Abstract: Oil is recovered from an oil-bearing reservoir in a process employing an in-situ combustion process utilizing a combustion-supporting gas containing at least 75% by volume pure oxygen, and preferably substantially pure oxygen, and a sequence in which the production well or wells are cyclically throttled. In place of using an in-situ combustion process, mixtures of steam and carbon dioxide or mixtures of steam and low molecular weight C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 hydrocarbons are injected into the reservoir and the production well is cyclically throttled. The production well flow rate is restricted until the bottom-hole pressure of the well has increased to an amount of about 30% to about 90% of the fluid injection pressure at the injection well. Thereafter, the production well is opened and oil is recovered therefrom as the bottom-hole pressure declines. The throttled production cycle may be repeated at appropriate intervals during the process.

Abstract: Thermal neutron capture logs obtained during a log-inject-log operation and utilized in the determination of the water saturation condition of a formation traversed by a borehole are corrected for neutron diffusion and borehole effects by a normalization factor relating the apparent and measured macroscopic absorption cross sections of the rock matrix in the formation.

Abstract: A constant current source employs a correction signal which is multiplied with the output of the current source to correct for amplitude variations and thereby maintain a constant current output level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for improving the recovery of mineral values from ore bodies subjected to in-situ leaching by controlling the flow behavior of the leaching solution. Foam is introduced into the higher permeability zones of the ore body to act as a diverting agent forcing the leaching fluids into the lower permeability previously non-contacted areas resulting in increased mineral values recovery.

Abstract: Oil is recovered from an oil-bearing reservoir in a process employing an in-situ combustion process utilizing a combustion-supporting gas containing at least 75% by volume pure oxygen, and preferably substantially pure oxygen, and a sequence in which the production well or wells are cyclically throttled. In place of using an in-situ combustion process, mixtures of steam and carbon dioxide or mixtures of steam and low molecular weight C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 hydrocarbons are injected into the reservoir and the production well is cyclically throttled. The production well flow rate is restricted until the bottom-hole pressure of the well has increased to an amount of about 30% to about 90% of the fluid injection pressure at the injection well. Thereafter, the production well is opened and oil is recovered therefrom as the bottom-hole pressure declines. The throttled production cycle may be repeated at appropriate intervals during the process.

Abstract: Measuring the foaming characteristics of crude oil comprises saturating the crude oil with a gas inert to the crude oil under high pressure and passing the gas-saturated oil into a flash separator. The amount of foam formed is measured with respect to the amount of gas withdrawn from the flash separator and the amount of oil contained therein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the recovery of bitumen from tar sands comprising first heating the raw tar sands with steam at a temperature sufficient to visbreak a portion of the bitumen without significant thermal cracking thereby producing a vaporous distillate product mixed with steam and lowering the viscosity and specific gravity of the residual bitumen on the heat treated tar sands. The distillate product and steam are cooled and condensed and mixed with the heat treated tar sands containing residual beneficiated bitumen to form a slurry. Bitumen is then recovered from the slurry by a hot-water separation process.

Abstract: Thermoplastic foams of polystyrene, for example, are prepared with a blowing agent which is a mixture of an organic plasticizing blowing agent, such as pentane, and an atmospheric gas, such as carbon dioxide. Typically, such foams prepared with organic blowing agent alone were aged prior to thermoforming the foam into articles. Foams prepared with the mixed blowing agent of this invention exhibit the advantage of reduced atmospheric emissions on aging.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for removing contaminants such as arsenic from a hydrocarbonaceous fluid which consists essentially of the crude, or a fraction thereof, obtained from oil shale, solid coal, or tar sands by non-catalytically heat treating the hydrocarbonaceous fluid at a temperature of from about 20.degree. F. to about 600.degree. F. in the presence of an aqueous solution containing an agent that would convert such contaminants into components soluble in the aqueous solution. Particularly suitable agents to be utilized in the above aqueous solution to remove contaminants such as arsenic are ammonium sulfide type compounds. The purified hydrocarbonaceous fluid may be subjected to a catalytic hydrotreating process.

Abstract: A process as disclosed for recovering uranium values from a carbonate leach solution which comprises directly eluting a column of resin onto which uranium has been sorbed by flowing a concentrated acidic eluant through the column without preconditioning and/or post-conditioning the resin. The concentrated acidic eluant may be flowed upward or, preferably, downward through the column.

