Patents Represented by Attorney Ronald G. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 4429273
    Abstract: An oil-water monitor includes a test cell having a production stream passing through it, thereby allowing the dielectric properties of the production stream to be monitored. An analyzer connected to the measuring cell provides an indication of the water content of the production stream in accordance with the dielectric properties of the production stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Roy P. Mazzagatti
  • Patent number: 4427941
    Abstract: A well logging tool adapted for use in a borehole traversing an earth formation includes at least one sensor sensing at least one characteristic of the earth formation. Another sensor senses the ambient temperature and provides a corresponding temperature signal. An output circuit provides a temperature compensated output signal corresponding to the sensed characteristic of the earth formation in accordance with the temperature signal and the characteristic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Roland G. Riedesel, Jr., Theodore W. Nussbaum, Wayne F. Warren
  • Patent number: 4422043
    Abstract: An improvement to dipmeter logs has very closely spaced radio frequency sensor coils mounted in pairs in each of the formation contacting pads. A transmitter mounted in a sonde emits the radio frequency energy, such as in the range of from two to one hundred megahertz. The phase difference in radio frequency signals between receiver coil pairs in each pad is measured, providing improved data resolution for computing formation dip, and making possible dip measurements in wells drilled with oil base mud or air (invert type muds).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Development Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Meador
  • Patent number: 4416996
    Abstract: A hydrogen blistering corrosivity meter includes a cavity filled with a monitoring liquid. A liquid to be tested is separated from the monitoring liquid by a steel membrane. A device, which allows the volume of the measuring liquid to be monitored, is connected to the cavity. Dissolved hydrogen atoms, if any, formed by the test liquid diffuse through the steel membrane and enter the cavity, forming molecular hydrogen and causing an increase in volume in the measuring liquid which corresponds to the rate of corrosion activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Byron von Klock, Dinh-Cuong Vuong
  • Patent number: 4415859
    Abstract: A paraffin monitor includes a pair of probes which are immersed in a medium having paraffin contained therein. A circuit is connected to the probes which provides an output voltage. The characteristics of the electric circuit changes over a period of time, causing a corresponding change in the voltage output, in accordance with a change in the amount of paraffin on the probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Carlton M. Slough, Edwin L. Colling, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4413678
    Abstract: Apparatus situated in a borehole traversing an earth formation is protected from closing of the borehole by being encased in an inflatable device. Surface equipment inflates and maintains the inflatable device at a sufficient pressure so as to prevent the earth formation from closing in and contacting the apparatus. A pressure sensor senses the maintenance pressure and provides a corresponding signal. An alarm circuit provides an alarm when the pressure decreases below the sufficient maintenance pressure level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Development Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald G. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 4409553
    Abstract: A paraffin monitor includes a pulse source periodically providing pulses. Apparatus, adapted to be immersed in a medium having paraffin, provides an output signal in response to each pulse in accordance with a paraffin film grown on said apparatus while the apparatus is immersed in the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Carlton M. Slough, Edwin L. Colling, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4401947
    Abstract: A well logging sonde has an outer diameter of 1-11/16 inches or less and includes a transmitter coil and at least two receiver coils. The coils are contained in a coil housing. A transmitter circuit provides a signal for energizing the transmitter coil to develop an electromagnetic field in an earth formation. A transmitter case contains the transmitter circuit and is mechanically connected to the coil housing so that the transmitter provides the signal to the transmitter coil which develops the corresponding electromagnetic field in the earth formation. A receiver circuit receives signals from the receiver coils resulting from the reception of electromagnetic energy from the electromagnetic field after passage through the earth formation. The receiver circuit provides a signal representative of at least one characteristic of the earth formation in accordance with the signals from the receiver coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Percy T. Cox
  • Patent number: 4399416
    Abstract: A wide dynamic range automatic gain ranging amplifier system includes an amplifier which receives an analog input signal and amplifies the received analog input signal in accordance with gain control signals to provide an amplified signal. A network connected to the amplifier also receives the analog input signal and provides the gain control signals corresponding to a desired gain for the amplifier in accordance with the received input signal and also provides gain status signals representative of the gain associated with the amplified signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Development Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald G. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 4398597
    Abstract: Apparatus situated in a borehole traversing an earth formation is protected from closure of the borehole by being encased in an inflatable device. Surface equipment inflates and maintains the inflatable device at a sufficient pressure so as to prevent the earth formation from closing in and contacting the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: John P. Haberman
  • Patent number: 4390957
    Abstract: A monitor receives a slurry of coal and water and provides an output signal corresponding to the coal content of the slurry. The monitor includes sensing apparatus which senses the hydrogen content of the water in the slurry and provides a corresponding signal. A circuit supplies a signal corresponding to the hydrogen content of water. An output network provides the output signal corresponding to the coal content of the slurry in accordance with the signals from the sensing apparatus and the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Leonidas Skarlos, Roger M. Dille
  • Patent number: 4390973
    Abstract: A method determines the extent of subsurface reactions in which random acoustic signals are radiated from a whole area covered by the reaction or from a boundary region, hereafter termed reaction front, between largely undisturbed rocks and those already covered by the reaction. The signals are recorded by at least two receivers positioned at different locations outside the reaction area. The recorded signals are cross-correlated as a function of a time shift between the recorded signals so that at least one surface confining the reaction area is determined from the cross-correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Deutsche Texaco Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Eike Rietsch
