Abstract: Water injection wells are fractured by a proppant-laden fracturing fluid to create a propped fracture and wherein the proppant-laden fluid is followed by injection of a substantially proppant-free fluid so that the near wellbore portion of the fracture is free of proppant to minimize pressure drop during water injection and to produce higher injection rates for a given injection pressure. The fracture treatment may include the use of viscous fracturing and displacement fluids which are degraded by the injection of acid-bearing fluids at the end of the fracture treatment cycle. Stimulation or displacement liquid (water) injection may commence immediately after the fracture treatment and may be alternated with miscible gas injection.

Abstract: A tool which is capable of measuring parameters of a multi-phase flowstream without substantially restricting the flow in the wellbore is disclosed. The tool is comprised of a plurality of extendable arms which are radially spaced around and pivotably mounted in a housing so that each arm is extendable from the housing into the flowstream in the wellbore. Various types of sensors, e.g. flow sensors, capacitance sensors, temperature sensors, etc., can be used either alone or in combination which are carried at or near the outer ends of each of the arms whereby the sensors will be deployed from the housing into the flowstream by the arms without substantially restricting the flowstream through the wellbore.

Abstract: A method of seismic exploration is disclosed wherein a signal recording obtained from subsurface geophone receivers placed below the weathered layer is used to characterize the waveform of the downgoing signal generated in the earth by a surface seismic source. The reflections of the source signal measured at the earth's surface at a point remote from this source are then deconvolved with an operator derived from the subsurface waveform in order to eliminate or compensate for the filtering effect of the weathered layer. Successive measurements of the downgoing source signal are taken at the earth's surface as the source is advanced along a seismic line. One of such surface signals can be combined with the subsurface signal recording in order to derive a transfer function indicative of such filtering effect for the intervening weathered layer.

Abstract: An improved fractionating process is provided wherein a liquid stream is withdrawn from the separation zone of the fractionator, is cooled and is recycled to the fractionator at a location below the location of withdrawal of the liquid stream. An improved fractionator is provided which comprises a withdrawal point from which a liquid stream is withdrawn, a cooler to cool the withdrawn stream and a means for recycling the withdrawn stream to a point below the withdrawal point.

Abstract: Marker dyes are detected in aged and dirty or "brown" gasolines by passing a sample of gasoline through plural solid phase extraction columns including a first column having a strong anion exchange phase bonded to a silica substrate. A color-forming reagent is added to the first column after elution of the gasoline sample therethrough. The marker dye colored complex and colored bodies not retained on the first column are eluted into a nonpolar solid phase extraction column with methane-sulfonic acid and the marker dye colored complex is eluted through the second column and into and through a third column containing unbonded silica. The color bodies of the gasoline will remain on the columns and the marker dye will be detectable at the bottom of the third column as evidenced by a pink color for marker dyes such as Morton International Mortrace MP marker dye and the like.

Abstract: The concentration of detergent additives and the like in motor gasoline and similar liquid petroleum fuels is measured by evaporating a sample of the fuel and passing the sample through a light-scattering detector to measure the concentration of unevaporated particles of high molecular-weight, low volatility material present in the additive concentrate. A gasoline sample may be passed through the detector by a transport medium comprising one of heptane and iso-octane. Photo detector signals generated by the additive-containing sample are compared with signals detected with samples not containing any additive. The sample and the transport medium are condensed after analysis. The method is fast, does not require venting of volatile hydrocarbon fluids to atmosphere and may be carried out using a minimal quantity of fuel product as the sample.

Abstract: Systems for determining the gas compression exponent, k, and the compressibility factor, Z, include a chamber which may be reduced in volume while the pressure, temperature and volume changes are recorded. The system for determining compressibility factor includes a temperature controller and heat exchanger which varies the temperature in the chamber after a compression process or while holding the volume of the chamber constant during multiple temperature changes. Values of pressure, temperature and volume are measured at all conditions. The compression exponent is measured by extrapolating a curve of pressure versus time while allowing the temperature of the gas to decay from heat exchange with the structure forming the chamber.

