Patents Assigned to Conoco
  • Patent number: 5838155
    Abstract: Potential producibility and the proportion of water and oil produced can be predicted for hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs using an isolated pore model and nuclear magnetic resonance data. The model is based on the use of two bulk volume irreducible/free fluid index cut off times, one based on small pores and the other based on large pores with a throat size that will not permit movement of fluids therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Mark C. Bowers
  • Patent number: 5804038
    Abstract: The metal stresses in a delayed coke drum are reduced by externally cooling the coke drum near the junction of the drum shell and the supporting skirt thereof during the quench step. This reduces the metal stresses at the area around the welds of the drum skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: David K. Nelsen
  • Patent number: 5766523
    Abstract: The present invention provides a blow spinning die particularly suited for spinning solvated pitch into fibers having a random cross-sectional structure. Additionally, the present invention provides a process for blow spinning fibers from solvated pitches. The present invention also provides pitch fibers having a high energy internal molecular structure. Finally, the present invention provides carbon fibers which have a non-radial internal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Rodgers, Daniel F. Rossillon, Roger A. Ross
  • Patent number: 5730949
    Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for producing a metals containing anisotropic pitch product suitable for carbon fiber manufacture. Soluble-aromatic, organometallic compounds are added to a carbonaceous feedstock substantially free of mesophase pitch and the resulting composition is heat soaked preferably with gas sparge to produce a metals containing mesophase pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Hugh E. Romine
  • Patent number: 5728210
    Abstract: Powdered and liquid fluid loss additives are disclosed for use in cementing wellbores, particularly oil and gas wellbores. Excellent fluid loss control is achieved over a wide range of conditions using various cements systems. The invention utilizes polyvinyl acetate polymers as a fluid loss additive. The polyvinyl acetate polymer is used in conjunction with a dispersing sulfonated polymer and surfactant. This highly effective combination is then adjusted to individual well conditions with chelating agent, cross-linking agent, biocides, antifoams, or combinations of these. The dispersants are novel dispersing agent polymers such as melamine sulfonate polymer, vinyl sulfonate polymer and styrene sulfonate polymer and mixtures of these. These dispersant materials are usually prepared at low pH and can be used in the acid form, or neutralized to form salts of the polymers, wherein the salt can be a Group I or Group II metal salt, or ammonium salts (common salts).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Larry K. Moran, Landreth L. Moran
  • Patent number: 5720871
    Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for producing a unique metals-containing anisotropic pitch suitable for carbon fiber manufacture. Soluble, aromatic-organometallic compounds are added to a carbonaceous feedstock which is substantially free of mesophase pitch and the resulting composition is heat soaked to produce an isotropic pitch product containing mesogens and soluble, aromatic-organometallic compounds. Next, the pitch product is solvent fractionated to separate mesogens which contain metals from the organometallic compounds. The metals-containing mesogens are heated to a temperature sufficient to cause fusion to produce a metals-containing mesophase pitch.In another method, the carbonaceous feedstock is heat soaked to produce an isotropic pitch product containing mesogens and high molecular weight, soluble, aromatic-organometallic compounds are added to the mesogen containing isotropic pitch product prior to solvent fractionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: H. Ernest Romine, James R. McConaghy, Jr., John A. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 5695553
    Abstract: A composition suitable for use in making water-resistant gypsum products is provided. The composition is an aqueous emulsion comprising water, a paraffinic hydrocarbon wax, a Montan wax, an alkali metal or ammonium hydroxide in an amount sufficient to at least partially saponify the Montan wax, an emulsifier and a dispersant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Claret, Wesley E. Church, Roy S. Hodgson
  • Patent number: 5653287
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon fluid recovery from wells extending into subterranean formations is stimulated by treatment of the near-wellbore formations with cryogenic liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis R. Wilson, Robert M. Siebert, Pat Lively
  • Patent number: 5648041
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process and apparatus for collecting relatively straight blow spun fibers in a two dimensional configuration. The process utilizes a venturi to preclude the kinking and bending of the fibers until the fibers have substantially thermoset. A diffusion chamber allows the fibers to be collected without entangling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Rodgers, Joseph A. Perrotto, Robert C. Boger
  • Patent number: 5645711
    Abstract: A delayed coking process in which a flash zone gas oil stream from the bottom of the coker fractionator is upgraded by removing suspended solids and then hydroprocessing the stream to make it more attractive as a feed to a fluidized bed catalytic cracking unit or other processing unit. Removal of the solids allows the stream to be processed in a fixed bed catalytic hydrotreater without plugging of the catalyst bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Hraban, Paul E. Seyler, Todd W. Dixon
