Abstract: An adaptable, accurate, high resolution centrifuge core measuring method using a single strobe flash per measurement uses a microprocessor controller to control the measuring method, not a computer. The controller, not the camera clock, decides when the camera data should be read. The camera data is read into and stored in the controller, not a computer. The controller reads the camera array, controls centrifuge speed, determines alignment of the proper catch tube, flashes the strobe, determines lapse time, rereads the pixels, stores and analyzes the pixel information and the other steps of the method. The controller is capable of operating in many modes. But at any point, for operator intervention the controller is adapted to let the computer intervene.

Abstract: A selectively electrically insulated, cemented and perforated tubular electrode provides a more effective system for electrically heating formations comprised of interbedded high and low electrical conductivity layers. The tubular electrode is located opposite the formation and is exteriorly insulated at an upper part of the formation and perhaps in low part of the formation. A central part of the tubular electrode is left free of electrical insulation. The tubular electrode is cemented in place and perforated at vertically spaced apart points into oil-bearing layers of the formation. The electrode may be a part of a casing string and the casing string specially designed to reduce alternating current hysteresis losses and current losses to the overburden.

Abstract: In a coal or coal char gasification system using hot recycled inert heat transfer medium (IHTM) solids, the heat transfer medium and some of the unreacted or ungasified char are passed through a spouted-bed reactor. In the spouted-bed reactor, the unreacted char is burned in a way that more efficiently reheats the heat transfer medium and reduces fusion, agglomeration, plugging, fouling and erosion problems. These advantages are provided by the fact that only a central spout of solids is fluidized and the fact the solids undergo a systematic cyclic mechanism where there is greater contact between the hot char and IHTM solids. The spouted-bed produces a hydrodynamic system which is substantially different from conventional gas-solid combustor configurations, especially fluidized combustors.

Abstract: When sulfonated surfactants are used to displace crude oil from a subterranean formation, the produced oil and water contain the surfactant and form a tight emulsion. This crude oil-water-surfactant emulsion is broken with a strong inorganic acid, for example, hydrochloric acid. The amount of acid added is sufficient to lower the pH of the water in the emulsion to 3.0 or lower. Thereafter, the oil is separated from the emulsion by conventional techniques.

Abstract: A process for viscous oil recovery from a subsurface formation wherein the electric power is generated by burning combustible material and the electric power is passed through the formation via electrodes, preferably producing wells, to apply heat to the oil and reduce its viscosity. Simultaneously therewith, the hot flue gas is used to heat water which is injected into the formation to apply heat to the formation, or reduce loss of the heat created by the electric current, or to force oil toward the producing wells, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: An improved strobe lamp holder is formed of a member with a semi-circular appearing, trough-like, reflective curved inner surface in the direction of the axis of the member. Covering the light emitting opening of the lamp is a light diffusing material. Covering the open ends of the trough-like curved surface is a light confining material. The holder is adapted for placement of a strobe bulb inside the trough-like curved surface, diffusive material and light confining ends is a strobe bulb. The improved strobe lamp holder is adapted to emit light rays in a predominantly rectangular pattern with the length of the rectangle oriented perpendicular to the axis of the reflecting curved surface. The improved strobe lamp holder is designed for use in centrifuge measurement of liquid production into or out of mineral cores.

Abstract: In deep drainhole drilling, a specially oriented drill collar of generally elliptic cross section is combined with a drill bit, a downhole motor and means adapted to deflect the bit to drill the build section of the drainhole curving at a medium angle of 2.degree. to 50.degree. per hundred feet. Preferably, the drill collar is at least twenty feet long. The elliptic drill collar is oriented in a manner such that the minor axis of the ellipse lies generally in the direction of the intended curve of the build interval. For the desired vertical build, this places the locus of the minimum axis of the ellipse toward the vertical and the locus of major axis toward the horizontal when the curved interval of the drainhole approaches horizontal. Preferably, the minor axis is at least twenty percent shorter than the major axis.

