Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for containing particulate material e.g.: spent catalyst when evacuating an industrial reactor vessel used in hydrocarbon processing. A containment bag (3) is provided one end of which is located adjacent the wall of the reactor housing (1) about an outlet (2) thereof. The bag (3) has a panel defining side walls (4, 5), and a top wall (6) and an end panel (7) and assumes a generally cuboid shape when inflated in use. A barrier wall (22) may be constructed in the vicinity of the outlet (2) to provide additional containment. In one embodiment, a vent outlet G is defined in the region adjacent the vessel outlet to permit venting of steam and air whilst discharged particulate material is contained within the bag.

Abstract: Fluid flow friction loss of a hydrocarbon liquid is improved by adding a small amount of a copolymer of divinylbenzene and a linear alpha-olefin or a copolymer of vinyl siloxane and a linear alpha-olefin to the liquid hydrocarbon. A preferred catalyst for producing these materials is also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a friction reducing device for an elongate member. The device comprises a friction reducing sleeve removably positionable on a first longitudinal segment of the elongate member. The present invention also provides a method of inserting an elongate assembly into the ground. The method comprises the step of incorporating the inventive friction reducing device in the elongate assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for rapidly and efficiently generating traveltime tables from complex velocity models for application in depth migration. Initially, a velocity model is received which may include a plurality of velocities with various subsurface reflectors or boundaries. The model is plotted with the boundaries defining closed area cells within the model, with the cells having given velocity structures. The outside of each cell, or the cell wall, is made up of a series of segments. In the first basic step, traveltimes are computed from a preselected source location to each sample point on each segment. In this step, the order of processing all the cells is important. Therefore, the present method proceeds from those cells that are closest to the source location first to those cells that are further away in an expanding wave front from the source location.

Abstract: This invention relates to low melting solvated mesophase pitches which are suitable for spinning into carbon fibers. The solvated mesophase pitches have a lower melting point than conventional mesophase pitch but remain substantially anisotropic. The solvated mesophase can be produced as an intermediate during solvent fractionation or supercritical solvent fractionation of mesogen-containing isotropic pitches. The process is enhanced through the ability to recover pseudomesogens with an increased average molecular weight which, in combination with the solvent content, provides a fusible mesophase capable of being spun directly into infusible oriented anisotropic carbon fibers.

Abstract: Ball sealers for flowing into casing perforation holes in a wellbore to selectively seal off those perforations receiving a disproportionately large amount of well treatment fluid being injected through the perforations. The ball sealers (22) are comprised of a spherical outer deformable shell (42) defining a central core portion filled with nondeformable particulate matter (46) which is sized small enough to flow with the shape of the deformable outer shell (42) and large enough so that as it consolidates under the force of fluid flow pressure, it will cause the outer shell to bridge over the perforation opening (18) when the force of fluid flowing into the casing (12) pushes the ball sealer (22) against and into the perforation opening (18).

Abstract: Complex metal anions such as cobaltic hexacyanide are utilized as nonradioactive tracers in reservoir studies. Sensitive analytical procedures enable detection and measurement of very low tracer levels.

Abstract: Stable nonagglomerating suspensions of oil soluble polymeric friction reducers are prepared by combining free-flowing solid particles of such friction reducers with a suspension stabilizing amount of a water soluble thickening agent in water or in a mixture of water and alcohol.

Abstract: A system is provided for installing a drilling template in a level orientation over an ocean floor. The drilling template is supported on a plurality of preset piles. The piles extend above the ocean floor. After the piles are set, their elevations are accurately determined, and pile-receiving sockets in the drilling template are finally fabricated to have depths corresponding to the respective piles to be received therein. Once the drilling template is lowered onto the piles, it is supported in a level orientation.

Abstract: Well tools are run into a well, usually a deviated well, using a composite wireline cable made up of a bundle of parallel slidable composite rods and electrical or optical conductors covered with a flexible protective sheath. The cable is stored on a spool and from there it is run into and retrieved from the well.

Abstract: A prepacked well screen assembly for preventing sand from being produced with well fluids. The assembly includes a filter medium surrounded by an outer support, with the outer surface of the filter medium being fluted or otherwise shaped to have a larger outer surface area than the surface area of the outer support member surrounding the filter medium.

Abstract: A method of translating a drawn or imagined model into a numerical format. Working from a paper sketch or interpreted seismic display, the geological horizons and faults are digitized in any order. If the horizon is unbroken, it is digitized continuously as one piece, if it is broken by faulting, it is digitized as a series of elements. Digitizing ceases if the horizon terminates within the model. During preconditioning the boundaries of the model are added as another element. A search is performed and if intersecting elements are found, the shortest limb is deleted. A second search locates elements which do not terminate at an intersection. If the element is from a horizon, it is projected until it intersects another element, if an unconnected fault element, the element is deleted back to its first intersection point. The first phase of cell construction identifies segments which connect only to themselves and produces single segment cells.

