Abstract: Apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons comprising a joint assembly comprising a main body portion having primary and secondary fluid flow paths, wherein the main body portion is attached to a load sleeve assembly at one end and a torque sleeve assembly at the opposite end. The load sleeve may include at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit. The main body portion may include a sand control device, a packer, or other well tool for use in a downhole environment. Included is a coupling assembly having a manifold region in fluid flow communication with the second fluid flow path of the main body portion and facilitating the make-up of first and second joint assemblies with a single connection.

Abstract: A method for predicting petroleum production is provided. An exemplary embodiment of The computer-implemented comprises computing a first approximation of an amount of generated petroleum that is retained with a complex organic product using a Threshold and a Maximum Retention value. The exemplary method also comprises revising the first approximation by approximating a process of chemical fractionation using at least one partition factor to create a revised approximation and predicting petroleum production based on the revised approximation.

Abstract: A Vertical Annular Separation and Pumping System (VASPS) utilizing a outer annulus liquid discharge arrangement to replace a standard pump shroud associated with an electrical submersible pump. The outer annulus liquid discharge arrangement directs produced wellbore liquids around the electrical submersible pump motor to provide a cooling medium to prevent overheating and premature failure of the electrical submersible pump.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons is described. In the method, a failure mode for a well completion is identified. A numerical engineering model to describe an event that results in the failure mode is constructed. The numerical engineering model is converted into a response surface. Then, the response surface is associated with a user tool configured to provide the response surface for analysis of another well.

Abstract: The invention relates to improved bitumen recovery processes and systems. The process may include providing a bitumen froth feed stream, separating the stream in a froth separation unit to produce a diluted bitumen stream, treating the diluted bitumen stream in an electrostatic desalter to produce a treated bitumen stream, and separating the treated bitumen stream into a solvent recycle stream and a bitumen product stream. The system may include a combined AC/DC desalter with a control unit for optimizing the treatment process to produce a product bitumen stream using less solvent and smaller separators than conventional bitumen froth treatment plants and processes.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for removing contaminants from a hydrocarbon stream, such as a stream of raw natural gas. The contaminated hydrocarbon stream is passed through a first adsorbent bed containing molecular sieves to adsorb contaminants on the molecular sieves, thereby removing at least some of the contaminants from the hydrocarbon stream. The contaminated hydrocarbon stream may optionally be passed through a second adsorbent bed containing a desiccant material other than molecular sieves. The molecular sieves are regenerated using a wet regeneration process in which both the water content and temperature of the regeneration fluid stream are staged.

Abstract: The described invention relates to a method for determining corrosion in wet gas pipelines comprising: a) using a portion of the liquid phase from a wet gas pipeline; b) placing said portion in a high pressure, high temperature autoclave to prepare a saturated vapor phase; c) transferring the saturated vapor to a corrosion test unit, said unit having a specimen holder section having external, temperature adjustable means, and specimens being arranged in one or more positions within the specimen holder; d) chilling said specimen holder section so as to cause condensation onto said corrosion testing specimens; and, e) calculating a value selected from the group consisting of corrosions rate, pitting of the specimen, weight loss of the specimen, and any combination thereof. The invention process can be practiced in a separate laboratory apparatus designed to accomplish the above method, or in a similar online apparatus set up in a semi-batch mode or continuous mode.

Abstract: Methods of predicting earth stresses in response to pore pressure changes in a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir within a geomechanical system, include establishing physical boundaries for the geomechanical system and acquiring reservoir characteristics. Geomechanical simulations simulate the effects of changes in reservoir characteristics on stress in rock formations within the physical boundaries to determine the rock formation strength at selected nodes in the reservoir. The strength of the rock formations at the nodes is represented by an effective strain (?eff), which includes a compaction strain (?c) and out-of-plane shear strains (?1-3, Y2-3) at a nodal point. The methods further include determining an effective strain criteria (?effcr) from a history of well failures in the physical boundaries. The effective strain (?effcr) at a selected nodal point is compared with the effective strain criteria (?effcr) to determine if the effective strain (?eff) exceeds the effective strain criteria (?effcr).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for pressure testing one or more sections of a pipeline are provided. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first high pressure seal and a second high pressure seal adapted to isolate a test volume located within a section of the pipeline between the first and second high pressure seals. The apparatus also includes at least one flexible member connecting the first high pressure seal to the second high pressure seal, the at least one flexible member adapted to permit movement of the first high pressure seal relative to the second high pressure seal, allowing the apparatus to travel through a curvature in the pipeline.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for using heavy petroleum fraction as a drive fluid in the recovery of hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. The hydrocarbons may be in the form of bitumen or heavy oil. The heavy petroleum fraction may be injected into at least one injection well and hydrocarbons produced out of at least one distinct production well. The heavy petroleum fraction may be co-injected together with steam and/or hot water and/or solvent. The heavy petroleum fraction may be a heavy fraction of a process used to upgrade crude oil, such as a heavy asphaltene fraction produced from solvent deasphalting crude oil produced by this recovery process.