  • Patent number: 4367440
    Abstract: A monitor which is capable of measuring accurately the water content in percent by volume of an oil and brine mixture, where the water content is 80% or more, includes a housing which is adapted to be connected to a pipe through which the oil and brine mixture is flowing so that the oil and brine mixture flows through a portion of the housing. A sensor is mounted within the housing so that the sensor is suspended in the flowing oil and brine mixture. The sensor provides a signal corresponding to the percent by volume of water in the oil and brine mixture, even when percent by volume of water is 80% or more, in response to an excitation voltage from a source. Indicating apparatus provides an indication of the percent by volume of the water in the oil and brine mixture in accordance with the signal from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1983
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Roy P. Mazzagatti
  • Patent number: 4364262
    Abstract: A characterization factor monitor samples oil and provides a signal K corresponding to the characterization factor of the oil. Signal K may be used as a control signal or may be displayed by conventional display means to an operator. The monitor includes a refractometer and a flash point analyzer sampling the oil and providing signals RIt and F corresponding to the refractive index of the oil and to the flash point in degrees F of the oil, respectively. A temperature sensor senses the temperature of the oil and provides a signal T representative thereof. An output circuit connected to the refractometer, to the flash point analyzer and to the temperature sensor provides signal K in accordance with signals F, RIt and T.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Woodle, Ronald G. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 4357669
    Abstract: The output oil from a solvent dewaxing unit is controlled so that it is provided as product oil when the wax content of the output oil is within a predetermined limit, or not provided as product oil when the wax content is not within the predetermined limit. The output oil from the dewaxing unit is sampled and solvent in the sample oil is removed. The solvent-free sample oil is chilled to a predetermined temperature. An analyzer receives the chilled sample oil and provides a signal corresponding to the wax content of the sample oil. A network coupled to the analyzer provides a control signal of one amplitude when the signal from the analyzer is within a predetermined limit and of another amplitude when the signal from the analyzer is not within the predetermined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick C. Alverson, Edward D. MacMurtrie, Norman R. Odell
  • Patent number: 4357667
    Abstract: An on-line oil-in-wax monitor includes a sampling device which samples a stream of a liquid wax and oil mixture periodically to provide samples. The wax in each sample is solidified. Sensing apparatus senses the oil in each sample and provides a corresponding sensed oil signal. The oil content of the stream is then indicated in accordance with the sensed oil signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Leonidas Skarlos
  • Patent number: 4354242
    Abstract: A control system controls the temperature of gas oil being charged to a reactor in a hydrotreating unit. The control system includes a heater which heats the gas oil in accordance with a control signal corresponding to a desired temperature. A gravity analyzer senses the API gravity of the gas oil and provides a corresponding signal. A sulfur analyzer senses the sulfur content of the gas oil and provides a representative signal. A boiling point analyzer senses the 50% boiling point temperature, the initial boiling point temperature and the end point temperature of the gas oil and provides corresponding signals. A flow rate sensor provides a signal corresponding to the flow rate of the gas oil entering the heater. A control signal circuit provides the control signal to the heater in accordance with the signals from the gravity analyzer, the sulfur analyzer, the boiling point analyzer and the flow rate sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Charles A. Ganster, Gerald V. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4351649
    Abstract: A control system controls a plurality of gas dehydrators in which each dehydrator has a dessicant bed. The system includes sensors sensing parameters of gas entering and leaving each dehydrator which provide corresponding signals. First valve apparatus connected to each dehydrator receives moist gas. Second valve apparatus connected to each dehydrator provides for a discharging of dehydrated gas from each dehydrator in accordance with control signals. Third valve apparatus connected to each dehydrator receives regeneration gas and provides the regeneration gas to a dehydrator in accordance with control signals. Fourth valve apparatus connected to each dehydrator provides for the discharge of regeneration gas after passage through the dehydrator in accordance with control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Owens, Henry C. Chan, Ooriapadical C. Abraham, Levi C. Parker
  • Patent number: 4349884
    Abstract: A control system controls the temperature of naphtha being charged to a reactor in a hydrotreating unit. The control system includes a heater which heats the naphtha in accordance with a control signal corresponding to a desired temperature. A gravity analyzer senses the API gravity of the naphtha and provides a corresponding signal. A sulfur analyzer senses the sulfur content of the naphtha and provides a representative signal. A boiling point analyzer senses the 50% boiling point temperature, the initial boiling point temperature and the end point temperature of the naphtha and provides corresponding signals. A flow rate sensor provides a signal corresponding to the flow rate of the naphtha entering the heater. A control signal circuit provides the control signal to the heater in accordance with the signals from the gravity analyzer, the sulfur analyzer, the boiling point analyzer and the flow rate sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Charles A. Ganster, Gerald V. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4348671
    Abstract: A dual spectra well logging system includes a well logging tool which is adapted to pass through a bore hole in an earth formation. The well logging tool includes at least two sensors which sense at least one condition of the earth formation and provides corresponding pulse signals. A circuit connected to the sensors provides a combined pulse signal wherein the pulses of the pulse signal from one sensor has one polarity and the pulses of the pulse signal from the other sensor has pulses of an opposite polarity. A circuit applies the combined pulse signal to a well logging cable which conducts the combined pulse signal to the surface of the earth formation. Surface apparatus includes a network connected to the cable which provides control signals in accordance with the polarity of the pulses in the combined pulse signal. A network connected to the cable inverts the combined pulse signal and provides a combined pulse signal and an inverted combined pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1982
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore W. Nussbaum