Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the results of a seismic survey according to well log data obtained from wells within the survey region is disclosed. The disclosed method operates on one seismic horizon at a time, and first applies well log data, arranged by location of the wells in the survey region, to the seismic survey. Deviation values are calculated for each well location, as a signed difference between the actual depth data for the geological interface and a deduced horizon depth from the seismic survey. A difference function is evaluated for each survey point to be adjusted in the survey region (ranging from a single point to all survey points), preferably as a weighted average of the deviations at the wells, where the weighting is inversely related to the distance of the well from the survey point under adjustment.

Abstract: Carbon steel surfaces, particularly inside wall surfaces of steel pipelines, are treated with an organosilane coupling agent to improve the adhesion of epoxy, vinyl ester and similar polymer-type protective coatings to the surface. The organosilane coupling agent is applied to a cleaned steel surface in an aqueous and/or alcohol solution, the surface is dried to allow the organosilane to cure and the protective coating is then applied to the surface. Steel pipelines are coated in situ by cleaning the interior of the pipeline with hydrochloric acid, fresh water and a passivation agent such as phosphoric acid followed by pumping a slug of the organosilane coupling agent, in solution, through the pipeline between spaced apart pigs. The coupling agent is dried and a polymer coating is then applied by pumping a slug of the coating through the pipeline, also between two spaced apart pigs.

Abstract: A rotary coke cooling drum is formed of plural opposed folded plates welded together and having spaced apart openings for receiving an array of tubular cooling pockets which are separately formed and are insertable in the openings to provide heat transfer surfaces and auger flights for traversing material through the drum. The cooling pockets are formed by opposed trapezoidal shaped plate members which are welded to each other along mating edges leaving one end of the cooling pocket substantially open and the opposite end is closed over a major portion by an end cap and a short section of drain conduit adapted to project through the wall of the drum shell. The cooling pockets may each have a locating and mounting flange or doubler plate secured at the open end of the pockets and adapted to be welded to the wall of the drum shell. The pockets are easily inserted in and removed from the drum shell for repair or replacement as needed.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the production of petroleum from a petroleum-bearing subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore is accomplished by (a) fracturing the subterranean formation and injecting a conductive proppant into the fracture, the conductive proppant comprising particles which are at least partially coated with a heat hardenable, conductive resin to create a fluidly and electrically conductive fracture in the formation; (b) passing an electrical current into the formation through the wellbore to heat the formation and harden the conductive resin thereby at least partially aggregating the particles and retaining the particles in the fracture and heating the fracture and the subterranean formation in the vicinity of the fracture.

Abstract: Fractures are initiated or extended into fluid producing earth formations from a well by providing a reservoir of high pressure gas at the earth's surface together with a flow control valve or a frangible closure, such as a shear disk, interposed in a conduit connecting the reservoir to the well. The well is precharged with high pressure gas at a pressure less than or about the same as the reservoir gas pressure. Fracture initiation and/or extension may be carried out by firing the perforation gun and opening the flow control valve between the reservoir and the wellhead in timed relation or by allowing a pressure drop across a shear disk interposed between the reservoir and the wellhead to effect rupture of the shear disk to release the reservoir charge.

Abstract: Perforations and other openings in well casings, liners and other conduits may be substantially blocked or sealed to prevent fluid flow between the casing or liner interior and an earth formation by placing a radially expansible sleeve adjacent the perforations or openings and urging the sleeve into forcible engagement with the casing or inner wall using an explosive charge. An apparatus including a radially contracted sleeve formed by a coiled plate member or a tubular member having flutes defined by external and internal folds, may be deployed into a well casing or liner through a production or injection tubing string and on the end of a flexible cable or coilable tubing. An explosive charge disposed on the apparatus and within the sleeve may be detonated to urge the sleeve into forcible engagement with the casing inner wall.

