Abstract: A particularly useful process of contacting a feedstream containing dioxygen, carbon monoxide, ether, and alkanol which can be vaporized under conditions of reaction, with a blend of catalysts which are heterogeneous to the feedstream, under conditions of reaction sufficient to form a mixture containing at least one higher molecular weight oxygenated organic compound. In another aspect this invention relates to a blend of catalysts consisting of at least one molecular sieve, natural or synthetic, which has been found useful for hydrocarbon conversion reactions and a catalyst comprising a metal halide or a mixed metal halide supported on active carbon which is effective in catalyzing direct formation of organic carbonates.

Abstract: A method of upgrading a below grade fill to prevent accidental release harmful materials from contaminating the soil below grade.

Abstract: The present invention relates to devices for conducting, simultaneously, exothermic and endothermic chemical conversions with transfer of heat therebetween. More particularly, this invention relates to autothermic modules using oxygen ion-conducting dense ceramic membranes to separate, selectively, oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas and supply it directly to partial combustion of gaseous organic compounds. Processes using autothermic modules in accordance with this invention are, advantageously, used for production of synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen which synthesis gas is substantially free of deleterious and/or inert gaseous diluents such as nitrogen. In particular, for conversions, within the integral autothermic module, of natural gas or other forms of gaseous lower alkanes to synthesis gas by means of partial combustion followed by reforming.

Abstract: A method and liner assembly for drilling into unstable or depleted formations is provided that maintains control of the wellbore against caving such as where unconsolidated formations are penetrated and/or minimizes fluid losses such as to underpressured formations where differential pressures exist. The method and liner assembly herein includes the provision of a liner having a portion thereof that is drillable so that after setting of the liner, drilling can continue deeper into the unstable formations with minimal damage to the bit used to drill out the liner drillable portion. In one form, the liner has a shoe that includes cutter mounting blades, each having a set of cutters thereon. Relief slots are formed in the blades between cutters so that as the shoe and its blades are being drilled, the drill bit will cut through the slots, releasing the shoe cutters for transport up to the surface by the drilling fluid thereby minimizing damaging contact of the bit with the shoe cutters.

Abstract: A particularly useful process which includes the steps of providing a source of formaldehyde formed by conversion of dimethyl ether in the presence of a catalyst comprising silver as an essential catalyst component; and contacting the source of formaldehyde and a predominately dimethyl ether feedstream with a heterogeneous, condensation promoting catalyst capable of hydrating dimethyl ether under conditions of reaction sufficient to form an effluent comprising water, methanol, formaldehyde, dimethyl ether, and polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers is disclosed. Unreacted dimethyl ether is recovered from the effluent and recycled to the formation of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers. The resulting dimethyl ether-free liquid mixture is heated in the presence of an acidic catalyst to convert at least the methanol and formaldehyde present to polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers. Advantageously, methylal and higher polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers are formed and separated in a catalytic distillation column.

Abstract: A drilling tool for use with a drill string into which drilling fluid is pumped. The tool comprises: a non-rotating housing having stabilizer blades on its outer surface; a rotating mandrel, passing through the housing; extendible blade means for moving the housing relative to a borehole; and a cam mechanism that is carried by at least one of the mandrel and the housing, and that is operated by drill string rotation and the flow of drilling fluid for operating the extendible blade means to move the drill string and steer the drill bit attached hereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of seismic exploration and, in more particular, to methods of quantifying and visualizing structural and stratigraphic features in three dimensions through the use of eigenvector and eigenvalue analyses of a similarity matrix. This invention also relates to the field of seismic attribute generation and the use of seismic attributes derived from similarity matrices to detect the conditions favorable for the origination, migration, accumulation, and presence of hydrocarbons in the subsurface. Additionally, the methods disclosed herein provide a new means for analyzing unstacked seismic data to uncover AVO effects. The invention disclosed herein will be most fully appreciated by those in the seismic interpretation and seismic processing arts.

