Abstract: The present invention provides a process and apparatus for blow spinning continuous fibers. The novel process utilizes a tensioning device to preclude slack in the fiber. The present invention also provides novel fiber products which utilize continuous fibers prepared by a blow spinning process.

Abstract: A process and catalyst are disclosed for the catalytic partial oxidation of light hydrocarbons to produce synthesis gas at superatmospheric pressures. A preferred catalyst used in the process includes a nickel-magnesium oxide solid solution and at least one promoter chosen from Cr, Mn, Mo, W, Sn, Re, Rh, Ru, Ir, Pt, La, Ce, Sm, Yb, Lu, Bi, Sb, In and P, and oxides thereof, carried on a refractory support.

Abstract: A Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising a catalytically active first metal selected from the group consisting of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, and mixtures thereof, at least one second metal selected from the group consisting of silver, iron, zinc, copper, platinum, zirconium and combinations thereof; and a matrix structure comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates and polymethacrylates. The first and second metals are incorporated into the polymer.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement in the preparation of liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas/methane, oxygen and/or steam. In particular, the present invention relates to processes for the production of synthesis gas, reducing the oxygen concentration from the synthesis gas, and the production of liquid hydrocarbons using the oxygen reduced synthesis gas as a feedstock. More particularly, the present invention described herein identifies catalyst compositions, apparatus and methods of using such catalysts and apparatus for preparing liquid hydrocarbons via oxygen reduced synthesis gas all in accordance with the present invention.

Abstract: A method for water removal in hydrocarbon product reactors operating at Fischer-Tropsch conditions. The water removal decreases the concentration of water in the reactor. In one embodiment, a method of reducing the concentration of water in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor containing a water-rich hydrocarbon product includes removing water from the water-rich hydrocarbon product of the reactor by a water removal means so as to form a water-reduced hydrocarbon product and returning that product to the reactor.

Abstract: he present invention provides a process for natural gas in the form, e.g., of stranded gas or associated gas to transportable liquids. More particularly, the present invention provides a process in which the gas is non-oxidatively converted to aromatic liquid, preferably in proximity to the wellhead, which may be onshore or offshore. In one aspect, the present invention provides integration of separation of wellhead fluids into associated gas and crude with blending of the aromatic liquid derived from the gas with the crude. Alternatively, or in combination, in another aspect, the present invention provides integration of conversion of byproduct hydrogen to power with non-oxidative conversion of gas to aromatic liquid.

Abstract: A method for removing organic sulfur compounds from a vent gas is described. Also described is an apparatus for absorbing organic sulfur compounds from vent gas.

Abstract: A seismic processing system and method calculates a coherency estimate for a volume of seismic data to detect edges of seismic events. The method includes selecting a portion of the seismic data volume for analysis, selecting a spatial and temporal position in the subset seismic data volume, selecting a subset of seismic samples around seismic position, placing subset seismic sample volume in a matrix, or calculating cosine of instantaneous phase of subset of seismic samples and placing those samples in a matrix, and calculating a coherency estimate for that matrix. The coherency estimate is calculated using either eigenvalue, maximum likelihood or maximum entropy analysis. The coherency estimate is then written to a coherence seismic volume and another spatial and temporal seismic sample position is selected and the process is repeated until all coherence samples are computed for the seismic data volume. Finally, the coherence seismic data volume can be examined and analyzed for useful information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for water removal in multi-phase reactors operating at Fischer-Tropsch conditions. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of reducing the concentration of water in a multi-phase reactor for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis containing an expanded slurry bed and a water-rich slurry region includes removing a portion of water from the water-rich slurry from a predetermined region in the reactor, removing the water from the water-rich slurry to form a water-reduced slurry, and returning the water-reduced slurry back to the reactor. Preferably the water-rich slurry region is located between ½H to H and ½R to R, where H is the height of the expanded slurry bed and R is the radius of the expanded slurry bed.

