Abstract: A scale inhibition method comprising: (a) injecting a dispersion of seed particles of an insoluble mineral salt in an aqueous medium into a formation through an injection well wherein the seed particles have an equivalent spherical diameter of 100% less than 100 nm, preferably 100% less than 50 nm, more preferably 100% less than 25 nm and the aqueous medium has dissolved therein precipitate precursor ions that form a precipitate of the insoluble mineral salt when contacted with resident ions in the formation; (b) allowing the dispersion to percolate through the subterranean formation towards production well and producing the dispersion from the production well; and (c) controllably precipitating the insoluble mineral salt onto the seed particles so as to reduce the deposition of the insoluble mineral salt onto the walls of the porous formation and/or onto the surface in the production well and/or onto the surface downstream of the production well.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for converting synthesis gas to hydrocarbons, in particular to hydrocarbons in the C5-C60 range particularly suitable for use as liquid motor fuels, in a slurry reactor in the presence of a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising cobalt and zinc oxide wherein the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is activated with a reducing gas consisting of hydrogen and an inert gas at 330 to 400° C. prior to contact with synthesis gas in the slurry reactor.

Abstract: A method and system for estimating reservoir pressure in a hydrocarbon reservoir from downhole pressure measurements of producing wells is disclosed. Pressure measurements are obtained from wells in the production field over time, and communicated to a server that applies the pressure measurements for a well to a model of that well. The server operates the model using the pressure measurements to determine an operating mode of the well, such as producing or shut-in. Upon detection of a change in operating mode indicative of an abrupt change in flow at the well, such as corresponding to a shut-in event, additional downhole pressure measurement data is acquired until a steady-state condition is reached. The pressure measurements are used to determine a reservoir pressure, which is transmitted to a responsible reservoir engineer or other user. Modification of the determined reservoir pressure value by the user can be received, and the stored reservoir pressure and well model are updated accordingly.

Abstract: A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a porous subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising the steps of: a) feeding to at least on reverse osmosis unit of a desalination assembly a high salinity water feed stream having a total dissolved solids content (total salinity) of at least 10,000 ppm; b) driving a portion of the high salinity water feed stream across a membrane in the reverse osmosis unit of the desalination assembly at a pressure above the osmotic pressure of the high salinity water feed stream while excluding at least a portion of the dissolved solids from crossing said membrane to produce a treated low salinity water product stream having a total salinity of less than 5,000 ppm and a concentrated waste brine stream wherein the hydrostatic head exerted by the high salinity water feed stream on the feed side of the membrane provides at least a major component of the pressure required to overcome the osmotic pressure; c) injecting the low salinity water product stream into the hydrocarbon

Abstract: A continuous process for regasifying a feed stream comprising (i) a slurry phase comprising gas hydrate particles suspended in a produced liquid hydrocarbon and optionally free produced water and (ii) optionally a gaseous phase comprising free produced gaseous hydrocarbon thereby generating a regasified multiphase fluid and for separating the regasified multiphase fluid into its component fluids, comprising the steps of: (a) heating the feed stream to above the dissociation temperature of the gas hydrate thereby regasifying the feed stream by converting the gas hydrate particles into gaseous hydrocarbon and water; (b) separating a gaseous hydrocarbon phase from the regasified multiphase fluid thereby forming a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a liquid stream comprising a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon and water; (c) separating the liquid stream comprising a mixture of the liquid hydrocarbon and water into a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase; and (d) removing the liquid hydrocarbon phase as a

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons in the presence of a modified supported Fischer-Tropsch catalyst composition.

Abstract: To perform distributed sensing with an optical fiber using Brillouin scattering, a light pulse is transmitted into the optical fiber, where the transmitted light pulse has a first frequency. Backscattered light and optical local oscillator light are combined, where the backscattered light is received from the optical fiber in response to the transmitted light pulse, and where the optical local oscillator light has a second frequency. A frequency offset is caused to be present between the first frequency of the transmitted light pulse and the second frequency of the optical local oscillator light, where the frequency offset is at least 1 GHz less than a Brillouin frequency shift of the backscattered light. Spectra representing Stokes and anti-Stokes components of the backscattered light are acquired, where the Stokes and anti-Stokes components are separated by a frequency span that is based on the frequency offset.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons in the presence of a modified supporter Fischer-Tropsch catalyst composition.

Abstract: A wellbore fluid comprising a base fluid and a particulate bridging agent comprised of a sparingly water-soluble material selected from the group consisting of melamine(2,4,5-triamino-1,3,5-triazine), lithium carbonate, lithium phosphate (Li3PO4), and magnesium sulfite.

Abstract: A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a porous subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising: (a) feeding a first stream comprising a high salinity water to a first side of a semipermeable membrane of at least one forward osmosis unit of a desalination plant and feeding a second stream comprising an aqueous solution of a removable solute to a second side of the semipermeable membrane wherein the solute concentration of the aqueous solution of the removable solute is sufficiently greater than the solute concentration of the high salinity water that water passes through the semipermeable membrane from the high salinity water into the aqueous solution of the removable solute to form a diluted aqueous solution of the removable solute; (b) withdrawing a third stream comprising a concentrated brine and a fourth stream comprising a diluted aqueous solution of the removable solute from the first and second sides respectively of the semipermeable membrane of the forward osmosis unit; (c) substantially separ