Abstract: Liquid storage tank level sensing gauge floats may be retrieved from within the tank without entry of personnel into the tank by a device comprising spaced apart pairs of pivotally-supported hook members which are engagable with guide arms or other support members of the float, upon lowering the device into the storage tank, whereby the float is grappled by the retrieval device for retrieval to the roof or top of the tank from outside the tank. The opposed pairs of hook members may be retained on a support rod by retaining collars which have slots for engagement with float guide rods or cables to further control the path of movement of the device during retrieval operations.

Abstract: Under-balanced or potential fluid cross-flow conditions in a wellbore are minimized during installation of an auger-type gravel pack screen by placing a quantity of fine salt, calcium carbonate paste, a fluid loss control gel or sand within the interior space of the screen liner so that the material will form a substantially impermeable barrier on the liner, the gravel packing or the face of the formation during or after installation of the screen to minimize fluid flow in wells which have a relatively high pressure gradient. The material may be removed at will by circulation of a dissolving liquid such as fresh or unsaturated water or mechanical removal of insoluble material such as sand.

Abstract: Seismic data is combined with well log data to generate a two-dimensional geopressure prediction display; this permits deviated and horizontal well planning plus lithology detection. Shale fraction analysis, compaction trend, and seismic velocity may be automatically or interactively generated on a computer work station with graphics displays to avoid anomalous results. Corrections to velocity predictions by check shots or VSP, and translation of trend curves for laterally offset areas increases accuracy of the geopressure predictions. Multiple wells' logs in a basin permits analysis fluid migrations.

Abstract: There is provided a transient electromagnetic method and apparatus for inspecting objects using moving sensors. The apparatus includes a sensing portion, which has a transmitting antenna and at least one receiving antenna thereon. The sensing portion is located adjacent to the object which is to be inspected such that the antennas are adjacent to the object. The sensing portion is moved along the object at the same time the transmitting antenna is inducing current in the wall and the receiving antenna is producing a received signal of the induced current diffusion in the wall. Because the antennas are moving during data acquisition, the speed of inspection is increased. The data is then interpreted to determine the thickness of the object.

Abstract: A method of feeding to a fractionator a feed mixture comprising a wide-boiling range vapor-liquid mixture is provided. Also, provided is a fractionator feed section adapted to receive a two phase feed mixture. Furthermore, this invention provides a fractionator that has operational stability when fed a feed mixture which generates significant volume of vapor in the feed section. A feed nozzle (112) may introduce a mixed liquid and gas feed downwardly between converging baffles (102,104) into a mixing zone (110) above a seal pan (106), and trough means (114,116) may introduce liquid reflux to the mixing zone.

Abstract: A method for determining the concentration of a tracer, e.g. nitrogen-bearing marker dye, in a hydrocarbon liquid, e.g. gasoline. In the present method, a sample of the marked hydrocarbon liquid which is to be analyzied is prepared by adding a known volume of a nitrogen-bearing, "internal standard" thereto. The sample is then heated, preferably in a gas chromatograph, to vaporize, separate, and measure the dye and the internal standard. These measurements provide a ratio which is matched or compared to a predetermined, reference ratio which, in turn, is representative of a known concentration of the dye in the sampled hydrocarbon.

Abstract: Slurried solid waste materials are injected into subterranean earth formations in a zone of interest which has a relatively low in situ compressive stress bounded by zones of higher in situ compressive stress and wherein the zone of interest has alternate layers of material of relatively high and low permeability to fluid flow, respectively. The solid waste slurry is conducted through an injection well penetrating the zone of interest to form a conventional two-winged hydraulic fracture. The fracture is extended by reducing the tendency to form filtercake in the fracture adjacent to the layers of material of relatively low permeability while depositing particle filtercake adjacent the earth layers of high permeability so as to provide clear fluid flowpaths through the fracture while allowing the filtercake layers disposed in the fracture to assist in propping the fracture open until adequate lateral extension of the fracture and disposal of the waste material is accomplished.

