Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a device for transporting hydrocarbons in the form of a mixture of liquid and gas between production means (1) and a treatment plant (10). The method according to the invention for controlling a device comprising a hydrocarbons transport pipe (6) fitted with an adjustable-aperture outlet choke (9) to which a gas-injection pipe (16) fitted with a control valve (15) is connected, is characterized in that it includes a start-up phase which consists in performing the following sequence of steps: a step of initiating the transport of hydrocarbons, a step of ramping up to transport speed, then a production phase, during which phases the outlet choke (9) and the control valve (15) are operated in such a way as to maintain the stability of the pressure in the pipe (6) for transporting the hydrocarbons produced. The invention finds an application in the operation of off-shore oil production installations.

Abstract: A method for controlling a gushing hydrocarbon production well is disclosed which utilizes a variable aperture outlet choke and a control system to dampen and minimize the effect of liquid and gas plugs flowing through the system.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the coherence of environmental measurements of a given geological medium or field using well logging data is disclosed. A series of N geological parameters are each measured at a series of reference points found in reference wells within this medium. Each reference point is at a different depth and has known lithological characteristics, and the N measurements form a reference observation (Xi) corresponding to that point. The same N parameters are measured at application points found in one or more application wells, at depths identical to those of the reference points, forming an application observation (x) for each application point. A neighboring domain (Di) and acceptance class are defined for each reference observation (Xi). Each application observation (x) is then compared with all of reference observations (Xi) using a nearest-neighbor algorithm to determine the degree of membership of the application observation in each reference observation's acceptance class.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the exploration for and exploitation of formation hydrocarbons. According to the invention, a sample of material, representative of the impregnation with hydrocarbons of the rocks passed through, is taken during a drilling operation, with which sample a value of an emission flux, representative of the concentration of the fluorescent elements in the sample, and a value of a fluorescence quotient, which reflects the nature of the hydrocarbons present in the sample, are determined by spectrofluorimetry. The invention finds its application in analytical laboratories and on the drilling sites of petroleum production fields.

Abstract: Method for automatic detection of planar heterogeneities crossing the stratification of an environment.

Abstract: The invention concerns a pumping installation designed for being mounted in an oil well extending from the surface to a layer of oil-bearing rock, comprising a pipe column at the lower end of which is mounted a pump, a joint, mounted in the well around the pipe column and delimiting a chamber at the lower end of the well, in which is arranged a pump. The installation further comprises a hydro-ejector, in the pipe column, including a lower pressure zone opening into the upper end of the chamber.

Abstract: A regenerative process for oxidizing H2S contained in low concentration in a gas directly to sulphur including combining the H2S-containing gas with a gas containing free oxygen in an amount to form an O2/H2S-containing gas with an O2/H2S molar ratio ranging from 0.05 to 15; contacting the O2/H2S-containing gas with a catalyst for the selective oxidation of H2S to sulphur, wherein the catalyst includes a catalytically active phase containing at least one oxysulphide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, copper, chromium, molybdenum and tungsten combined with a silicon carbide support and including a compound of at least one transition metal, at temperatures below the dew point of the sulphur formed by oxidation of H2S and depositing the sulphur on the catalyst; periodically regenerating by flushing the sulphur-laden catalyst using a non-oxidizing gas at temperatures of between 200° C. and 500° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of hydrocarbons in the form of oil and gas, by means of a plant comprising several wells, a system for collecting the hydrocarbons produced and a downstream unit for treating the hydrocarbons produced, it being possible for this plant to additionally comprise a pressurized-gas system for activating the wells.According to the invention, the systems and the downstream unit having sensors for measuring physical quantities representative of their operation, each well being controlled according to an individual procedure using modifiable control parameters and data representative of the operating status of the single controlled well, the control parameters used by the individual procedure for controlling each of the wells are automatically modified, depending on the value of at least one of the measured physical quantities and on the data representative of the operating status of all the wells.The application of the invention is in the petroleum industry.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for pumping a fluid, for instance an oil effluent derived from a source adjacent to a well, towards an outlet, the well comprising a chamber extending substantially over the whole length of the well, and a pipe column passing through the chamber and communicating with it at one end, and, at an intermediate point on its length with the source. The invention comprises the following steps: filling, up to a predetermine height, the lower end of the chamber and of the pipe column with a first liquid with a density higher than that of the effluent; filling the chamber, between the predetermined height and the outlet, with a second liquid with a density lower than that of the first liquid, and injecting an additional amount of the second liquid in the chamber so as to displace the first liquid and the effluent, in order to bring the effluent up towards the outlet. The invention also concerns a pumping installation.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method consisting: in passing the sea water through an electrically conductive catalyst (10), arranged in the cathode section of an electrolytic cell (1), comprising a cathode section (3) and an anode section (4) provided with, the former, with at least one cathode (11a, . . . ) and, the latter, with at least one anode (18) and separated by a wall (2) permeable only to the cations and in circulating, in the anode section (4), a conductive aqueous solution of a particular anolyte; in providing an electric voltage between the cathode and the anode of the cell (1) while maintaining the contents of the cathode and the anode sections at specific potentials, so as to produce, in the cathode section, consumption of oxygen dissolved in the treated water and in decomposing, in the anode section, an appropriate amount of solution for ensuring the electroneutrality of the treated water.

