Abstract: A genetic algorithm method of scheduling the delivery of coal to a series of incoming coal trains is disclosed, where each of the coal trains corresponds to a coal recipient having different premium and penalty rates for energy yield, and possibly also different contaminant specifications. The method is applied to a coal facility having a plurality of bins, where the coal is of varying quality at the various bins, and where the bins are grouped so that loading into trains must be done in succession. According to the disclosed method, a fitness function is generated, with adjustable weighting factors, to combine the premium or penalty revenue with any latency or delay time, as well as moves of the coal loading plow for the series of slots. A randomly selected first generation of assignment sequences are evaluated according to the fitness function, with succeeding generations produced according to genetic techniques, until convergence to the optimum assignment sequence is reached.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting a polished rod of a pumping unit so that the portion of the polished rod that passes out of the top of a stuffing box of a wellhead on the upstroke of the polished rod is protected from the environment surrounding the wellhead. The method and apparatus also assist with containment of well fluids which may escape from the stuffing box.

Abstract: Slurried solids waste materials are disposed of into a preselected subterranean disposal zone by generating radially extending hydraulic fractures from a disposal well and filling the primary fractures with disposal material until screenout is observed or it is determined that the fracture is filled with waste material from monitoring fracture growth and measuring the injected volume of material. The fluid flow rate is allowed to decline to provide relaxation and closure of the fracture at a point between the fracture tip and the injection well and secondary fractures are then created by injecting a fracturing fluid followed by further injection of waste material to fill the secondary fractures. The process is repeated to establish a dendritic array of multiple hydraulic fractures in the disposal zone sufficient to hold a predetermined quantity of waste material.

Abstract: Multiphase fluid flowstreams of gas, oil and water are measured by flowmeters which include an embodiment using a turbine flowmeter and a densitometer with total accuracy in the range of .+-.15%, and an embodiment using a gas-liquid separator and a Coriolis flowmeter for flowstreams of a relatively high gas-to-liquid ratio with accuracies of .+-.5% when the gas carry-over in the liquid flowstream is less than about 5%. A second alternate embodiment includes a water fraction meter, a turbine flowmeter and a densitometer for measuring flows with relatively low gas-to-liquid ratios but accurate measure of the water fraction. A meter capable of handling relatively high gas-to-liquid ratio but with residual gas in the liquid flowstream of less than 5% includes a separator, a Coriolis meter for measuring the liquid density and mass flow rate in the liquid flowstream and a densitometer and turbine flowmeter for measuring the fluid in the gas flowstream leaving the separator.

Abstract: A regulator for controlling the air pressure of compressed air in an air reservoir which serves as a source of motive compressed air for an air driven device is provided. A method is provided for maintaining sufficient operating pressure of a pressurized air supply tank utilized in air driven systems such as a vehicle braking system.

Abstract: Corrosion in well tubing strings, pipe and similar conduits may be determined by a circuit which includes a current sensitive meter and a known voltage source which is placed at selected intervals in the tubing string to make current flow measurements and voltage drop measurements between spaced apart contactors engaged with the tubing string at the selected intervals. The current flow measurements from the known source are used to determine resistance of the measured interval and voltage drop from a second source imposed on the tubing string at the surface is measured at the selected intervals to determine current flow from the second source. The differences in current flow at the selected intervals at a first measurement are compared with the differences in current flow at the same intervals at a later time to indicate any changes in current flow which may be related to corrosion in the tubing string between the intervals of measurement.

Abstract: An apparatus for downhole injection and mixing of fluids into a cement slurry. The apparatus includes embodiments which either carry a fluid to the proper injection point in a wellbore or maintain it at the proper injection point until activated. In a first embodiment, the apparatus is characterized as a cementing plug having a fluid holding chamber therein. When the plug is pumped downwardly in the wellbore, the fluid in the chamber is flowed out of the chamber and mixed with the cement slurry by a venturi effect. In a second embodiment, the apparatus is characterized by a casing portion having a fluid holding chamber therein. A solenoid valve controls communication of the chamber with the well annulus, and fluid flow through the well annulus causes the fluid in the chamber to be flowed outwardly by a venturi effect. The second embodiment includes a casing shoe disposed below the fluid holding chamber.

Abstract: Oil-separation and recovery from marine oil spills is carried out by a system which includes a containment boom, a weir and/or foil type skimmer, a separator unit and a second, fire proof containment boom for receiving separated oil in a closed containment area on the surface of the body of water from which the oil has been recovered and wherein the oil may be combusted. The separator unit uses so-called superabsorbent materials including sheets of non-woven fibers or flakes of materials including sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, acrylonitrile grafted starch absorbents, polyacrylates, copolymers of styrene and maleic anhydride and copolymers of unsaturated monomers and recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer comprising about 20% to about 80% pendant carboxylic acid units and about 80% to about 20% pendant carboxylate salt units blended with a monomer containing at least two hydroxyl groups.

Abstract: Remotely controllable fluid flow control valves are disposed in the main wellbore and branch wellbores of a multiple well. Each flow control valve has a radio frequency range receiver, a controller and an actuator for moving a closure member to a selected position to control fluid flow in the wellbore in which the valve is disposed. A signal transmitter may be conveyed into the main wellbore by an E-line or coilable tubing and radio frequency range electromagnetic wave energy signals may be transmitted to the selected valve to effect fluid flow control within each wellbore of the multiple well. The remotely controllable valves eliminate expensive and difficult procedures associated with reentering branch wells extending from a central or main wellbore.