Abstract: A method of reducing formation breakdown during the drilling of a wellbore which method comprises: (a) circulating a drilling mud in the wellbore comprising (i) an aqueous or oil based fluid, (ii) at least one fluid loss additive at a concentration effective to achieve a high temperature high pressure (HTHP) fluid loss from the drilling mud of less than 2 ml/30 minutes and (iii) a solid particulate bridging material having an average particle diameter of 25 to 2000 microns and a concentration of at least 0.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising: (A) injecting down a well bore into the formation an admixture of (a) an emulsion having an internal aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble oil or gas field chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water-dispersible oil or gas field chemical and an external oil phase comprising a liquid hydrocarbon and an oil-soluble surfactant and (b) a demulsifier comprising a solution of a surfactant having a cloud point temperature of above 40° C.; or (B) separately injecting down a well bore into the formation emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) and generating an admixture of emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) within the formation.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising: (A) injecting down a well bore into the formation an admixture of (a) an emulsion having an internal aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble oil or gas field chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water-dispersible oil or gas field chemical and an external oil phase comprising a liquid hydrocarbon and an oil-soluble surfactant and (b) a demulsifier comprising a solution of a surfactant having a cloud point temperature of above 40° C.; or (B) separately injecting down a well bore into the formation emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) and generating an admixture of emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) within the formation.

Abstract: When drilling or completing an oil or gas well, it is often desirable to drill a borehole at an angle to the initial borehole.

Abstract: A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a porous subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising the steps of : a) feeding to at least on reverse osmosis unit of a desalination assembly a high salinity water feed stream having a total dissolved solids content (total salinity) of at least 10,000 ppm; b) driving a portion of the high salinity water feed stream across a membrane in the reverse osmosis unit of the desalination assembly at a pressure above the osmotic pressure of the high salinity water feed stream while excluding at least a portion of the dissolved solids from crossing said membrane to produce a treated low salinity water product stream having a total salinity of less than 5,000 ppm and a concentrated waste brine stream wherein the hydrostatic head exerted by the high salinity water feed stream on the feed side of the membrane provides at least a major component of the pressure required to overcome the osmotic pressure; c) injecting the low salinity water product stream into the hydrocarbo

Abstract: A method of sealing the wall of a wellbore (1) as it is being drilled through a subterranean formation using a drill string (3) having a drill bit (4) on the lower end thereof comprises fitting to the lower end of a drill string (3) a device comprising (i) a cylindrically gathered pack of flexible tubing (6), (ii) a receptacle (5) for the gathered pack and (iii) a radially expandable locking means (8) having a first end of the tubing of the gathered pack connected either directly or indirectly thereto, and drilling a first section of wellbore, expanding the locking means (8) against the wellbore wall such that the first end of the tubing that is withdrawn from the gathered pack is locked in place in the wellbore, drilling a second section of wellbore with the movement of the drill string (3) through the wellbore causing the tubing to be withdrawn from the gathered pack (6) and to be turned inside out thereby forming a liner for the second section of wellbore.

Abstract: The present invention provides an upgraded synthetic gasoline having a true boiling point (TBP) range of between 50° C.-300° C., a sulphur content of less than 1 ppm, a nitrogen content of less than 1 ppm, an aromatics content of between 0.01%-35% by weight, an olefins content of between 0.01%-45%, a benzene content of less than 1.00% by weight, an oxygen content of between 0.5-3.0% by weight, a RON of greater than 80, and a MON of greater than 80. The invention also provides processes for the production of the upgraded synthetic gasoline wherein the synthetic products derived from a Fischer-Tropsch reaction are passed to a cracking reactor to produce a synthetic gasoline stream which is subsequently fractionated and upgraded using an oxygenating reactor, and optionally a combination of an MTBE reactor, a dehydrocyclodimerisation reactor and C5 isomerisation reactor. The upgraded synthetic gasoline is useful as a fuel.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting scale formation in a subterranean formation comprising: (a) injecting a suspension comprising particles of a controlled release scale inhibitor suspended in an aqueous medium into a formation through an injection well wherein the particles have a mean diameter of less than 10 microns, preferably less than 5 microns, more preferably less than 1 micron; (b) allowing the suspension to percolate through the subterranean formation towards a production well; and (c) controllably releasing the scale inhibitor from the particles in the near well bore region of the production well. Suitably, the particles of the controlled release scale inhibitor comprise an esterifiable scale inhibitor cross-linked with a polyol via ester cross-links.

Abstract: A scale inhibition method comprising: (a) injecting a dispersion of seed particles of an insoluble mineral salt in an aqueous medium into a formation through an injection well wherein the seed particles have an equivalent spherical diameter of 100% less than 100 nm, preferably 100% less than 50 nm, more preferably 100% less than 25 nm and the aqueous medium has dissolved therein precipitate precursor ions that form a precipitate of the insoluble mineral salt when contacted with resident ions in the formation; (b) allowing the dispersion to percolate through the subterranean formation towards production well and producing the dispersion from the production well; and (c) controllably precipitating the insoluble mineral salt onto the seed particles so as to reduce the deposition of the insoluble mineral salt onto the walls of the porous formation and/or onto the surface in the production well and/or onto the surface downstream of the production well.

Abstract: A method of introducing an oil field or gas field production chemical into a hydrocarbon-bearing porous subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore comprising: injecting a gelling composition comprising an aqueous liquid, an oil field or gas field production chemical, and a gellable polymer through the wellbore into the porous subterranean formation wherein the gellable polymer forms a gel within the pores of the subterranean formation thereby encapsulating the production chemical in the gel; and controllably releasing the production chemical from the gel into a formation fluid.