Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for reducing lifting costs in a producing hydrocarbon well by injecting produced water into a set of injection perforations located lower in the well borehole from a set of production perforations. A plunger pump and a cage-ball valve system are placed above a production packer which is located between the production and injection perforations. The valve system and pump are arranged to take produced water from above the packer and pump into the injection perforations only on the downstroke of the rod string activated plunger pump.

Abstract: Methods for completing and producing hydrocarbon from a well having a highly permeable production formation having a water zone and a hydrocarbon zone are disclosed. In the disclosed techniques a cased well borehole is cemented in place through the production formation. A packer is set in the casing to isolate the hydrocarbon zone from the water zone. Perforations in the water zone and in the hydrocarbon zone produce a mixture of both fluids into the casing/tubing annulus at different bottom hole pressures (FBHP's) due to the installation of a flow restriction limiting the flow of either hydrocarbon or water into the tubing string. Artificial lift means are used to produce the fluid mixture to the surface.

Abstract: A spill control plug is arranged to be selectively inserted into and removed from tubing while the tubing is being tripped into or out of a well to contain the fluids therein.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for the safe production of shallow heavy oil sands which substantially reduce the probability of surface steam breakthrough. A pattern of injection wells and producing wells are drilled through the overburden into a relatively shallow heavy oil producing zone. Firstly the injection wells and the producing wells are cold produced for a combination of heavy oil and sand by use of a progressive cavity pump or the like. Then steam push-pull is used on both the injectors and producers until heavy oil production becomes uneconomical. Finally, low pressure steam is continuously injected into the injection well and heavy oil continuously produced from the producing wells.

Abstract: This invention relates to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques for improving the production economies and recovery efficiency of hydrocarbons from a reservoir after primary depletion has occurred. The reservoir has at least two production strata. At least one production well capable of producing fluids from both strata is placed into the reservoir. At least one injection well capable of injecting fluid into both strata is placed in the reservoir. At least one combination production/injection well for producing well fluid from only one of the strata is placed into the reservoir. The produced well fluid is separated into a mostly hydrocarbon component and a mostly water component in place downhole and reinjecting into the other of said strata the mostly water component by use of the combination production/injection well.

Abstract: A method for the enhanced recovery of oil comprises injecting into an oil-containing formation an aqueous surfactant system having at least (1) a blend containing an unmodified Kraft lignin, an oil-soluble amine and a water-soluble sulfonate, and (2) water; driving the surfactant system through the formation and producing the oil mobilized by the surfactant system. A surfactant composition useful for enhanced oil recovery methods is also provided having at least an unmodified Kraft lignin, an oil-soluble amine and a water-soluble sulfonate.

Abstract: A system for processing Aeromagnetic survey data to determine depth to basement rock is disclosed. The system uses Neural Networks having an input layer of elements, a hidden layer of elements and an output layer of elements which are interconnected by a weighted system of interconnections. A training session using known input and output data is used to train the Neural Network by adjusting the weighting functions repetitively to minimize any error in the output of the Neural Network.

Abstract: Ozonolysis is an effective process for improving the quality of produced water. A process for reducing the concentration of water soluble organic materials dissolved in produced water consists of introducing into the produced water a sufficient amount of gaseous ozone by use of a means for maximizing the collision frequency of ozone gas and the produced water. The temperature of the produced water is between from about 80.degree. to about 180.degree. F. The process renders a water effluent with markedly reduced oil and grease content. The water effluent can be used on land as a drinking or irrigation water supply source and may be safely discharged into navigable waters.

Abstract: Hydrodesulfurization of cracked naphtha, with minimum attendant hydrogenation of olefins, is effected over a sulfided catalyst bearing (i) a non-noble Group VIII metal, and (ii) a Group VI-B metal, and (iii) a metal of Group I-A, and optionally (iv) a metal of Group II-A, on a support comprising hydrotalcite-like composition, optionally containing less than or equal to 20% by weight of an inert inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of silica, silica-alumina, titania, clays, carbon black, and mixtures thereof, used as a binder.

Abstract: Selective hydrodesulfurization of cracked naphtha, with minimum attendant hydrogenation of olefins, is effected over a novel catalyst composition comprising a sulfided, "manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve" supported catalyst bearing (i) at least one non-noble Group VIII metal, (ii) at least one Group VI-B metal, optionally (iii) at least one metal of Group I-A, II-A, III-B, or the lanthanide series of rare earths, and optionally (iv) at least one metal of Group I-B. The catalyst of the present invention is highly selective in minimizing the olefin saturation and the resulting octane loss in the cracked naphtha hydrodesulfurization process.