Abstract: A direct, simplified and relatively salt-free process is described for making anionic, hydrotalcite-type pillared clay compositions which contain nickel, and their heat-treated derivatives. Compositions of the invention are manufactured from ractants which contain a relatively minor amount of metal salts or, preferably, contain essentially no metal salts. Preferred compositions made by the process form a number of new nickel-containing catalytic materials which are unusually resistant to deactivation, for example resistant to coke formation when used to catalyze chemical conversions of a hydrocarbyl compound with an oxygen-containing gas at elevated temperatures to form synthesis gas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to composite materials for membrane reactors which include a gas-tight ceramic, a porous support, and an interfacial zone therebetween. More particularly, this invention relates to composite materials using oxygen ion-conducting dense ceramic membranes formed on a porous support comprising a metallic alloy to provide an interfacial zone identifiable by a gradient of composition in at least one metallic element across the interfacial zone between the dense ceramic membrane and the porous support. Processes using composite materials in accordance with the invention are, for example, used for production of synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen which synthesis gas is, advantageously, free of deleterious and/or inert gaseous diluents such as nitrogen.

Abstract: A method, a map and an article of manufacture for the exploration of hydrocarbons. In one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of: accessing 3D seismic data; dividing the data into an array of relatively small three-dimensional cells; determining in each cell the semblance/similarity, the dip and dip azimuth of the seismic traces contained therein; and displaying dip, dip azimuth and the semblance/similarity of each cell in the form a two-dimensional map. In one embodiment, semblance/similarity is a function of time, the number of seismic traces within the cell, and the apparent dip and apparent dip azimuth of the traces within the cell; the semblance/similarity of a cell is determined by making a plurality of measurements of the semblance/similarity of the traces within the cell and selecting the largest of the measurements.

Abstract: The invention relates to high energy, oxygenated fuel compositions suitable for use in compression ignition internal combustion engines which fuel compositions contain a synergistic combination of dimethyl ether, methanol, and water, the combination providing a single liquid phase with good ignition characteristics. More particularly fuels comprising from about 72 to about 95 weight percent of dimethyl ether, from about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent of methanol, and from about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent of water are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the exploration of hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: obtaining a set of seismic signal traces distributed over a predetermined three-dimensional volume of the earth; dividing the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of analysis cells having portions of at least two seismic traces located therein; computing outer products of the seismic traces within each cell; forming the covariance matrix for each cell from these outer products; computing the dominant eigenvalue and the sum of the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of each cell and computing a seismic attribute from the ratio of the dominant eigenvalue to the sum of the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of each cell; and forming map of the seismic attributes of selected groups of cells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed generally toward a method of processing seismic data so as to provide improved quantification and visualization of subtle seismic thin bed tuning effects and other sorts of lateral rock discontinuities. A reflection from a thin bed has a characteristic expression in the frequency domain that is indicative of the thickness of the bed: the reflection has a periodic sequence of notches in its amplitude spectrum, said notches being spaced a distance apart that is inversely proportional to the temporal thickness of the thin bed. Further, this characteristic expression may be used to track thin bed reflections through a 3-D volume and estimate their thicknesses and lateral extent. The usefulness of this invention is enhanced by a novel method of frequency domain whitening that emphasizes the geologic information present within the spectrum.

Abstract: A thermal oil recovery process is disclosed for use in a heavy oil reservoir having a plurality of laterally separated, generally vertical wells whose use have left the reservoir characterized by a heated depletion zone, a channel, voidage, or mobility and communication. The process includes the steps of: drilling a well having a horizontal section and an opening therein that is located laterally between at least two of the vertical wells and at a depth within the lower part of the reservoir; injecting a steam through the two vertical wells to establish thermal communication with said horizontal well; and using the combination of steam drive and gravity drainage to recover oil from the reservoir through the horizontal well.

