Abstract: Friction loss in a saline liquid flowing through a conduit is reduced by combining fresh water and a water-in-oil emulsion of a water soluble friction reducing polymer, subjecting the combined material to mixing to invert the emulsion and introducing the inverted emulsion directly into the flowing saline liquid. In one aspect the water-in-oil emulsion is combined with saline water containing a surfactant to effect inversion prior to introduction of the combination into the flowing saline liquid.

Abstract: A method for rapidly and efficiently generating traveltime tables for application in depth migration initially includes receiving a velocity model which may include a plurality of velocities in multiple layers between various subsurface reflectors. The model is plotted on a two dimensional grid with the subsurface reflectors identified. A traveltime to the first reflector is determined. Traveltimes from the sources on each layer boundary to all grid points above the next reflector are determined. For the initial iteration, the layer boundary is the surface and the source is the actual source used in shooting the line. For layers below the surface there will be more than one source or secondary source. The actual determination of traveltimes for these lower layers may be done by comparing the traveltimes to all points on the first reflector. The minimum traveltime is selected as the true traveltime to the first reflector. Next, all points where the reflector intersects the grid are found.

Abstract: Petroleum residual oil which has been contacted with an oxygen-containing gas to increase its softening point is combined with a pyrolysis tar and the combination is subjected to delayed coking to produce isotropic coke containing reduced sulfur and having a low CTE ratio.

Abstract: A separating system is provided for a fluid stream containing oil, water and gas. The fluid stream has a nominal flow rate, a maximum surge flow rate, and a cycle time or period. The system includes upper and lower elongated horizontal vessels. A weir separates the upper vessel into an inlet surge chamber and a liquid over flow chamber. A gas separator is located in the inlet surge chamber of the upper vessel and separates gas from the incoming fluid stream. A gas outlet is defined in the upper vessel. A downcomer tube communicates the inlet surge chamber of the upper vessel with the lower vessel. Oil and water are separated from each other in the lower vessel, which has oil and water outlets defined therein. A liquid overflow drain line communicates the liquid overflow chamber of the upper vessel with the lower vessel.

Abstract: Hot melt wax compositions and a process for producing said hot melt wax compositions are disclosed. The wax compositions are suitable for coating fibrous materials, for example, paper and corrugated paper boards. The coating compositions comprise a mixture of a fully refined paraffin wax, a petroleum wax selected from the group consisting of a recrystallized heavy intermediate wax, a microcrystalline wax and mixtures thereof, a polymeric hydrocarbon compound, a tackifier resin and optionally, a phenolic anti-oxidant.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting minute disturbance such as seismic vibrations or the like which utilizes an optically clear gap material as the primary sensing element. The gap material is subjected to the disturbance and any reactive change in width or index is sensed optically by monitoring the light transmission properties of the gap material. A particular type of sensor is disclosed consisting of a length of optic fiber having the tip end covered by the gap material with the distal surface bearing a reflective coating.

Abstract: A method for calculation of raypaths and wavepaths from traveltime tables for the tomographic estimation of transmission velocities includes picking the earliest traveltime of waves transmitted between different source and receivers locations. A velocity model that describes transmission velocities in a region of interest is obtained. Traveltime from each source position to each point in the region of interest and traveltimes from each receiver loaction to each point in the region of interest are extrapolated. The extrapolated traveltimes from the source and receiver to each point in the region of interest are added together to quantify the path of a wave between one source and one receiver. All points in the region of interest whose total traveltimes are less than half a wavelength greater than the minimum traveltime are found. A representative raypath that passes through the center of the estimated wavepath region for each source and receiver location are saved.

Abstract: A system to control the orientation of a seismic source includes a signal processor that receives an input signal from a compass to provide an input orientation for the vibrator control electronics of an omnidirectional shear wave source. By orienting the signal generation in this manner, the need to orient the truck is obviated without negatively impacting the quality of the data. The signal processor can be eliminated if the compass output signal is already in a form that can be used by the vibrator control electronics.

Abstract: A stable aqueous gel is formed from a polyvinyl alcohol or vinyl alcohol copolymer and a partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a pH regulating agent which provides an initial acid pH during the formulation of the gel.

Abstract: Recarburizer coke containing not more than 0.1 weight percent sulfur and not more than 0.1 weight percent nitrogen is prepared by severe catalytic hydrotreating, followed by thermal cracking, and delayed coking of vacuum gas oil obtained from the vacuum distillation of FCC decant oil.

Abstract: For separating an oil and water mixture, the mixture is applied to the inlet of a cyclone separator so that the oil emerges from an overflow outlet and the water from an underflow outlet. Sensors measure the purity of the separated water and oil components and under control of a suitable control device, additions are made to the inlet liquid of quantities of oil or water to alter the ratio of oil and water quantities in the inlet mixture in a fashion tending to maintain separation efficiency. The oil and water to be admixed are taken from reservoirs.

