Patents Represented by Attorney Stephen P. Koch
  • Patent number: 6852215
    Abstract: A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon in which an oxygen source and a hydrogen source are ignited and the resulting synthetic gas is used to initiate a predominantly gas phase heavy oil upgrade reaction. The upgrade reaction is quenched with an additional source of un-upgraded hydrocarbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Michael Y. Wen, Eric D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6662111
    Abstract: A method of calculating reflection curvature in a seismic data volume wherein an apparent dip value is calculated in a first direction to generate a first apparent dip volume. A horizontal gradient is calculated in the first direction in the first apparent dip volume using a specified length scale to generate a first curvature volume. The process may be repeated one or more times, and the individual curvature volumes combined to generate a combined curvature volume for the seismic data volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Brian P. West, Steven R. May, Dominique Gillard, John E. Eastwood, Michael D. Gross, Thomas J. Frantes
  • Patent number: 5742560
    Abstract: A method for producing seismic images from seismic data obtained from two different datums. Traveltimes between the two datums are determined from either measurements or an assumed velocity field. An extrapolation of the data to simulated source and receiver locations is carried out using any form of the wave equation which does not require velocity field information. After extrapolation, the data at the simulated source and receiver locations is processed using standard seismic imaging techniques. The method can be applied to simulate borehole, crosshole, or multi-borehole seismic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Jerome R. Krebs
  • Patent number: 5704713
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multivariate method of inverting paleothermometer and age indicator data to derive the temperature history of rocks. The method uses kinetic models of geologic material transformations and a simple but flexible representation of bed temperature history to invert the paleothermometer data. The method inverts the data by employing a genetic algorithm computation and kinetic model S. The result is a family of temperature histories which more accurately and more completely characterize temperature histories consistent with the rock samples than is possible by prior art methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Chul-Sung Kim, William S. Clendenen, Christopher S. Tapscott, William R. James, William G. Powell
  • Patent number: 5640368
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for efficiently and accurately determining subsurface velocities for use in migration of seismic data. The method calls for restricting the number of traces considered to those lying upon that portion of the Kirchhoff summation curve wherein the integrand for Kirchhoff migration is smooth. In the preferred embodiment, only a random sample of traces within this aperture are used in the calculations. Improvements in efficiency on the order of a factor of 1000 can be realized with the preferred embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Jerome R. Krebs
  • Patent number: 5596548
    Abstract: A method for producing seismic images from seismic data obtained from two different datums. Traveltimes between the two datums are determined from either measurements or an assumed velocity field. An extrapolation of the data to simulated source and receiver locations is carried out using any form of the wave equation which does not require velocity field information. After extrapolation, the data at the simulated source and receiver locations is processed using standard seismic imaging techniques. The method can be applied to simulate borehole, crosshole, or multi-borehole seismic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Jerome R. Krebs
  • Patent number: 5587942
    Abstract: A method for three dimensional migration of a two dimensional grid of seismic data. The method involves computation of three dimensional time-dip functions at the intersections of lines in the grid. Inverse raytracing is used to correctly position the reflection events in the three dimensional volume encompassed by the grid. Migration of the seismic data is performed onto image surfaces defined from the correctly positioned reflection events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Jerome R. Krebs
  • Patent number: 5504678
    Abstract: A method of processing geophysical data on a parallel processor. The method involves decomposition of an analysis cube into depth slices, a second decomposition of a data acquisition cube into traveltime slices, and determination of a variably dimensioned analysis aperture. Precomputed traveltimes are stored in packed format to minimize storage volume and data bandwidths. A processing simulation is performed to optimize the stored sequence of the seismic trace data and to minimize traveltime field input/output demands. The method preferably assigns input/output, analysis, or control tasks to each processor, with depth and traveltime slices assigned to each analysis processor. The method relies on staged access of traveltime fields from high speed mass storage to disk storage and via the input/output processors to analysis processor memory. Seismic trace data are also staged, preferably from tape storage to disk storage to processor memory, and preferably are broadcast under the control of a host computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: James W. Juszczak, Dennis E. Willen, Charles A. Rendleman