Abstract: The present invention includes an integrated process for the production of carbon filaments, comprising converting a portion of hydrocarbons to alkenes via oxidative dehydrogenation and further converting a portion of the alkenes to carbon filaments via contact with a metal catalyst. A portion of unconverted hydrocarbons remaining after oxidative dehydrogenation may also be further converted to carbon filaments via contact with the metal catalyst. The conversion of hydrocarbons to alkenes via oxidative dehydrogenation and further conversion of the alkenes and unconverted hydrocarbons to carbon filaments via contact with a metal catalyst may be carried out in the same or separate reactor vessels. A plurality of reactor vessels arranged in parallel may be used for the conversion of the alkenes and unconverted hydrocarbons to carbon filaments.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing the maximum water concentration in multi-phase reactors operating at Fischer-Tropsch conditions. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of reducing the maximum concentration of water in a multi-phase reactor containing an expanded slurry bed and a water-rich slurry region for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis includes changing the flow structure of a predetermined region in the reactor. The flow structure may be changed by introducing a mixing enhancing fluid into the predetermined region, installing baffles into the predetermined region, or by other methods known in the art. Preferably the predetermined region is located between ½ H and H and between ½ R and R, where H is the height of the expanded slurry bed and R is the radius of the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention teaches a method for increasing the cobalt surface area per gram of catalyst in a cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, supported on a silica-based carrier material, by using cobalt amine carbonate precursors. A Fischer-Tropsch catalyst preferably includes a catalytically active first metal containing cobalt, and a carrier material containing silica or a silica compound with a cobalt surface area greater than 13 m2/g catalyst. The catalyst active in the FT reaction has a minimum alpha value of 0.87 and a CO conversion of 24 wt % or more. In accordance with another preferred embodiment, a process for producing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst includes saturating silica or silica compounds with a solution of cobalt amine carbonate, removing the excess solution by filtration, heating the resulting product in order to allow cobalt hydroxycarbonate to precipitate, and drying and calcining the resulting product. Optionally the calcined product is reduced.

Abstract: Catalysts comprising promoted cobalt-chromium oxide disposed on a lanthanide coated refractory support that are active for catalyzing the net partial oxidation of methane or natural gas to products containing CO and H2 are disclosed, along with short contact time processes employing the new catalysts for producing synthesis gas. Preferred promoters are rhodium and cerium, and a preferred lanthanide coating material is ytterbium.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons by the Fischer-Tropsch process is provided in which a cobalt-containing catalyst is supported on a modified zirconia support selected from among silica-zirconia, tungstated zirconia, and sulfated zirconia. The catalyst shows improved performance of up to 70% in the Fischer-Tropsch reaction as compared to a corresponding catalyst supported on unmodified zirconia.

Abstract: Three substantially parallel surfaces are selected in a 3-D data volume and values of a seismic attribute on each of the three surfaces are encoded onto a Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color scale. A single display of this encoded data makes it possible to get a visualization of and interpret subtle structural and stratigraphic features of the 3-D data volume. The displayed seismic attribute may be the amplitude or one of many commonly used attributes. The 3-D data volume may be defined in terms of seismic times or in terms of seismic depths.

Abstract: Combustion dispersed metal-metal oxide catalysts that are highly active for catalyzing the net partial oxidation of methane to CO and H2 are disclosed, along with their manner of making and processes for producing synthesis gas employing the new catalysts. A preferred catalyst comprises rhodium nanoparticles, with or without a rare earth promoter, that is deposited on &agr;-alumina by combusting a mixture of catalyst precursor materials and a flammable organic compound. In a preferred syngas production process a stream of reactant gas mixture containing methane and O2 is passed over the catalyst in a short contact time reactor to efficiently produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen at superatmospheric pressures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a hydrocarbon and oxygen containing gas feed stream to a product stream, such as syngas, including catalytically partially oxidizing the hydrocarbon feed stream over a catalyst bed. The catalyst bed has a downstream section which is less resistant to flow than the upstream section.

Abstract: The present invention features a system and method for circulating catalyst between a reactor system and a regenerator system. A circulating catalyst system includes a reactor system, a regenerator system, and a distribution unit. The reactor system and regenerator system are adapted to exchange catalyst. The regeneration system preferably includes a regeneration zone adapted for the contact of catalyst with a regeneration gas. The system and method are adapted so that more than one regeneration gas may contact catalyst. The distribution unit is adapted to control the percentage of catalyst contacting each regeneration gas. Thus, the distribution unit is adapted to select the percentages so as to maintain the reactor system and regeneration system under a heat balance regime. Heat is preferably transferred from the regenerator system to the reactor system by an exchange of catalyst.

Abstract: A method of designing and applying filters for geophysical time series data comprising obtaining a plurality of spatially related geophysical time series and transforming the time series using a wavelet transformation. The wavelet transformation coefficients may be organized into a plurality of subband traces. The method includes modifying one or more transform coefficients within a plurality of the subband traces or within all but one of the subbands of traces and then inverting the subband traces using an inverse transform to produce a filtered version of the transformed portion of the geophysical time series. The method allows for design and analysis of non-stationary filters and filter parameters in untransformed data space. Non-stationary signals may be filtered in all or in windowed portions of the geophysical time series data.

Abstract: The present system may be used to hydroprocess heavy crude oil at the wellhead, effectively lowering the viscosity and removing contaminants such as sulfur, nitrogen and metal contents. The hydrogen source for hydroprocessing is the separated hydrogen product from the methane produced from a syngas plant.