Abstract: A device for source compensating a fiber optic coupler output automatically compensates for changes in light intensity at the output end of the fiber caused by changes in light intensity from the source, beam walking at the input of the fiber and mode changes in the fiber. Laser light enters a frequency doubler and exits as a doubled frequency output which is focused onto the input face of a fiber optic cable by a lens. The lens is selected so that the spot size of the focused light on the face of the fiber is smaller than the diameter of the fiber and that the entry angle of the light cone is within the acceptance angle of the fiber. The fiber is tightly wound into a mode scrambler to provide a uniform intensity distribution of the light exiting the fiber. The light leaving the fiber is collimated and directed to additional optical elements. The collimated beam is directed to a beam splitter which reflects 8% of the incident beam to a calibrated photodiode that is terminated with a transimpedance amplifier.

Abstract: Oil compositions comprising crude oils, fuel oils, mineral oils and synthetic oils having high pour points are provided with one or more enhanced characteristics such as improved pour point, viscosity or viscosity index by the addition of alkyl amine or alkyl mercaptan derivatives of a copolymer comprising an alpha olefin or an alkyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride.

Abstract: A system for cleaning solids contaminated with solvent-soluble contaminants. The system, which includes both process and apparatus, comprises slurrying of the solids with a solvent, feeding the slurry to a cyclone separation zone integrally connected to a countercurrent extraction zone, separating the slurry into an overflow stream which includes solvent and fine particles of solids and an underflow stream which includes mostly coarse particles of solids in the cyclone separation zone, processing the overflow stream in a cleaning zone with additional solvent, processing the underflow stream in countercurrent relationship with additional solvent through the countercurrent extraction zone, combining the cleaned coarse particles of solids withdrawn from the extraction zone with the cleaned fine particles of solids withdrawn from the cleaning zone and centrifuging the combined cleaned particles to remove residual solvent and recovering the combined solids having reduced contamination for disposal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for precise oil correlation using oil-filled fluid inclusions to form signature plots of fluorescence excitation versus emission versus intensity data. The apparatus uses a tunable light source energized periodically through a given series of wavelengths as directed through a microscope to a fluid inclusion to excite fluorescence. Subsequent fluorescence emission is detected by a monochromator/photomultiplier combination for input to a data acquisition system that processes the data and provides requisite fluorescence output plots indicating more particularly the nature of the fluid inclusion matter, i.e., 3-D fluorescence spectra indicative of the oil. The quality of the oil in terms of API.degree. gravity can also be determined by time-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy to determine fluorescence lifetimes.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively determining an accurate subsurface velocity prior to data migration includes steps whereby the accuracy of the velocity can be defined by measuring the deviation in depth as a function of offset in the common reflection point (CRP) gather. A point on reflector is selected and the CRP gather is formed. If the image is not flat, the velocity is adjusted until it is flat. The velocity is decreased and the far offset end of the image will be imaged to shallower depth than the near offset end. The velocity is increased and the image will tilt down at the far offset end. An error is defined which is the theoretical accuracy limit for the determination of velocity using the CRP method. A factor is defined that indicates the reliability of the image for a reflector.

Abstract: Cyclone separator for separating liquid components from a liquid mixture, having an axially extending separating chamber (12) with an underflow outlet (22) for outlet of more dense components at one end thereof and an overflow outlet (18) for outlet of less dense components at the other end thereof, the separating chamber having a portion (16) which exhibts a taper, in the direction towards the underflow outlet, the taper angle (half angle to the separating chamber axis) of 11/2.degree. to 3.degree..

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for determining the Reid Vapor Pressure of either an overhead, side draw or bottoms product stream of a fractionating column used for fractionating a multi-component hydrocarbon feed stream into an overhead product stream, a side draw product stream and a bottoms product stream are provided. The Reid Vapor Pressure of the particular product stream is determined in response to the temperature of the product stream, the vapor pressure of the product stream, the rate of flow of the bottoms product stream, the rate of flow of the overhead product stream, and/or the rate of flow of the side draw product stream without further analyses thereof. The Reid Vapor Pressure indication is used to maintain the actual Reid Vapor Pressure of the particular product stream substantially equal to the desired Reid Vapor Pressure of the particular product stream and to thereby control the quality of the desired product stream.

Abstract: A riser system includes inflatable buoyancy bladders and a near surface disconnect so that a drilling vessel can rapidly disconnect from the riser leaving the riser in a freestanding buoyant position.

Abstract: Aqueous alkanolamine solution containing alkali metal salts of anions which form heat stable salts with such alkanolamine is reactivated by contacting the solution sequentially with a basic anion exchange resin to remove such anions and an acidic cation ion exchange resin to remove alkali metal ions.