Abstract: A system for reducing lifting costs in a producing oil well is disclosed. The system employs a casing string set through a production zone having upper producing perforations and lower injection perforations. Dual electric submersible pumps are run in on a tubing string to the production zone and a production packer is set between the producing and injection perforations. Produced fluid is allowed to separate in the casing--production tubing annulus and the first electric submersible pump pumps the separated oil to the surface via the production tubing. The reported water is pumped to the injection perforations below the packer by the second electric submersible pump.

Abstract: A naphtha or a middle distillate hydrocarbon is dehydroaromatized by hydrotreating in the presence of a catalyst containing non-noble Group VIII metal and Group VI-B metal on carbon.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhanced and improved viscous oil recovery are disclosed. A horizontal well is drilled through the viscous oil formation. A specially designed steam stinger is used to inject steam substantially uniformly into the entire horizontal extent of the well borehole without direct steam impingement on the production liner in the viscous oil formation. Heat from the steam mobilizes and lowers the viscosity of the heavy crude wherein the crude is then produced to the surface via conventional lift arrangements.

Abstract: Methods of directly analyzing wireline well logging data to derive pore types, pore volumes and capillary pressure curves from the wireline logs are disclosed. A trained and validated neural network is applied to wireline log data on porosity, bulk density and shallow, medium and deep conductivity to derive synthetic pore type proportions as a function of depth. These synthetic data are then applied through a derived and validated capillary pressure curve data model to derive pore volume and pressure data as a function of borehole depth.

Abstract: A process for upgrading plastic material containing inorganic filler or reinforcement material for use as feedstock in a partial oxidation gas generator for the production of raw synthesis gas, fuel gas or reducing gas. The plastic material is granulated and partially liquefied by heating in a closed autoclave at a temperature in the range of about 400.degree. F. to 495.degree. F. and a pressure in the range of about 150 psig to 750 psig while the plastic material is in contact with a pumpable hydrocarbonaceous liquid solvent. A pumpable slurry is thereby produced comprising solubilized plastic, unsolubilized plastic, hydrocarbonaceous liquid solvent, separated inorganic material and unseparated inorganic material. After removing the separated inorganic material, the remainder of the slurry is then reacted by partial oxidation to produce said raw synthesis gas, fuel gas or reducing gas.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon feedstock is brought into contact with activated carbon at a temperature of about 300.degree. to about 650.degree. C. and a pressure of about 0-1000 psig in the absence of added hydrogen to reduce the content of aromatic, sulfur and nitrogen compounds contained therein and to simultaneously lower the specific gravity thereof.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for draining or removing well fluid from a production tubing string into a well borehole while pulling the tubing string from the well. A special length of tubing is provided near the lower end of the tubing string with a drain port communicating the interior and exterior of the tubing. The drain port is initially plugged and sealed with a knock out plug. When it is desired to remove the tubing string from the well and drain its fluid into the borehole, a drop sleeve is dropped from the surface to shear and open the knock out plug. A sleeve stop catches the drop sleeve for re-use.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the API gravity of a sample of underground formation includes steps of:Solvating a known volume of an underground formation sample in a known volume of a solvent which will solvate hydrocarbons;Quantitatively measuring with a changeable filter portable fluorometer the emission fluorescence of the solvated sample at a fixed excitation wavelength with measurements of emission intensities at two points;characterizing the oil by the ratio of two emission intensities obtained at a fixed excitation wavelength;determining the yield;applying regression analysis to a data base of oils to obtain an equation which results in an algorithm value; andinterpreting the value of the algorithm to give a value for API gravity and estimate in-situ oil concentration.

Abstract: Hydrodesulfurization of cracked naphtha, with minimum attendant hydrogenation of olefins, is effected over a sulfided, carbon supported catalyst bearing (i) at least one non-noble Group VIII metal, (ii) at least one Group VI-B metal, (iii) at least one metal of Group I-A, II-A, III-B, or the lanthanide series of rare earths, and (iv) at least one metal of Group I-B.

Abstract: An isokinetic sampling method has been discovered for use in a pipeline carrying a three phase mixture of petroleum, water and gas. The method is used in combination with a fluid fraction measuring means capable of measuring physical characteristics indicative of fluid fraction. A statistically significant number of samples is analyzed over the range of sampler flow rate. The sampling flow rate is reset to correspond with the flow rate of the maximum standard deviation sample. As a result, samples most representative of the pipeline fluid fraction are withdrawn.