Abstract: There is provided a reliable carbon dioxide miscible displacement process wherein a propane-rich in place oil transition zone is created by huff and puff techniques. The enriched oil transition zone uses less LPG solvent per unit volume and is less critical or has greater tolerance to reservoir conditions than a carbon dioxide process would otherwise have if the propane were injected as a displacing slug. The huff stage of injection of the propane material may be followed by a period of shut in. The process may be repeated several times. Propane injection also demethanizes the zone around the injection well, thereby removing methane which interferes with development of miscibility between carbon dioxide and in place oil. After creation of the transition zone, carbon dioxide with or without other fluids is injected to displace oil from the reservoir.

Abstract: A flow line control valve is provided with internal erosion and corrosion trim liners and means for detecting for leaks in the liners. There is also provided fuller range, positive shutoff throttle means designed to reduce erosion and corrosion of the throttling parts and valve seat. The low flow rate throttling action is provided by progressive and accumulative flow through one or more stages of throttling flow passages of and by a nose end of the throttling means. Preferably the nose end is concavely tapered. Also preferably two or more stages of throttling spaced apart flow passages of increasing size are employed. Postive long lasting shut-off is assured by combining throttling and seat surfaces of different angles of taper.

Abstract: There is described an insulating connector for the wellhead of an electrode well used for heating a subsurface formation by electrical power dissipation in the formation. The insulating connector has two iron base metal fittings (for example, steel flange halves) heat shrink fitted to a piece of ceramic pipe with a nonferrous second metal between the outer surface of the ceramic and the inner surface of the metal fittings. The nonferrous metal (for example, copper) has a lower yield than steel and a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the iron base metal and deforms, compensates and distributes the stresses caused in the shrink fitted members by the differences expansion between steel and ceramics.

Abstract: A subterranean viscous oil bearing formation is progressively produced in a preselected direction by a combination of steps conducted in sets of wells spaced from each other in the preselected direction. A first set of wells is used to both apply electrical heat to the formation and inject brine, preferably at low rates. Then electrical heating and brine injection are applied to a second set of wells spaced in the preselected direction from the first set of wells. Electrical heating in the first of wells is ceased and hot aqueous fluid injection is commenced. These steps are moved in sequence to coact with each other and traverse and produce the formation thereby providing a more energy efficient process. Variations cover electrically stimulated huff and puff backflowing or producing steps to control wellbore resistance and distribute the heat uniformly in the proper direction. A pressure maintenance fluid may also be injected in the depleted part of the formation.

Abstract: Electrical current is caused to flow between an electrode well located in an aquafer above viscous hydrocarbon-bearing formation and an electrode well located in an aquafer below the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The electrical current thereby tends to spread out in a broad plate-like configuration from each electrode well. This increases the area of the hydrocarbon-bearing formation through which current is flowed, thereby extending the region which is heated by electrical dissapation. The nature of the aquafers and their location eases and resolves much of the adverse vaporization and pressure buildup that occurs in other systems. This also allows water to be readily injected to into or produced from the electrode wells to further control vaporization and pressure buildup without adversely affecting gravity drainage, other drive mechanisms or injection programs operating within the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. In addition, this enables the electrode wells to be used in a more continuous manner.

Abstract: Scale deposition is inhibited with a new scale inhibitor precipitation squeeze method wherein inhibitor solution is injected at a higher first pH into a subsurface brine producing formation. Thereafter, the solution is subjected to a fluid or substance which lowers the higher first pH of the scale inhibitor solution to a lower second pH, thereby causing precipitation of scale inhibitor in the formation. The scale inhibitor is characterized by the fact that the scale inhibitor exhibits a significant solubility decrease between the higher first pH and the lower second pH. The method of this invention, therefore, is based on decreasing the pH the scale inhibitor solution to deposit the scale inhibitor and does not use prior art divalent cation precipitation methods to precipitate inhibitors. This invention lessens the chances of formation damage or plugging. The preferred scale inhibitors are the amine phosphonates of a given general structure.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method of producing viscous immobile oil from a subsurface formation. Initially, steam is injected into the formation for a period of time by way of an injection well and a production well. Thereafter, a combustion-supporting gas is injected through the injection well into the top of the formation to form a fluid conductive path between injection and production wells. Subsequently steam is injected into the formation, preferably near the bottom of the formation and flows through the fluid conductive path. Heated oil adjacent the top of the formation is produced by steam drag into the producing well or wells.

