Patents Represented by Attorney George W. Hager, Jr.

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  • Method for restoring and extrapolating seismic traces
    Patent number: 4953139
    Abstract: A seismic record is enhanced through trace restoration and extrapolation. A set of traces surrounding a missing trace or adjacent an edge of the seismic record are transformed into the frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform. Each frequency of the resultant x-f representation a series of complex numbers, one corresponding to each trace, is selected. Autoregressive model coefficients are estimated for this complex series using a recursive least squares method. A complex number is estimated for trace restoration and extrapolation from the series of complex numbers and autoregressive coefficients. After all frequency components are thus processed restored or extrapolated traces are obtained by an inverse Fourier transform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley J. Laster, Robert A. Meek, Thomas E. Shirley
  • Method for gravel packing wells
    Patent number: 4945991
    Abstract: A method for gravel packing a well penetrating an unconsolidated or poorly consolidated subterranean oil or gas reservoir. The well employs a borehole casing with perforation tunnels for fluid communication between the borehole casing and a substantial portion of the reservoir. A sand screen is located inside the well casing and in juxtaposition with the perforation tunnels forming an annulus between the borehole casing and the sand screen. One or more conduits are positioned coaxially adjacent the exterior of the sand screen with openings to provide fluid communication between the conduit and a substantial portion of the annulus between the borehole casing and the sand screen. A slurry of gravel is injected down through the annulus between the borehole casing and the sand screen until the annulus is filled with gravel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Mobile Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Lloyd G. Jones
  • Method for monitoring the hydraulic fracturing of a subsurface formation
    Patent number: 4926940
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the hydraulic fracturing of a subsurface formation. The formation is fractured with a fracturing fluid or a proppant containing a characteristic element of the formation which emits delayed gamma rays when activated with neutrons. The formation is activation logged before and after such fracturing. The difference in the logs is a measure of the extent of travel of the fracturing fluid or extent of deposition of the proppant within the fractured formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: David C. Stromswold
  • Marine seismic streamer retrieval system
    Patent number: 4928262
    Abstract: A marine seismic streamer having a plurality of seismic recovery units spaced along the length thereof. Each unit includes an inflation flotation device that will deploy when the streamer sinks to a trigger depth which is continuously adjusted in response to the actual operating conditions at the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Walter P. Neeley, Sammie F. Ritter
  • Method for utilizing measured resistivities of porous rock under differing fluid saturations to identify fluid distribution equilibrium
    Patent number: 4926128
    Abstract: Resistivities are measured for a plurality of subsections of a porous rock following a fluid injection that alters the fluid saturation throughout the porous rock. The measured subsection resistivites are compared to identify an equilibrium in the altered fluid saturation throughout the porous rock when there is a fixed relationship between the measured subsection resistivities. Following the detection of fluid saturation equilibrium, the resistivity of the porous rock is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Wyatt W. Givens
  • Method for measuring electrical anisotrophy of a core sample from a subterranean formation
    Patent number: 4924187
    Abstract: A core sample from a subterranean formation is shaped to provide a plurality of parallel, planar outer surfaces. Electrical resistivity is measured in each of the azimuthal directions through the core sample which are perpendicular to each of the pairs of parallel, planar outer surfaces for each of a plurality of differing fluid saturations within the core sample. A logarithmic plot is made of measured resistivity versus water saturation for each of the azimuthal directions through the core sample for which resistivity was measured. If the same logarithmic plot is obtained for all measured azimuthal directions, the core sample is identified as being electrically isotropic. If different logarithmic plots are obtained for at least 2 azimuthal directions the core sample is identified as being electrically anisotropic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Eve S. Sprunt, R. Michael Davis, W. David Kennedy, Samuel H. Collins
  • Pulsed neutron porosity logging
    Patent number: 4910397
    Abstract: A borehole logging tool employing a pulsed neutron source and a pair of spaced-apart epithermal neutron detectors is lowered into a borehole traversing a subsurface formation. The formation is irradiated with bursts of fast neutrons and the epithermal neutrons returning to the borehole as a result of such irradiation are detected by the pair of epithermal neutron detectors. These detected epithermal neutrons are both time resolved and time integrated during their epithermal die-away spectrum to provide indications of lithology independent porosity and lithology dependent porosity respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Mills, Jr., David C. Stromswold
  • Apparatus for measuring resistivity of porous rock
    Patent number: 4907448
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for measuring resistivities along the length of a core sample of a porous rock under confining pressure and varying fluid saturations. A confining pressure sleeve surrounds the core sample. Resistivities are measured along the length of the core sample by a plurality of electrodes extending through such sleeve as fluid saturations vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Wyatt W. Givens
  • Method for identifying formation fractures surrounding a well casing
    Patent number: 4907204
    Abstract: An acoustic borehole logging tool traverses a fluid-filled cased well with an acoustic energy transmitter. Pressure waves created in the well fluid by the transmitter generate tube waves in the well casing. A closely spaced receiver detects tube waves that have traveled along the cased wellbore and been reflected by fracture interfaces. These reflected tube waves are recorded and used to identify the top and bottom of any fracture interval in the formation behind the well casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: William L. Medlin
  • Linear digital frequency sweep synthesizer
    Patent number: 4904956
    Abstract: A linear digital frequency sweep synthesizer employs an up-down counter for producing a first signal having a plurality of pulses with time interval between pulses linearly increasing with time and a phase lock loop for producing a second signal having a plurality of pulses having a frequency sweep linearized to the linearly increasing time intervals of such first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Charles L. Dennis, Edgar A. Bowden
  • Method and apparatus for determining the source signature of land vibrators
    Patent number: 4899321