Abstract: Multiphase (gas and two liquid phases) fluid flowstreams are measured to determine the total flow rate, fluid density, the fraction of gas, and one liquid in the total liquid mixture by passing the flowstream through a Ceriolis flow meter (16, 40), a densimeter (12) and a meter (14) which measures the fraction of one liquid in the two liquid mixture. The total fluid flow rate may be measured by a single tube flow meter (40) having adjacent loops which provide tube legs (49, 51) positioned adjacent each other and vibrated laterally at a predetermined frequency and amplitude while measuring pressures in the contraflowing streams in the adjacent tube legs. The density and gas fraction of the flowstream may be determined by vibrating a tube containing the flowstream over a range of frequencies and measuring the phase angle and amplitude of the fluctuating fluid pressures compared with acceleration of the tube to determine the sloshing natural frequency of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: A whipstock adapted for insertion into a wellbore through a tubing string having a smaller diameter than the wellbore casing or the open hole portion of the wellbore includes a setting mechanism comprising extendable legs which engage the wellbore wall to bias the whipstock into a position of inclination of the whipstock guide surface relative to the wellbore axis. The setting mechanism includes an actuating rod which may be actuated by a conventional downhole tool setting device to extend and retain the legs in their extended position. Cooperating ratchet means and tensionable couplings on the setting mechanism including a frangible coupling part permit actuation of the whipstock to its set position and retrieval of the setting device. The whipstock is releasable from the setting device by an adaptor having cooperating ball keys engageable with an adaptor actuating shaft and the upper end of the whipstock body.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for dewatering a recovered oil stream prior to the recovered oil stream being fed to a fractionator for reprocessing into product s rea s uses a blowdown drum controlled like a drstillatron tower so that the bottoms temperature of the blowdown drum is maintained at a temperature above the dewpoint temperature of the water in the blowdown drum by a reboiler. For refineries that contain a delayed coker unit and a coker fractionator which is used for fractionating light products from residual oil serving as coker feedstock, which coker fractionator is also used to fractionate recovered oil containing water and hydrocarbons, a coker blowdown drum is controlled to maintain an appropriate bottoms temperature to achieve separation in the blowdown drum of water from the hydrocarbons in the recovered oil stream, and the blowdown drum is thus used for dewatering the recovered oil before it is fed to the coker fractionator.

Abstract: A system is provided for communicating high bandwidth data from a remotely operated semi-submersible vehicle to a mothership surface vessel. The data transmitted from the remotely operated vehicle is blocked and coded to improve the accuracy of the transmission. The remotely operated vehicle contains a large buffer for temporarily storing hydrophone data until it has been transmitted and acknowledged by the mothership. Each transmitted block is acknowledged by the mothership when it has been correctly received. Incorrect or missing acknowledgment signals indicate that some type of interference or outage has occurred in the communications channel. In such an event, the remotely operated vehicle can continually resend the recently transmitted data until receipt of correct acknowledgment signals indicates that the communications channel has been restored.

Abstract: A dispersant for drilling fluids, spacer fluids, completion fluids, cement slurries and mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries used for drilling and cementing subterranean wells.

Abstract: The compressibility coefficient of liquid compositions in a liquid mixture are measured with a system comprising a separator vessel and a vessel forming a closable variable volume chamber. A quantity of liquid mixture is trapped in the chamber and the volume is reduced while measuring the pressure increase to determine the compressibility coefficient of a quantity of the liquid mixture. An incremental volume of one of the liquid component compositions is added to the liquid mixture in the chamber and the compressibility coefficient of the new liquid mixture is measured to determine the compressibility coefficient of the liquid component of the incremental volume. The compressibility factor of gas in the liquid mixture may also be determined by compressing a quantity of the gas and fitting a polynomial equation to the pressure-volume relationship.