Abstract: This invention discloses a more efficient and more self supporting method of producing oil from a viscous oil-bearing permeability stratified reservoir. In situ combustion with oxygen is carried out near a first injection well in a manner such that carbon dioxide substantially free of nitrogen is produced. The carbon dioxide substantially free of nitrogen produced by in situ combustion is then injected into a second injection well to swell, reduce the vicosity of in-place oil and displace oil from a separate part of the stratified reservoir. Water with or without other mobility and solubility control agents can be injected in either or both the combustion step and carbon dioxide displacement step. In situ combustion with or without nitrogen may thereafter be initiated adjacent the second injection well to produce the less permeable or more viscous oil-bearing strata to either produce oil left by carbon dioxide injection or to produce more nitrogen-free carbon dioxide.

Abstract: Furfural yield and selectivity are maximized by reacting a 1 to 10 percent pentose 0.05 to 0.2 normal mineral acid aqueous solution in a plug flow reactor operated at a temperature between 220.degree. C. and 300.degree. C. The reaction residence time is short and is between 0.5 and 100 seconds. This special high severity plug flow reactor operation may be operated in any configuration to recover the furfural product. Two preferred arrangements are a single phase, pentose recycle operation in which the furfural is recovered by solvent extraction and distillation, and a two phase, solvent recycle operation in which solvent is added to the reactor and furfural is recovered from the solvent by distillation. In some embodiments, the solvent has a boiling point higher than the boiling point of furfural and the ratio of solvent to aqueous phase on a weight to weight basis is between 0.25 and 2.

Abstract: In processes using electrical power to apply heat to a subsurface formation through a transmission well, power losses are reduced by installing in flowlines leading to the well one or more devices that electrically disrupts the flowline and that creates a tortuous flow path for liquids flowing through the device. The parts of the device contacting liquids are either fabricated of metal which is electrically insulated from the liquids or are fabricated of electrically nonconductive material. The device may be a free-wheeling hydraulic pump or motor, for example, a free-wheeling gear pump.

Abstract: A single well method and apparatus for electrically applying heat and stimulating is comprised of a relatively lower surface area formation electrode and relatively high surface area overburden electrode extending downward into the borehole past low resistivity water zones. This long overburden electrode may be formed of nonmagnetic metal to reduce hysteresis losses in the electrode. This improved single well system causes most of power to be dissipated in the oil pay zone and thereby renders single well production economical.

Abstract: The level or tilt angle of the surface of a bed of solids in the round portion of an elongated rotatable chamber is determined by directing a collimated gamma ray beam transversely through the chamber to a scintillation radioactive count rate detector. The chamber is either horizontal or inclined from horizontal at an angle of less than 30.degree.. At least three equal length transversely spaced apart radioactive scans or measurements with the source located at three different points are required. The scans must lie in approximately the same transverse plane and one of the scans must be transversely located between the other two scans. Best results are obtained when at least four scans are taken with the transverse plane of the scans perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber. The method will usually be applied at a number of axial points under dynamic conditions so that the contour of the bed may be plotted.

Abstract: A relatively closely spaced injection well and production well pair is used as a single electrode and is used in a way that significantly increases the effective radius of an electrode production location. This is achieved by appropriately spacing of the wells and flowing aqueous fluid between wells at a pressure below the pressure driving oil toward the production well. The controlled pressure flowing aqueous fluid forms a highly conductivity flow path for oil flowing toward the production well. The effectiveness of the increased well pair drainage radius is achieved or augmented by injecting aqueous fluid, preferably steam or hot water, into the formation at a pressure great enough to drive oil toward the well pair and using the formation injection well as an electrode for electrically heating the oil. More than one well pair may be used either as a separate or the same electrode. One injection well or one production well may be used to form two or more well pairs.