Abstract: A method for determining the secondary (Vugular) porosity of a reservoir core sample uses X-ray (CT) computed tomography to quantify the porosity. This is then compared with log derived secondary porosity and used to quantify secondary porosity heterogeneity in wells where no core samples are available.

Abstract: A method for preparing tertiary butyl alcohol wherein a feedstock comprising a solvent solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in tertiary butyl alcohol or a mixture of tertiary butyl alcohol with isobutane is charged to a hydroperoxide decomposition reaction zone containing a catalytically effective amount of a hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst consisting essentially of alumina having palladium and platinum deposited thereon and is brought into contact with the catalyst in liquid phase under hydroperoxide decomposition reaction conditions to convert the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to decomposition products, principally tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: A method for determining depth to basement from aeromagnetic data utilizes neural networks to automate the laborious process of profile interpretation. The neural networks provide consistency, accuracy and overall quality without bias of interpretation.

Abstract: Contaminants are removed from impure propylene oxide by fractionating in a first column to remove overhead essentially all of the pentenes and pentanes and most of the oxygen-containing impurities to provide a partially purified first propylene oxide bottoms fraction, extractively distilling the first bottoms fraction in a second extractive column using a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 alkylene glycol extractive distillation agent to form a second overhead fraction comprising propylene oxide, hexenes, hexanes, water, residual quantities of pentenes and pentanes and oxygen-containing impurities, extractively distilling the second overhead fraction in a third column using a C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 alkane hydrocarbon extractive distillation agent to form a third bottoms fraction comprising the extractive distillation agent, propylene oxide, hexenes, hexanes, residual quantities of pentenes and pentanes and water, and extractively distilling said third bottoms fraction in a fourth column using a C.sub.6 to C.sub.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the flow regime of multiphase fluid flowing in a closed pipeline system utilizes an entirely passive acoustical detector means. The acoustical pattern detected by the detector means is amplified and compared to known patterns to identify the flow regime according to its acoustical fingerprint.

Abstract: Crude propylene oxide is purified by a distillation process wherein it is (a) extractively distilled in a first column using a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 alkylene glycol extractive distillation agent to form a first overhead fraction comprising propylene oxide, C.sub.5 -C.sub.7 hydrocarbons, methanol, water and oxygen-containing impurities, (b) wherein the first overhead fraction is separated in a plurality of intermediate distillation columns to provide an intermediate propylene oxide overhead fraction consisting essentially of propylene oxide and water, and (c) the intermediate propylene oxide overhead fraction is charged to a final distillation column using a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 alkylene glycol extractive distillation agent to form a final overhead fraction consisting essentially of propylene oxide.

Abstract: A method for preparing tertiary butyl alcohol wherein a feedstock comprising a solvent solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in tertiary butyl alcohol or a mixture of tertiary butyl alcohol with isobutane is charged to a hydroperoxide decomposition reaction zone containing a catalytically effective amount of a hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst consisting essentially of lead oxide supported on alumina and is brought into contact with the catalyst in liquid phase with agitation under hydroperoxide decomposition reaction conditions to convert the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to decomposition products, principally tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: A method for preparing tertiary butyl alcohol wherein a feedstock comprising a solvent solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in tertiary butyl alcohol or a mixture of tertiary butyl alcohol with isobutane is charged to a hydroperoxide decomposition reaction zone containing a catalytically effective amount of a hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst consisting essentially of alumina or carbon having rhodium deposited thereon and is brought into contact with the catalyst in liquid phase under hydroperoxide decomposition reaction conditions to convert the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to decomposition products, principally tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: An isobutylene feed mixture comprising MTBE, isobutylene and methanol is passed through an isobutylene conversion zone to form an isobutylene conversion product comprising unreacted methanol, unreacted isobutylene, dimethyl ether, MTBE and water, then charged to a countercurrent methanol extraction zone and contacting with water to provide an overhead raffinate comprising isobutylene, MTBE and water, and an extract comprising methanol, water, MTBE, isobutylene and dimethyl ether;the extract is distilled to provide a vaporized overhead fraction comprising MTBE, isobutylene, methanol, and dimethyl ether;the vaporized overhead fraction is partially condensed and from about 5 to 10 wt. % of the mixed phase condensate is vented to thereby provide a liquid condensate that is substantially free from dissolved dimethyl ether, and the condensate is recycled to the methanol extraction zone.