Abstract: Viscous crude oil is mixed with an oil diluent having a relatively low viscosity and the resulting mixture having a predetermined viscosity and flow rate is pumped in a pipeline to a point of use. The flow rates of the viscous crude oil and the diluent are controlled with the aid of a digital computer in response to signals representative of the viscosity and specific gravity of each component, the desired viscosity of the mixture and the flow rate of the mixture. The viscosity of the mixture is maintained substantially at the design viscosity of the pipeline at the operating temperature of the pipeline and the flow rate of the mixture is substantially equal to the design capacity of the pipeline.

Abstract: This invention provides a coating composition comprising at least one 1,2 epoxy resin, a modified imidazole catalyst, and a polyfunctional phenol or polyfunctional acid or dicyandiamide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for restoring to environmentally acceptable levels the soluble contaminants in a subterranean formation that has been subjected to oxidative leaching. The contaminants are defined as those ionic species that when subjected to calcium ions form precipitates which are insoluble in the formation fluids. In accordance with the present invention, soluble calcium values are introduced into the formation. The level of contaminants is monitored and when such reaches the desired level, the introduction of soluble calcium values is stopped. The introduction of calcium values may be achieved in several ways one of which is to inject into the formation an aqueous solution containing therein solubilized calcium values. Another method of introducing calcium values into a formation, is to inject into the formation an aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide to solubilize calcium values, such as calcium carbonates, found in the formation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for effectively recovering uranium from dilute solutions, particularly alkaline carbonate leachates from an in-situ leaching process. The uranium complexes are made unstable by adjusting the pH of the leachate to about 6.5 using mineral acids or carbon dioxide. The solution is then passed over ion exchanger resin which induces percipitation of uranium. This non-exchangeable uranium on the resin is then eluted or leached with acid or carbonate solution to obtain eluate of high uranium concentration.

Abstract: A method for the recovery of oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation by injecting steam into the lower portion of the formation, simultaneously injecting water into the formation to build up the pressure of the formation to about 300 psia, maintaining the formation pressure at about 300 psia during the steam drive, and producing oil from the upper portion of the formation.

Abstract: A method of determining source and receiver statics in a marine seismic exploration area overlying a near surface low velocity layer employing a seismic marine energy source, an on-bottom seismic detector cable for measuring seismic reflection signals, and an on-bottom remote seismic monitor for measuring seismic refraction signals.

Abstract: Viscous oil is recovered from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation by injecting a slug of CO.sub.2 carbonated water containing a CO.sub.2 solubility promoter, a slug of a CO.sub.2 solubility demoter, and a water drive to displace the mobilized oil to a production well for recovery.

Abstract: A well casing penetrating a plurality of subterranean hydro carbon-bearing formations is perforated adjacent select ones of such hydrocarbon-bearing formations that are expected to exhibit at least a minimum pressure increase during fracturing operations. A fracturing fluid is pumped down the well through the perforations, and into the formations so as to fracture each of the select formations during a single fracturing operation.

Abstract: A method for recovering viscous oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation by initiating an in-situ combustion operation in the formation using a mixture of oxygen and an inert gas having a low oxygen concentration, preferably about 21 vol. %. After a predetermined period of time, the oxygen concentration is increased to a predetermined higher level, preferably within the range of 95 to 99.5 vol. %. Once the oxygen concentration has reached the desired value, water may be simultaneously injected continuously or intermittently. After a predetermined period of time, produced combustion gas enriched in carbon dioxide separated from the produced oil is compressed and recycled as a diluent for the injected oxygen in place of the inert gas.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method and system for continuously measuring the amount of solid cuttings picked up by a drilling mud being circulated in a well being drilled into subterranean formations and the amount of drilling mud carried over with the cuttings when the cuttings are separated from the drilling mud by a shale shaker. The cuttings and carryover mud discharged from the shale shaker are introduced into a vessel wherein the weight and volume of the solid cuttings and carryover mud are continuously measured and the volume fraction of solid cuttings .phi..sub.c is determined in accordance with the following equation: ##EQU1## wherein W is the weight of a fixed volume of solid cuttings and carryover mud discharged from the shale shaker, V is the volume of solid cuttings and carryover mud discharged from the shale shaker, P.sub.m is the density of the drilling mud, and P.sub.c is the density of the solid cuttings. The volume fraction of the carryover mud .phi..sub.