Abstract: A method for obtaining two way travel times for source and receiver pairs includes the steps of determining a set of one way travel times for each source to a plurality of image points and a set of one way travel times for each receiver to the plurality of image points. Ray sets are generated for both the sources and receivers. Travel times from a surface position to image points are computed by two point interpolation using the ray sets. Two way travel time is computed by summing two sets, one set each for the source and receiver positions. A two way travel time set is obtained for a particular source and receiver combination for all imaging points.

Abstract: A method for generating a three dimensional velocity model from a grid of two dimensional lines is presented. Each of the two dimensional lines is common offset depth migrated and the migrated common offset sections are sorted into common image point (CIP) gathers. The proposed method examines all the common image point gathers from all the two dimensional lines and extracts out of plane three dimensional information. An initial three dimensional model is constructed from the two dimensional depth sections by mapping the depth images of several reflectors from each two dimensional line. Ray tracing through this initial three dimensional model, the out of plane three dimensional information is used to compute a set of corrections to the boundaries in the three dimensional model. The three dimensional model boundaries are then iterated until all mismatches are minimized.

Abstract: This invention relates to a downhole activated centralizer for centralizing pipes in a wellbore for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The downhole activated centralizers are carried within either the pipe casing or the collars or both and remain generally within the maximum outward profile of the pipe string so as not to interfere with the movement and placement of the pipe string in the wellbore. The pipe string may be rotated, reciprocated and circulated which enhances the ability of the installer to place the pipe string in a deviated or long reach wellbore. Once the pipe string is in place, the centralizers may be deployed by one of several methods such that pistons mounted in openings in the peripheral wall of the pipe string move outwardly with sufficient force to move the pipe string way from the walls of the wellbore sufficient to form a complete annulus for cementing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus by which elastic properties of rock formations are determined includes a downhole logging device which has two internal accelerometers mounted within to measure the acceleration of the device. A reference displacement of the device is determined by measuring the acceleration outside the borehole while the device is suspended in air. The output of the accelerometers is measured in the borehole. Integrating the acceleration outputs of these accelerometers twice yields the displacement in the borehole. Changes in the displacement of the device are indicative of various elastic properties of formations surrounding the borehole. Using two accelerometers to determine displacement allows the continuous logging of Young's modulus and other elastic properties of rocks surrounding a well bore. In an alternate embodiment, geophones are used to measure the velocity of the device and their outputs are integrated once to yield displacement.

Abstract: A downhole electro-hydraulic vertical shear wave seismic source places the reaction mass internal to the source cylindrical housing and isolates the actuator from the wellbore fluid and pressure. The clamping system of this source uses two serrated pads radiused to match the inside diameter of the casing. Hydraulic cylinders which are retracted by internal compact stacks of spring washers are used for actuating the serrated pads. A device for keeping the reaction mass in a "floating" position with actuator piston centered within the actuator cylinder is provided by suspending the reaction mass from a compact and soft urethane spring. A threaded guide rod passing vertically through this spring allows spring compression to be adjusted until the actuator piston is precisely centered with no differential hydraulic pressure across the piston.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for perforating the formation in a wellbore wherein the wellbore is established for the production of hydrocarbons. The formation is perforated by explosive material carried in pistons which are carried within either the pipe casing or the collars or both and remain generally within the maximum outward profile of the pipe string so as not to interfere with the movement and placement of the pipe string in the wellbore. The pipe string may be rotated, reciprocated and circulated which enhances the ability of the installer to place the pipe string in a deviated or long reach wellbore. Once the pipe string is in place, the pistons may be deployed by one of several methods such that pistons mounted in openings in the peripheral wall of the pipe string move outwardly with sufficient force to move the pipe string way from the walls of the wellbore sufficient to form a complete annulus for cementing.

Abstract: Conventional surface gravity measurements, either land, sea, or sea bottom, are made along a line that lies approximately along the same surface orientation as the deviated well. Borehole gravity measurements are made in the deviated part of the well along the wellbore at stations lying approximately below those taken on the surface. The gravity difference is computed from the station pairs. From the gravity difference and the vertical distance between the two readings, the average density is computed for all the station pairs. From a depth model interval depths at each layer between the surface and the borehole stations are computed. The average density between any station pairs can be related to the interval densities and the layer densities are calculated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a preperforated casing for a well bore and a method of installing a preperforated casing in a well bore. The inventive casing comprises (a) a conduit having a plurality of apertures extending through the wall thereof and (b) a liner fixed adjacent at least a portion of the interior surface of the conduit such that the liner is positioned adjacent the apertures and is operable for preventing fluid flow through the apertures. The liner is removable from the conduit by drilling. Additionally, the liner comprises a material which, upon drilling, will break up into pieces which can be readily circulated out of the well. The inventive method comprises the steps of running the inventive casing into a well bore and then drilling the liner such that the liner is broken up into pieces and the above-mentioned apertures are open for fluid flow.