Abstract: A system and method for treating tailings from a bitumen froth treatment process such as TSRU tailings. The tailings are dewatered and then combusted to convert kaolin in the tailings into metakaolin. Calcined fines and heavy minerals may be recovered from the combustion products, namely from the flue gas and bottom ash.

Abstract: The invention relates to improved bitumen recovery processes and systems. One process provides for operation of a bitumen froth treatment plant at optimum shear rates in the feed pipe carrying the bitumen froth to the froth settling unit. Another process provides for optimizing the design of a bitumen froth treatment plant by optimizing the diameter of the feed pipe to impart an optimum shear rate to the bitumen froth mixture and further optimizing the volume of the feed pipe to impart an optimum residence time for the bitumen froth stream in the feed pipe. An optimal plant design is also disclosed, the plant including optimal diameter and volume of the feed pipe.

Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbon fluids from an organic-rich rock formation to a surface facility is provided. The method may include heating the formation in situ to cause pyrolysis of formation hydrocarbons, and producing production fluids from the formation via two or more wells. The produced fluids have been at least partially generated as a result of pyrolysis of the formation hydrocarbons. In addition, the produced fluids comprise non-condensable fluids, or gases, which taken together have an averaged Wobbe Index which varies at a rate of more than 5% over a period of time. The method also includes controlling production from one or more of the wells such that a combination of the production fluids from the wells results in a combined gas stream that's averaged Wobbe Index varies at a rate of less than 5% over the period of time. The combined stream comprises combustible hydrocarbon fluids.

Abstract: At least one method, structure and apparatus used to measure tearing resistance of a commercial member. The method includes the use of full-scale testing methods and apparatuses to obtain unloading compliance measurements, which are used to generate a tearing resistance curve that includes the effects of geometry and considers data beyond the yield point of the commercial member. The commercial member may be a pipeline for carrying hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons are described. One apparatus includes a swellable packer element around a primary and a secondary flow path, wherein the packer is configured to block flow in a portion of a wellbore annulus. One method includes disposing sand control devices having shunt tubes and a packer within a wellbore adjacent to a subsurface reservoir. The packer is then set within an interval, which may be an open-hole section of the wellbore. With the packer set, gravel packing of the sand control devices in different intervals may be performed. Then, hydrocarbons are produced from the wellbore by passing hydrocarbons through the sand control devices with the different intervals providing zonal isolation. In some embodiments, intervals may be alternatively packed and plugged, wherein the plugged intervals are not packed. In addition, the method may also include disposing the sand control devices and packer into the wellbore in conditioned drilling fluid.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a constrained Delaunay triangulation for a planar domain with boundaries and internal features. The boundaries and internal features of the domain are approximated with polylines. Unconstrained Delaunay triangulation is constructed for the domain. The unconstrained Delaunay triangulation is modified to conform triangle sides to the polylines. The modified triangulation is corrected to make it a constrained Delaunay triangulation. At least one of the steps of the method is implemented using a computer.

Abstract: A method for modeling a reservoir response in a subsurface system is provided. The subsurface system has at least one subsurface feature. Preferably, the subsurface system comprises a hydrocarbon reservoir. The method includes defining physical boundaries for the subsurface system, and locating the at least one subsurface feature within the physical boundaries. The method also includes creating a finite element mesh within the physical boundaries. The finite element mesh may have elements that cross the at least one subsurface feature such that the subsurface feature intersects elements in the mesh. A computer-based numerical simulation is then performed wherein the effects of the subsurface feature are recognized in the response. The reservoir response may be, for example, pore pressure or displacement at a given location within the physical boundaries.