Abstract: Each of the N surface images, used to restore the borehole or the core sample surface image, is segmented into related components (C(12), C(11), . . . ) Which are grouped into related regions (C(8)), each touching both the right and left edges of the image. After smoothing out their contours, the related regions are represented in the form of an image, called bed image, representative uftlle stratification beds. The contours appearing on the N bed images are matched to construct the bed boundary sinusoidal curves. This is particularly useful in determining stratification of a geological site.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of hydrocarbons in the form of oil and gas, from a well activated by a pumping system. According to the invention, a hydrocarbon production well comprising a submerged pump (5) driven by an electric motor (6), an oil outlet choke (17) and a gas venting choke (22) is operated by acting, during the various production phases, on the chokes and on the speed of the electric motor (6) either in turn or simultaneously. Furthermore, correct operation of the well is constantly checked and it is also checked that the current drawn by the motor (6) does not cross thresholds that vary as a function of the speed of the motor (6). The invention finds its application in the oil industry.

Abstract: A method for removing the sulphur compounds H.sub.2 S, SO.sub.2 and at least one of COS and CS.sub.2 contained in a waste gas is provided. In this method, the waste gas is catalytically hydrolyzed to form a hydrolyzed gas containing H.sub.2 S and SO.sub.2, which is free of COS and CS.sub.2. After cooling, the hydrolyzed gas is introduced in one of two Claus catalytic zones mounted in parallel, while the other catalytic zone is regenerated and cooled. The regeneration is carried out with a gas stream drawn from the hydrolyzed gas before it is cooled, the regeneration gas effluent from the Claus catalytic zone is re-injected into the hydrolyzed gas between the drawing of the regeneration gas stream and the cooling of the hydrolyzed gas.

Abstract: A method for determining migration before summation including recording seismic reflection traces, for constituting a collection of traces to be migrated before summation and without weight correction. The traces being classified according to a given criterion and using a velocity model. The method including determining, for each point of interest M in a domain (X, Z), at least one line of slope determined on the basis of a line of slope map, in determining the specular rays associated with one point M and for the line of slope, and in computing the time and amplitude characteristics of each of the specular rays for deducing therefrom the reflection factor in each point M.

Abstract: A process for catalytically oxidizing the H.sub.2 S present at low concentration in a gas to sulphur wherein the gas together with a gas containing free oxygen in a quantity to provide and O.sub.2 to H.sub.2 S mole ratio ranging from 0.05 to 10 are contacted with a catalyst for selectively oxidizing H.sub.2 S to sulphur, the catalyst comprising a support based on silicon carbide associated with a catalytic active phase containing at least one transition metal such as Fe, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Ag, Mn, Mo, Ti, W or V, in a form of a metal compound and/or in the elemental state. Prior to treating the gas, the oxidation catalyst is subjected to an activation treatment which loads the active phase of the catalyst to provide maximum sulphurization of the metal of the catalyst. In an alternate embodiment, the oxidation of the H.sub.2 S is performed below the dew point of the sulphur. In another embodiment, the oxidation is performed at a temperature above the dew point of sulphur and in particular between 200.degree. C.

Abstract: A process is provided for the catalytic removal of sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, out of a gas by contacting the gas with catalyst composition containing a silicon carbide support and a catalyst component, such as a salt or elemental state of a metal, such as titanium, zirconium, yttrium, lanthanum, uranium, lead, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, nickel, zinc and cadmium and an oxide of a metal, such as uranium, lead, calcium, magnesium and cadmium. The process may be conducted at a temperature above or below the dew point of sulfur.

Abstract: A geophysical attribute migration method for a medium is disclosed. The method comprises forming at least one collection of seismic traces associated with an area of the medium and classified according to a predetermined criterion, and a stack section is produced on the basis of said seismic trace collection using a stacking speed field related to said area.

Abstract: A method for locating and identifying site anomalies. According to the method, a given seismic block of seismic traces located by their space coordinates is used. The seismic block is demarcated in at least one time interval between a higher level and a lower level. A time-model of one anomaly is selected. The model is correlated with each of the traces within the time interval. For each trace, the maximum correlation (.GAMMA..sub.M)and the corresponding time (t.sub.i) of the said maximum correlation are calculated. A maxima correlation chart equal to the spatial dimensions of the seismic block and a chart of the times corresponding to the correlation maxima are drawn, in which the time chart is of the same dimensions and located in the same system of coordinates (x, y) as the maxima correlation chart.

Abstract: A method of processing seismic signals for the analysis of moveout is presented in which waves are transmitted in a medium, reflected, received by receivers and recorded in the form of seismic traces. A string of N integers is defined having indices j lying between two limits (j.sub.min, j.sub.max) and representative of the moveouts of at least one predetermined gather of traces. A focus depth time t.sub.p for each value of j is calculated. A string of P integer numbers u is defined which determines an interval (P-1).DELTA.X. For each value of j, each trace identified by its parameters X.sub.0 and h is copied as many times as there are integer numbers u in the interval (P-1).DELTA.X. At least one static correction (dt) is applied to each of the copied traces, dependent at least on the parameters j, h and u .DELTA.X. Copying and static correction are repeated for all the values of X.sub.0 and of j.

Abstract: A process for separating waves in borehole seismics for walkaway-type acquisitions. Waves are generated in a medium from several positions of a source. The waves are received at at least three sensors along axes V, H.sub.1, H.sub.2. Collections of C traces are formed with a common source. On the basis of the trace collection, collections of residual C traces and C signals, a pivot trace is selected from the collection of residual C traces. A straight line of variable slope p is plotted at each sampled point of the pivot trace. The amplitudes of the seismic events located at the intersections of the traces with the straight line are summed along the straight line. The amplitude sums are then transferred to a domain (.tau., p). A synthetic seismogram is made from the domain (.tau., p) and iterations are performed until the synthetic seismogram is acceptable in terms of the data of the collection of residual C traces.