Abstract: A mechanical vessel may effectively and simultaneously displace a first undesired gas from within water with a second desired gas, and remove at least one alkaline species and oily matter from the water. The vessel raises the pH of the water and reduces the lime requirement for subsequent lime softening. The vessel receives the water containing the first gas and passes the water through a series of gasification chambers. Each gasification chamber may have a mechanism that ingests and mixes a second gas into the water thereby physically displacing at least a portion of the first gas into a vapor space at the top of each gasification chamber from which it is subsequently removed. There is an absence of communication between the vapor spaces of adjacent chambers. An acid is added to remove the alkaline species, where the first gas is an optional by-product that is also removed.

Abstract: A method of transmitting pressure pulses from a downhole location through a flowing fluid in a wellbore comprises using a linear actuator to controllably move a reciprocating member axially back and forth between a first position and a second position to at least partially obstruct flow of the flowing fluid to generate the pressure pulses. A reciprocating pulser for generating pressure pulses in a fluid flowing in a wellbore, comprises a fluid passage that allows flow of the fluid through the pulser, and a reciprocating member. A linear actuator is coupled to the reciprocating member, such that the linear actuator moves the reciprocating member in a first axial direction and then in a reverse direction to at least partially obstruct flow of the fluid through the pulser to generate pressure pulses in the flowing fluid.

Abstract: Metal additives to hydrocarbon feed streams give improved hydrocarbon liquid yield during thermal cracking thereof. Suitable additives include metal overbases and metal dispersions and the metals suitable include, but are not necessarily limited to, magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium, aluminum, boron, zinc, silicon, cerium, titanium, zirconium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and/or platinum, overbases and dispersions. Coker feedstocks and visbreaker feeds are particular hydrocarbon feed streams to which the method can be advantageously applied, but the technique may be used on any hydrocarbon feed that is thermally cracked.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for use in determining pressure at a formation of interest in-situ. A carrier carrying a tool is conveyed in a borehole. The tool includes a sealing member and a port exposable to the formation of interest. A formation fluid sampling chamber is separated from a hydraulic fluid chamber by a flexible member that allows pressure communication from the fluid sampling chamber to the hydraulic fluid chamber. A sensor senses pressure in the hydraulic fluid for determining pressure in the sampling chamber.

Abstract: A resistivity tool has a body with at lest one pair of grooves on its exterior oriented orthogonal to the tool axis. A coil antenna is oriented orthogonal to the grooves in a hole intersecting the grooves and oriented orthogonal to the tool axis. The antenna and an antenna core define a plurality of small antenna loops.

Abstract: System and method of controlling a trajectory of a wellbore comprises conveying a drilling assembly in the wellbore by a rotatable tubular member. The drilling assembly includes a drill bit at an end thereof that is rotatable by a drilling motor carried by the drilling assembly. The drilling assembly has a first adjustable stabilizer and an second stabilizer spaced apart from the first adjustable stabilizer. The first adjustable stabilizer having set of ribs spaced around the stabilizer, with each rib being independently radially extendable. The position of a first center of the first adjustable stabilizer is adjusted in the wellbore relative to a second center of the second stabilizer in the wellbore for controlling the trajectory of the wellbore.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling inflow of fluid into a production string. In aspects, the invention provides a downhole sand screen and inflow control device with a gas or water shut-off feature that can be operated mechanically or hydraulically from the surface of the well. The device also preferably includes a bypass feature that allows the inflow control device to be closed or bypassed via shifting of a sleeve. In embodiments, the flow control device can be adaptive to changes in wellbore conditions such as chemical make-up, fluid density and temperature. Exemplary adaptive inflow control devices include devices configured to control flow in response to changes in gas/oil ratio, water/oil ratio, fluid density and/or the operating temperature of the inflow control device. In other aspects of the present invention, inflow control devices are utilized to control the flow of commingled fluids drained via two or more wellbores.

Abstract: The extent of invasion of a water-based drilling fluid into a formation may be determined using at least two tracers where one is deuterium oxide and the other is a water-soluble tracer. One such method includes introducing a drilling fluid having an aqueous phase and known concentrations of a water-soluble tracer and deuterium oxide into a well drilled into a fluid-producing formation; obtaining a sample of the fluid from the fluid-producing formation at a location adjacent to the well; determining the concentrations of the deuterium oxide and water-soluble tracer in the sample; and calculating the deuterium oxide concentration within the fluid producing formation based on the known and determined concentrations of the water-soluble tracer and deuterium oxide in the drilling fluid and in the sample.