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing vibrative seismic data. Baseplate phaselock vibrative energy, reaction mass phaselock vibrative energy and ground force phaselock vibrative energy are transmitted into the earth using a land vibrator and the reflections of the transmitted waves recorded. The source signature of the land vibrator is computed for each type of vibrative energy and the source signature is correlated with the corresponding recorded data to produce an image of the subsurface. Regardless of the type of phaselock vibrative energy generated into the subsurface, the images of the subsurface produced by the correlation of the source signature and the recorded data are substantially the same. The correlated data may be then analyzed to yield useful information related to the characteristics of the subsurface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: J. J. Solanki
  • Method for determining induced fracture azimuth in formations surrounding a cased well
    Patent number: 4899319
    Abstract: An acoustic logging tool traverses a fluid-filled cased well with an asymmetric acoustic energy transducer. Pressure waves created in the well fluid by the transducer generate asymmetric tube waves in the well casing. At least one spaced-apart transducer receives these asymmetric tube waves after they have traveled directly to the receiver through the well casing. Changes in tube wave ampltiude as detected by the receiver are used to identify the azimuth and height of any fracture interval in the formation behind the well casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: W. L. Medlin
  • VSP-based method and apparatus for tieing seismic data shot using different types of seismic sources
    Patent number: 4893694
    Abstract: VSP-based method for tieing surface data shot with different types of seismic sources together. VSP data is acquired using the same types of seismic sources utilized to acquire the surface data. The acquired VSP data is used to produce a correction operator for application to the surface data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Richard T. Houck, J. J. Solanki
  • Method for bin, moveout correction and stack of offset vertical seismic profile data in media with dip
    Patent number: 4894809
    Abstract: Seismic energy is generated at a multiplicity of source offsets from a borehole and offset VSP data is collected by an acoustic detector at a multiplicity of geophone depths for each source offset. The recorded data is sorted into Zero Source-Receiver (ZSR), common reflection point bins. Data from each offset VSP, ZSR common reflection point gather are dynamically moveout corrected with data adaptive parameters including reduced direct arrival times, dip, borehole deviation and stacking velocities. The moveout corrected VSP data are then stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: George P. Moeckel
  • Borehole acoustic transmitter
    Patent number: 4890687
    Abstract: An acoustic transmitter for use in a borehole logging tool employs multiple Helmholtz resonators stacked such that apertures in opposite sides of each of the resonators are in linear alignment so as to provide increased acoustic energy output over a broad band of low frequency seismic frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Medlin, Gary A. King
  • Method for seismic trace interpolation using a forward and backward application of wave equation datuming
    Patent number: 4887244
    Abstract: Method of interpolating additional seismic traces between existing seismic traces obtained during the exploration of a subsurface formation. Seismic traces are recorded upon a datum surface in accordance with standard seismic data acquistion methods. Forward and backward wave equation datuming of the data set at the same velocity estimates new measurements for originally acquired data deemed unsatisfactory by propagating measured seismic traces to a fictitious datum plane using wave theory to create a second set of seismic traces and datuming the second set of seismic traces, again using wave theory, back to the original datum plane to create a third set of seismic traces. The third set of seismic traces will include new seismic traces to be used in place of the originally acquired unsatisfactory data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Mark E. Willis, Rambabu P. Ranganayaki, Thomas E. Shirley, Stan Y. C. Lee
  • Method for removing low-frequency noise from records with data impulse
    Patent number: 4885722
    Abstract: A method for separating high frequency impulse data from received signal in which it is superimposed on low frequency noise is disclosed. Median filtering is applied to the received signal to remove the impulse data therefrom. The resultant filtered signal is subtracted from the original signal; the remainder includes only the impulses from the original signal. The invention is described in connection with borehole imaging and casing collar locating logging operations, both useful geophysical tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Frank Leland
  • Method of restoring seismic data
    Patent number: 4884248
    Abstract: Method for restoring seismic data to missing or severely noise contaminated traces included in a seismic section. The seismic section is transformed into a data localizing space and muted to retain only the localized data components of the seismic section. The muted transform space is inverse-transformed into the x-t domain to produce first estimates of the seismic data to be restored. The first estimates of the restored data are substituted for the corresponding traces in the original seismic section. Fully restored traces corresponding to the missing or severly noise contaminated traces are determined from the single estimate of the restored traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley J. Laster, Robert A. Meek, Thomas E. Shirley
  • Method of processing geophysical data to compensate for earth filter attenuation
    Patent number: 4884247
    Abstract: Method to process seismic data to yield useful information regarding the subsurface area explored. Generated seismic energy travels into a subsurface formation where it is distorted and attenuated. The distorted and attenuated seismic pulse is detected by a geophone or other seismic receiver and recorded. The received seismic traces are first compensated for the attenuation effects of the earth filter and the compensated seismic traces are then used to produce a close approximation of a zero-phase, band-limited output wavelet of the reflectivity of the geophysical formation under exploration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Company
    Inventors: Mohamed T. Hadidi, Andrejs Jurkevics, Andrew F. Linville, Jr.
  • Method of processing converted mode seismic data
    Patent number: 4881209
    Abstract: Method for processing converted mode seismic data. Compressional and converted compressional to shear wave data is acquired by generating compressional energy into a subsurface formation and recording the amplitude of reflections as a function of time at spaced locations along a line of exploration. A series of compressional to shear wave velocity (Vp/Vs) ratios are selected based on an analysis of the acquired seismic data and the shear wave velocity for each Vp/Vs ratio is determined according to the following relationship: ##EQU1## where k=Vp/Vs. Data corresponding to each Vp/Vs ratio is stacked together, the series of stacks are correlated to the originally acquired seismic data to determine the actual Vp/Vs ratio for the formation and the shear wave velocity is derived. The originally collected data is then corrected for normal moveout and stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin G. Bloomquist, Barry N. Warner