Abstract: A method for correction of seismic data for taking into account azimuthal anisotropy in the subsurface is described. The data is corrected using an azimuthally anisotropic normal moveout equation, thereby yielding better signal to noise ratio as well as providing valuable information as to the degree and direction of azimuthal anisotropy in the subsurface.

Abstract: A method of reducing fluid loss into a highly conductive formation interval during drilling and completion of a well through such an interval wherein a foamed cement slurry, including an acid or oil soluble component, is injected into the well and forced into the conductive portions of the formation zone, which may comprise a fractured or rubblized formation portion. The cement is allowed to harden or set at a porosity of at least 15%, followed by resuming drilling and, in completing the well, dissolving the soluble component to increase the permeability of or disintegrate the cement to permit production of formation fluids into the well.

Abstract: A method for acidizing a subterranean formation wherein a specific foam is used to block flow through the higher-permeable zones of the formation while the acid is being injected therein. The foam is generated from a surfactant solution comprised of a blend of surfactants comprised of a nonionic primary surfactant (e.g. ethoxylated alcohol or polyglycosides) a cationic co-surfactant (e.g. fluorinated quaternary ammonium chloride). A polymer (e.g. polysaccharides or partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide) may be added to the surfactant solution to enhance the foam mobility reduction and a co-solvent (e.g. polyol) may be added if necessary to maintain the surfactant/polymer complex in solution.

Abstract: A gas-liquid separator system having a control system for controlling and maintaining a "normal" liquid level in the separator vessel. The system is capable of operating without the need for external power (e.g. electric, etc.) or the need for process gas to operate the valves. Also, the system is "fail safe" since the control valves for both the gas and liquid from the vessel will be in an open position if the control system fails. The system has control valve units on both the liquid and the gas outlets of the vessel. Each control valve unit is basically similar in constructon and has a valve element moveable between an open and a closed position by changes in differential pressure across a diaphram. The valve units are connected to the vessel and to each other to sense and response to any changes in the differential pressure between the top and the bottom of the vessel to open or close the respective valves to maintain or to reattain the normal level in the vessel.

Abstract: A method for releasably, acoustically-coupling an acoustical-energy sensor in a wellbore wherein the sensor is lowered in the wellbore and a soluble cement is flowed into the wellbore to completely encompass the sensor. The soluble cement is allowed to harden to physically bond and thereby acoustically couple the sensor to said wellbore. When it is desired to remove the sensors, a solvent is flowed down the wellbore and into contact with the hardened soluble cement to dissolve the soluble cement. The dissolved cement is then circulated out of the well and the sensors removed so that the well is again available for other operations.

Abstract: Multiphase fluid flowstreams may be analyzed to determine to gas fraction of the fluid by defining a zone in a conduit in which the fluid flowstream is caused to vibrate either laterally or longitudinally at a resonant frequency of vibration of the fluid flowstream using a transducer or by causing the fluid to flow through an orifice in the conduit. A vibrating zone within the conduit is delimited by spaced apart ports in the conduit and/or spaced apart grilles which reflect the longitudinal vibrations. Lateral vibrations may be enhanced by causing the flowstream to flow through a rectangular passage in the conduit. Spectral analysis of the vibrating flowstream identifies the resonant frequency of vibration which, together with pressure and temperature measurements may be used in calculating the gas fraction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and measuring gelled material (i.e. gelled pig) as it passes through a tubular by generating ultrasonic pulses at timed intervals which, in turn, are transmitted through said tubular and materials flowing therethrough at a fixed point along said tubular. These pulses are received after they have passed through said tubular and the materials and are processed to identify those pulses which travel through said gelled material as said gelled material passes by said fixed point. From the number of identified pulses, the length of the gelled pig can be determined.

Abstract: The air reactivity of calcined petroleum coke is reduced by maintaining the amount of sodium in at least a portion of the water streams contacting the petroleum coke at a value below about 100 parts per million.

Abstract: A method for generating improved displays of seismic data by processing seismic amplitude versus offset data to correct for overburden effects. Analytic traces are calculated for the zero offset reflectivity, A, trace and the amplitude versus offset slope, B, trace of the AVO data. Statistics for the A and B traces within a selected window in time and common depth point space about a selected sample point are calculated. The statistics include root mean square amplitudes of the A and B traces and the correlation coefficient. Desired statistics are selected and used with the measured statistics to correct the A and B traces.

Abstract: Pressure and temperature signals are transmitted between a predetermined point in a wellbore and the earth's surface by an electromagnetic wave transmitter disposed in the well and connected to a bow-spring centralizer forming one contactor of a dipole and a mandrel or hanger connected to a landing nipple of a tubing string in the well whereby the other conductive path forming the other end of the dipole may be formed by a packer or similar mechanism in conductive engagement with the tubing string and the well casing. The hanger may be a lock mandrel or a suitable conventional downhole tool hanger. The electromagnetic wave transmitter may be deployed in the well and engaged with the casing by spaced-apart magnets to establish the conductive path and the dipole distance.

Abstract: Mine tailings and similar materials are disposed of by replacing the tailings in underground mineworks including the shafts, adits and drifts by forming a slurry of tailings using dredging or similar mixing processes and pumping the slurry to the mineworks. Cementitious materials may be added to selected quantities of the tailings slurries to form cement plugs for placement at selected intervals in the mineworks to minimize connectivity of the mineworks shafting, adits and drifts. The mineworks may be dewatered to provide a source of water for the slurrification process and the water may be reused after separation from the slurry. The disposal process provides a convenient way of replacing mine tailings in a repository of similar mineralogy and at least partially eradicates abandoned mineworks, including shafting, adits and drifts, which otherwise might require continual monitoring and dewatering.