Abstract: Calibration of the arrays of a multicomponent induction logging tool is achieved by positioning the tool horizontally above ground. The upper and lower housings of the tool are connected by a borehole conductivity simulator which as a resistance comparable to that of a borehole. Axial and radial positioning of the transmitter coils is done by monitoring outputs at receiver coils to achieve a minimum.

Abstract: Long-chained polymer compounds are useful to viscosify aqueous brine fluids so that they can function as drilling fluids, completion/workover fluids, fracturing fluids, agricultural products, cleaning compounds, etc. These polymers may be hydrated with a microemulsion or lactescent emulsion prior to being added to the target fluid. The rate and completeness of hydration by this method are controlled and improved. In one non-limiting embodiment the microemulsion includes a polar hydrocarbon component, a nonpolar hydrocarbon oil, a small amount of water, a surfactant and optionally a co-surfactant.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a downhole tool that includes a magnetometer and a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensor. One or more compensating magnets are provided on the tool to cancel or offset the effect of the magnetic field of the magnets of the NMR sensor on the magnetometer measurements made during drilling of a wellbore. The compensating magnets may have the same magnetic field characteristics as the sensor magnets and may be made of the same material.

Abstract: Elemental analysis of an earth formation (including Aluminum) is obtained using measurements from a gamma ray logging tool. The inelastic spectrum of Aluminum is determined from measurements made in a water tank. From the elemental analysis, an estimate of the mineralogy of the formation is made treating the problem as one of Linear Programming (maximizing an objective function subject to equality and/or inequality constraints.

Abstract: An apparatus for mating a base unit with a transmitter unit has a first face provided with a plurality of bores that spatially conform to a pattern of the mounting elements of the base unit and a second face that has a plurality of bores that spatially conform to the pattern of the mounting elements of the transmitter unit. To hydraulically connect the flow bores of the base unit and the transmitter unit, the plate includes a plurality of fluid conduits. Each flow conduit hydraulically connects a flow bore of the base unit to an associated flow bore of the transmitter unit.

Abstract: A system for communicating between a first location and a second location comprises a jointed tubular string having a first section and a second section connected at a connection joint, with the tubular string having a fluid in an internal passage thereof. A first acoustic transducer is mounted in the internal passage of the first section proximate the connection joint, and a second acoustic transducer is mounted in the internal passage of the second section proximate the connection joint. A signal transmitted from the first location to the second location is transmitted across the connection joint as an acoustic signal in the fluid from the first acoustic transducer to the second acoustic transducer.

Abstract: Phase-sensitive measurements are made by a resistivity imaging tool in a borehole having non-conductive mud in a conductive earth formation at a plurality of frequencies. From the phase sensitive measurements, the formation resistivity can be determined with higher sensitivity than is possible with the single frequency measurements. Tool standoff can also be determined from a knowledge of the mud resistivity and/or dielectric constant. Formation resistivity may also be determined when the effect of formation capacitance cannot be ignored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for of determining a formation parameter of interest. The method includes placing a tool into communication with the formation to test the formation and drawing down a test volume at an increasing draw rate during a first draw period and decreasing the draw rate during a second draw period to create a smooth draw down cycle. The draw down can be step-wise or continuous. The formation parameter is determined using formation rate analyis and characteristics determined during the draw down cycle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for controlling the formation of liquid or gas slugs along a pipeline. In embodiments, an injection unit injects a liquid surface tension reducing agent, such as a foamant, into the pipeline upstream of the high point. A control unit can be used to control the injection unit. In certain arrangements, the control unit adjusts the injection of the agent based on measured parameters of interest. In embodiments where the control unit utilizes temperature measurements, one or more temperature sensors are positioned along the pipeline. The control unit utilizes the temperature measurements to determine whether a predetermined condition exists or a liquid or gas slug is present.

Abstract: The present invention provides a downhole method and apparatus using molecularly imprinted polymers to analyze a downhole fluid sample or determine the percentage of oil based mud filtrate contamination in a formation fluid sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to highly hydroxyalkylated, glyoxal crosslinked, purified hydroxyalkyl guar useful as additive in the building industry, and to a method for its preparation.

Abstract: A water-based drilling fluid having a polymer latex capable of providing a deformable latex film on at least a portion of a subterranean formation has been discovered to provide reduced drilling fluid pressure invasion when used to drill in shale formations for hydrocarbon recovery operations. A precipitating agent such as a silicate or an aluminum complex (e.g. sodium aluminate) is preferably used in conjunction with the polymer. Typically, the water present contains a salt to form a brine, often to saturation, although the invention may be practiced with fresh water. If a salt is employed, it is often helpful to additionally employ a surfactant, such as a betaine, for example.