positioned into contact with the interior surface of the casing. At least one pulse of acoustic energy is transmitted into the media surrounding the wellbore from the at least one acoustic transmitting and receiving transducer. Electrical signals are generated in response to acoustic energy received by both transducers from the surrounding media. Representations of the generated electrical signals are recorded as a function of the depth within the wellbore and are indicative of the cement conditions, including the casing-cement bond, the cement-formation bond, cement thickness, and the acoustic velocity associated with the cement.