Abstract: A continuous vapor phase processes for direct condensation of methanol and/or dimethyl ether with dilute acetylene feedstream to a mixture containing at least one higher molecular weight alkanol, such as n-propanol or isobutanol, over an alkaline catalyst which is, advantageously, an essentially magnesium oxide catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to method of seismic data processing which provides a superior method of removing or attenuating some forms of seismic noise and can also be used as a basis for seismic attribute analysis and automatic trace editing. In particular, the present invention is directed toward the application of a Very Short-Time Fourier Transform (VSTFT) to seismic data, coupled with a novel approach to organizing and/or displaying the transformed data, so as to provide highly localized frequency analyses of seismic reflection events. The present invention utilizes a very great number of short overlapping Fourier transform windows, together with a Gaussian weight or taper function, to produce a plurality of near single-frequency "sub-band" traces for each seismic trace so analyzed. Although the present invention can be applied to a single seismic trace, it is preferably applied to a collection of seismic traces that are spatially related.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a collapsed composition is described in which the manufactured composition is substantially composed of microcrystallites collectively of the formula: ##EQU1## where M.sup.2+ is a divalent metal, M.sup.3+ is a trivalent metal, and T is vanadium, tungsten, or molybdenum.The microcrystallites are so small as to be undetectable through conventional x-ray diffraction techniques, yet high resolution electron microscopy reveals that a substantial portion of the microcrystallites are composed of a solid solution having aluminum oxide molecularly dispersed in a divalent metal monoxide crystal structure. Another portion of the microcrystallites are constituted by a spinel phase. The collapsed composition is suitable as a sulfur oxide absorbent, having comparatively high capacity and comparatively fast absorption and desorption rates, and is also suitable as a nitrogen oxide reduction catalyst.

Abstract: An apparatus for the exploration of hydrocarbons by obtaining a set of seismic signal traces distributed over a pre-determined three-dimensional volume of the earth and using a computer to: divide the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of vertically stacked and generally spaced apart horizontal slices; divide each of the slices into a plurality of cells having portions of at least three seismic traces located therein; measure the cross-correlation between one pair of traces lying in one vertical plane to obtain an in-line value and the cross-correlation between another pair of traces lying in another vertical plane to obtain a cross-line value; and combine the in-line value and the cross-line value to obtain one coherency value for each of the cells; and display the coherency values.

Abstract: A method for measuring and using anisotropy in a coal bed sequence. The method includes the steps of: stripping layers where polarization changes are indicated by applying a static shift to components aligned with the slow shear wave polarization direction and applying one half of the static shift to components neither aligned with the slow shear wave polarization direction nor aligned with the fast shear wave polarization direction; obtaining for a coal bed a measure of the amplitude of the envelope of the fast polarization trace; rotating, by about 45 degrees away from a principal direction, the data set for that coal bed; obtaining a measure of the amplitude of the envelope of at least one of the mixed/mismatched polarization traces of that coal bed; and obtaining the ratio of the amplitude of the envelope of the fast polarization trace to the amplitude of the envelope of one mixed/mismatched polarization trace in that coal bed.

Abstract: A continuous process for recovery of acetylene-free gaseous mixture from gaseous feedstreams containing acetylene and optionally other low molecular weight hydrocarbons by contacting the acetylene-containing feedstream with an alkanol in combination with a super acid catalyst, Lewis acid, Bronsted acids, or mixtures thereof, under conditions of reaction sufficient to form a mixture containing at least one acetal organic compound, and a gaseous product substantially free of acetylene. Preferred catalysts include boron trifluoride in methanol with mercuric oxide. Processes according to the invention are, advantageously, used for recovery of acetylene-free gaseous mixture from gaseous feedstreams containing a mixture of acetylene, a synthesis gas comprising dihydrogen and carbon monoxide, and optionally one or more members of the group consisting of dimethyl ether, formaldehyde, ethylene, and propylene.