Abstract: A method of generating a two-dimensional pore pressure gradient and fracture gradient cross section from seismic survey data is disclosed. In general, the method includes generation of a two-dimensional overburden gradient cross section and a two-dimensional normal compaction trend line cross section. The two-dimensional overburden gradient and normal compaction trend line cross sections are preferably generated by extrapolating the overburden gradient and normal compaction trend lines at an existing offset well, after correlating seismic interval transit times to the density and well log data at the offset well location. Once the two-dimensional overburden gradient cross section and two-dimensional normal compaction trend line cross section are generated, the Eaton method is applied at each of the common depth points of interest to produce a two-dimensional pore pressure gradient cross section, at least at certain common depth points of interest.

Abstract: A training idler assembly for use with a conveyor belt which quickly responses to mis-tracking of the belt to thereby return the belt to its centered position. The idler roller is rigged through cables to hinged guide rollers which engage either side of the conveyor belt so that when the belt tracks either to the right or to the left, the respective guide roller actuates the appropriate cable to cause the idler roller to rotate about a vertical axis which, in turn, causes the belt to track back towards its center position on the idler roller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing an array of sensors in a wellbore wherein the sensors are incorporated into the lower end of a transmission cable which, in turn, is used to lower the array into the wellbore. A load-bearing cable is simultaneously run into the wellbore side-by-side with the transmission cable and the two cables are clamped together at spaced intervals whereby a substantial portion of the tensile forces in the transmission cable is transferred to the load-bearing cable.

Abstract: Fluid transmission pipelines and similar structures which are cathodically protected from electrolytic corrosion and are disposed in urban areas under pavements and other structures which prevent access to the soil for verifying pipe-to-soil potentials are subjected to pipe-to-soil potential measurements using a reference electrode disposed in a container which has a permeable bottom and which is capable of saturating a pavement layer with a brine electrolyte to provide electrical conductivity between the reference electrode and the soil. Validation of electrical conductivity is made by a second reference electrode of a dissimilar metal which is also disposed in a container having a permeable bottom and an electrolyte which permeates the pavement layer and establishes electrical conductivity between the soil and the second reference electrode. Potential measurements between the first and second electrodes validate ion transport between the soil and the first reference electrode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for training and certifying a user to perform a task. The system includes an input device, output device and a controller. The controller receives input data from the input device and controls the output displayed on the output device. A supervisor interprets the input data, determines the control data to be sent to the output device and determines log data to be sent to a data storage. A comparator determines if certain log data meets or exceeds a preset limit data to determine certifiability of a user. The system presents a user with a pretest, a module containing instructions, information about a certain portion of the task to be performed, as well as mini-simulations and a variety of questions. A full simulation is presented to the user to apply everything that was learned by the user during that certain module. The system then presents a post-test and, through the comparator, determines if the user is certifiable.

Abstract: A method for determining the approximately length and the azimuth of a hydraulic fracture after it has been formed in a subterranean formation without requiring the use of dedicated monitor wells or the need for positioning sensors at subsurface locations. Basically, the present method involves the comparison of routine, seismic surveys carried out at the surface before and after the fracture is formed to thereby determine the approximate length and azimuth of the fracture.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon fluid production wells and similar process flowstreams have a spiral baffle-type separator interposed in a surface flowline for separating fluids of different densities, such as gas from oil or gas from oil and from water, for example. Particulate solids may also be separated from the fluid flowstream. The separator includes a spiral baffle of single or multiple diameters interposed in an elongated cylindrical casing connected at its opposite ends to suitable fittings whereby the separator may be connected to conventional fluid flowlines on the surface just downstream of a wellhead or otherwise in a process flowstream. Multiple spiral baffle separators may be connected in series to provide multiple stages for separation of fluids of different densities. The separator is particularly compact, mechanically uncomplicated and may be easily adapted to be interposed in well production fluid flowlines or conduits for process flowstreams.