  • Patent number: 5645712
    Abstract: In a delayed coking process the temperature of the liquid in the coke drum is increased by the addition of a heated non-coking hydrocarbon diluent. The heated non-coking diluent can be added to either a delayed coker furnace effluent prior to entering the coke drum, directly into the coke drum, or both. The resulting increase in coke drum temperature results in increased liquid yields and a decrease in coke yields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Jim R. Roth
  • Patent number: 5636693
    Abstract: Gas in association with liquids is produced from a wellbore by disposing a first tubing string having a first fluid communication path into the wellbore to near or below the bottom of a producing zone, disposing within the annulus between the first tubing string and the outer surface of the wellbore a second fluid communication path from near or below the bottom of the producing zone to an offtake line at the surface, disposing a choke means in at least one of the fluid communication paths, and producing gas while controlling the choke means to establish sufficient gas flow up the first fluid communication path so as to unload liquids from near or below the bottom of the producing zone and produce the liquids up the first tubing string in association with gas flow. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the first tubing string has a sufficiently small diameter that liquids can be unloaded from the well over life of the production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: William G. Elmer
  • Patent number: 5632348
    Abstract: A fluid actuated detonating device is shown being used to activate explosive devices in a borehole. The detonating device has an explosive detonation charge arranged in a housing wherein a rupture disc in the wall of the housing separates the explosive charge from a fluid environment so that when pressure in the fluid environment is raised to a sufficient level the rupture disc fails and communicates a sudden pressure wave to the explosive to detonate the explosive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Malak E. Yunan
  • Patent number: 5578330
    Abstract: Use of a ribbon shaped flow configuration at the entrance to a round spinneret used for spinning carbon fibers from mesophase pitch promotes the formation of random microstructure and prevents formation of axial cracking in the fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Roger A. Ross, Uel D. Jennings
  • Patent number: 5540903
    Abstract: This application relates to a process for making carbon artifacts from solvated mesophase pitch comprising quinoline insoluble materials. The process has a significant advantage over the art as it permits the use of otherwise unusable pitch feedstocks and the artifacts formed according to the process retain their structural integrity during carbonization. This invention also relates to the pitch formed by this process and carbon artifacts formed by this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Hugh E. Romine
  • Patent number: 5540832
    Abstract: This application relates to a process for making carbon artifacts from solvated mesophase pitch comprising quinoline insoluble materials. The process has a significant advantage over the art as it permits the use of otherwise unusable pitch feedstocks and the artifacts formed according to the process retain their structural integrity during carbonization. This invention also relates to the pitch formed by this process and carbon artifacts formed by this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventor: Hugh E. Romino
  • Patent number: 5538621
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Walter M. Kalback, H. Ernest Romine, Xavier M. Bourrat
  • Patent number: 5539044
    Abstract: Flow of a stream comprised of hydrocarbons is improved by introducing into the stream a stable, non-agglomerating suspension comprising:(a) water,(b) highly dispersed in the water, and substantially insoluble therein, and extremely finely-divided, non-crystalline, ultra-high molecular weight, hydrocarbon-soluble, undegraded polyalkene having 2 to about 30 carbon atoms per alkene precursor and an inherent viscosity of at least 20 dL/g, and(c) a small but effective amount of a surfactant having a HLB of at least about 9. The finely divided polyalkene is prepared by polymerization and then cryogrinding below the glass transition temperature of the polyalkene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco In.
    Inventors: Aysen Dindi, Ray L. Johnston, Yung N. Lee, Debora F. Massouda
  • Patent number: 5525003
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved termination connection for advanced fiber composite cables of the type comprised of fibers fixed in a matrix binder. In particular, the composite cable is provided with one or more ribs of tension wound binder impregnated fiber cured on the end portion thereof. Potting material is secured over the ribs at the end of the cable preferably having a parabolically curved outwardly tapered contour to distribute the longitudinal and transverse forces over the fibers in the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry G. Williams, Randall G. Ivie, Joseph L. Schiltz
  • Patent number: 5514266
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating contaminated, e.g. oily, water including a floating skimmer (3) for skimming the surface of the contaminated water (2). The contaminated water from the skimmer is fed to a hydrocyclone (6) for separation of the water and contaminant. The hydrocarbon rich stream from the hydrocyclone undergoes further separation using a spear (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Conoco Specialty Products Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. O'Brien, Gavan J. J. Prendergast