Abstract: A method is disclosed wherein t-butanol is reacted with methanol in a reaction zone in one step to provide methyl tert-butyl ether and the improvement of accomplishing the reaction which comprises:a. Using a catalyst comprising a chlorohydrol-treated, phosphated montmorillonite clay,b. continuously contacting said t-butanol and methanol in a molar amount of about 0.1 to 10 moles of methanol per mole of t-butanol with said catalyst at a temperature of about 20.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. and a pressure of about atmospheric to about 1000 psig to obtain the methyl tert-butyl ether product.

Abstract: The steel casing of a well is deliberately magnetized with a known orientation by the passage therethrough of a tool having a demagnetizing section and a magnetizing section along with a gyrocompass section and a magnetic compass section. The casing is first demagnetized and then remagnetized with a polarization which can be determined. The two compasses establish the orientation of the remagnetized casing.

Abstract: In reacting tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol with propylene to produce propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol in a reactor system comprising a first isothermal segment and a second adiabatic segment about 60 to 80 wt % of the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide is converted in the isothermal segment to provide an intermediate reaction mixture, a recycle stream comprising about 25 to 100 wt. % of the combined weight of the propylene and the tertiary butyl alcohol solution is removed from the intermediate reaction mixture and recycled to the first isothermal segment and the remainder of the intermediate reaction mixture is passed through the adiabatic segment where an additional 20 to 40 wt. % of the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide is converted.

Abstract: A method for conjointly preparing tertiary butyl alcohol and ditertiary butyl peroxide wherein a solution of a tertiary butyl hydroperoxide feedstock in tertiary butyl alcohol is charged to a hydroperoxide decomposition reaction zone containing a catalytically effective amount of a hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst consisting essentially of palladium supported on pelleted carbon, and is brought into contact with the catalyst in liquid phase under hydroperoxide decomposition reaction conditions to convert the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to decomposition products, principally tertiary butyl alcohol and ditertiary butyl peroxide.

Abstract: A steam foam method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation, which comprises injecting steam through an injection well into the formation, injecting an aqueous solution having a salinity greater than about 1% by weight and a pH of about 8 to about 12, comprising about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a fatty acid salt having about 10 to about 24 carbon atoms, and injecting steam into the formation to sweep hydrocarbons towards the production well for recovery.

Abstract: An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of a mixture of triethylene glycol with a lower boiling cosolvent selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, tertiary butyl alcohol and ethylene glycol is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the extractive distillation agent, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Abstract: A system for grinding hot coke includes feeding the hot coke into the system, while maintaining the system under less than atmospheric pressure, wetting the coke during this feeding step to assure constant flow of the coke into a grinding mill where the coke is reduced to a slurry and forwarded to a holding tank. The system includes apparatus to recover and treat vapors derived from the grinding of the coke and to feed the slurry to gasification means.

Abstract: Pairs of isolation members are mounted externally on casing pipe to define isolation zones. The zones are places into communication by bypass means external to the casing and penetrating the isolation members. Consolidation material is flowed through the bypass means to successively fill the isolated zones.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method wherein t-butanol is reacted with methanol in one step to provide methyl t-butyl ether at a temperature of about 20.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and a pressure of about atmospheric to about 1000 psig employing a heterogenous catalyst comprising a Group IV oxide having an alkylsulfonic acid covalently bonded thereto, particularly alkylsulfonic acid covalently bonded to silica gel and having the structure: ##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms and n is an integer in the range of 3 to 10.

Abstract: A process for recovery of molybdenum from residual fractions derived from an epoxidation reaction of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in liquid phase with tertiary butyl alcohol, in the presence of soluble molybdenum, which process comprises:Fractionating epoxidation reaction product for obtaining a liquid fraction containing essentially all molybdenum from the reaction product;Contacting the liquid fraction with anhydrous ammonia for forming a precipitate containing the major portion of the molybdenum and a liquid phase containing 500 ppm or less molybdenum;Separating the liquid phase from the precipitated solid;Evaporating the liquid phase under conditions of elevated temperatures and reduced pressure in the presence of 1 to 3% water for separation into an evaporator overhead vapor essentially free of molybdenum and an evaporator concentrate comprising essentially all of the molybdenum fed to the evaporator;Rapidly cooling evaporator concentrate from about evaporation temperature to about room te

Abstract: This invention is concerned with a soil stabilization process in which soil particles comprising the soil surfaces to be stabilized are contacted or treated with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate, such as sodium silicate, and a carbonate reactant or gelling agent selected from the group consisting of an alkylene carbonate, such as ethylene carbonate, a polyester polycarbonate and mixtures thereof. This invention also relates to soil stabilized by admixture with (1) an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate and (2) the carbonate reactant.