Abstract: A method of determining a reference seismic velocity model that includes lateral and vertical variations in a stratified subterranean medium is disclosed. The invention recognizes that each unknown prestack traveltime curve may be expressed as the sum of a best fit hyperbola and a non-hyperbolic perturbation term. After the best fit hyperbola has been determined and used to correct the traces for normal moveout (NMO), the non-hyperbolic perturbation term is solved for using a simulated annealing technique. In addition, the problem of topologically representing a subsurface having complicated horizon geometries is bypassed by assuming a smooth and continuous, rather than a layered and discontinuous, velocity model. This assumption facilitates raytracing and in most cases, results in a model that more accurately represents the velocity function. Error minimization during model updates is achieved by solving a linear system of equations subject to a set of constraint equations.

Abstract: A method for mitigating slugs in pipelines carrying multiphase mixtures of gas and liquid by adding a quantity of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alcohols, polyglycosides and alpha olefin sulfonates to the multiphase mixture in the pipeline. After addition of a quantity of surfactant, a determination is made as to whether the quantity of surfactant added is sufficient to mitigate the slugs, and thereafter adjusting the quantity of surfactant added to an amount sufficient to mitigate the slugs.

Abstract: A standoff insulator and support for an elongated power cable disposed adjacent to a fluid conducting tubing string for a fluid production well utilizing an electric submersible pump connected to the tubing string. The pump power cable is held in a standoff, thermally insulated position from the tubing string by an elastomer insulator body having opposed concave surfaces engageable with the power cable and the tubing string and a flexible strap trained through a slot along one side of the insulator and through a channel on the opposite side of the insulator. The strap includes a buckle for receiving a distal end of the strap whereby the strap is tensioned and secured to clamp the insulator between the power cable and the tubing string using strap tensioning and crimping tools, respectively.

Abstract: A method and system for using sonography to image the internal structure of geophysical and geologic models are disclosed. The sonography system includes a wand having a plurality of piezoelectric elements at an active surface thereof, each coupled to driver/receiver circuitry. Certain of the piezoelectric elements are selected as ultrasonic sources and receivers; the source/receiver designation may vary over time, as each of the elements may either generate or receive acoustic energy. A computer system, connected to the wand, receives signals from the receivers corresponding to reflected and refracted ultrasonic energy, and generates a zero offset trace image therefrom. In the geophysical case, the scale model is formed of materials such as plastics and rubbers having the desired properties for simulating the response of a portion or layer in the earth to ultrasonic vibrations.

Abstract: A method of locating thin bed hydrocarbon reserves in laminated subterranean formations comprising thin beds. The method comprised of drilling a well penetrating the subterranean formations, measuring the parallel and perpendicular resistivity across multiple thin beds, and locating regions of the thin beds where the perpendicular resistivity is substantially greater than the parallel resistivity.

Abstract: Liquid slug flow in oil production well flowlines and the like is controlled by a throttling valve in the flowline upstream of a gas-liquid separator and a differential pressure gauge, densitometer or other device for measuring the presence and the volume of the slug in the flowline. The throttling valve may be actuated to throttle fluid flow into the separator in relation to the presence of the slug and the duration of the slug as determined by the slug detection device. Slug mitigation may also be controlled by throttling flow into the separator in relation to the level of liquid in the separator between a threshold level and a maximum liquid level. A third method for mitigating slug flow measures the available volume in the separator vessel and the volume of the liquid slug moving toward the separator vessel to effect proportional throttling of fluid flow. A liquid slug may be detected by a differential pressure gauge or a densitometer interposed in the flowline upstream of the throttling valve.

Abstract: A method for injecting fluid, such as an accelerator, into a wellbore comprises storing the fluid in a reservoir, locating the reservoir downhole in the wellbore, and then transferring the fluid from the reservoir into the wellbore. More particularly, one embodiment of the method comprises storing the fluid in a reservoir in a plug, pumping the plug down casing in a wellbore, and transferring the fluid at the bottom of the wellbore via a venturi effect. Another embodiment of the method comprises storing the fluid in a reservoir integrated into the wall of a portion of casing, setting the casing in the wellbore, and then transferring the fluid via a venturi effect from the reservoir into the annulus defined between the casing and the wellbore.