Patents Assigned to ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
  • Method and system for performing communications using aliasing
    Patent number: 10883363
    Abstract: A method and system are described for wirelessly communicating within a wellbore. The method includes constructing a communication network (e.g., which uses aliased signals as part of the configuration) for a wellbore accessing a subsurface region and using the communication network in hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development, and/or hydrocarbon production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Limin Song, Scott W. Clawson, Yibing Zhang, Katie M. Walker
  • Method of generating an optimized ship schedule to deliver liquefied natural gas
    Patent number: 10878349
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for generating an optimized ship schedule to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) from one or more LNG liquefaction terminals to one or more LNG regasification terminals using a fleet of ships. The method involves modeling the ship schedule via an LNG ship scheduling model and a LNG ship rescheduling model to provide optimized decisions for the LNG supply chain. The LNG supply chain includes the one or more LNG liquefaction terminals, the one or more LNG regasification terminals, and the fleet of ships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Yufen Shao, Vikas Goel, Joshua R. Lowry, Bora Tarhan, Kevin C. Furman
  • Compact contacting systems and methods for scavenging sulfur-containing compounds
    Patent number: 10876052
    Abstract: A hydrogen sulfide (H2S) scavenging system for removing H2S, mercaptans, and/or other sulfur-containing compounds from a natural gas stream. A co-current contacting system is located in-line within a pipe and receives the natural gas stream and a liquid scavenger stream. The co-current contacting system includes a co-current contactor including a droplet generator and a mass transfer section. The droplet generator generates droplets from the liquid scavenger stream and disperses the droplets into the natural gas stream. The mass transfer section provides a mixed, two-phase flow having a vapor phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase includes the liquid scavenger stream with H2S, mercaptans, and/or other sulfur-containing compounds absorbed from the natural gas stream, and the vapor phase includes the natural gas stream. A separation system separates the vapor phase from the liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Shwetha Ramkumar, Donald P. Shatto, P. Scott Northrop, Sean T. Philbrook
  • Mat incorporated pile anchor reinforcement systems
    Patent number: 10870965
    Abstract: A pile anchor reinforcing system includes a pile anchor having an end penetrating a seafloor, and a mudmat positionable on the seafloor and defining a reinforcing pile aperture or a surface area to receive a gravity anchor or both, and a pile anchor aperture sized to receive the pile anchor. A reinforcing pile is extendable through the reinforcing aperture and penetrates the seafloor. The mudmat and the reinforcing pile and/or the gravity anchor cooperatively reinforce the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Osama Abu Safaqah
  • Method of generating an optimized ship schedule to deliver liquefied natural gas
    Patent number: 10867261
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for generating an optimized ship schedule to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) from one or more LNG liquefaction terminals to one or more LNG regasification terminals using a fleet of ships. The method involves modeling the ship schedule via an LNG ship scheduling model and a LNG ship rescheduling model to provide optimized decisions for the LNG supply chain. The LNG supply chain includes the one or more LNG liquefaction terminals, the one or more LNG regasification terminals, and the fleet of ships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Yufen Shao, Vikas Goel, Joshua R. Lowry, Bora Tarhan, Kevin C. Furman
  • Integrated pile anchor reinforcement systems
    Patent number: 10865538
    Abstract: A pile anchor reinforcing system includes a pile anchor having an end penetrating a seafloor, and a reinforcing pile penetrating the seafloor past the end of the pile anchor and being operatively coupled to the pile anchor to reinforce the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Osama Abu Safaqah
  • Method and system for generating contradiction scores for petroleum geoscience entities within text using associative topic sentiment analysis
    Patent number: 10861064
    Abstract: The invention is a data processing method and system for notifying petroleum geoscientists of contradictions in sentiment between petroleum geoscience topic associations in text. The data processing system makes the necessary calculations to detect petroleum geoscience associations of interest, predict their sentiment and report contradictions in sentiment. Contradictions can be calibrated with past business success and failures through time, such as exploration or operations, to create a classifier to predict future areas of opportunity and risk. In particular, the data processing system operates on any digital unstructured text derived from academic literature, company reports, web pages and other sources. This information is analyzed and utilized by the system assisting petroleum geoscientists to identify business opportunities and risks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Paul Hugh Cleverley
  • Method for drilling wellbores utilizing a drill string assembly optimized for stick-slip vibration conditions
    Patent number: 10851639
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the field of drilling operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for drilling wells utilizing drilling equipment, more particularly drill string assemblies, and predicting modified drilling operation conditions based on proposed changes to the drill string configuration and/or the drilling parameters. Included are methods for drilling wells utilizing a method for the selection of modified drill string assemblies and/or modified drilling parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Bailey, Gregory S. Payette
  • Systems and methods for reducing scouring
    Patent number: 10844565
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing scouring around piles are described. The system includes a pile and an enclosure. The pile has a maximum cross-sectional dimension, Dp. The enclosure is circumferentially disposed around the pile, the enclosure having a first end proximate a surface of a seabed; a second end distal the surface of the seabed; and a maximum cross-sectional dimension, De, wherein De is at least 1.25*Dp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Haydar Arslan, Patrick C. Wong
  • Energy efficient method of retrieving wireless networked sensor data
    Patent number: 10844708
    Abstract: A method of communicating in a wireless network. Devices are positioned such that each device communicates with one or more other devices. Some of the devices include one or more sensors. Each device is a node in the wireless network. At one of the devices, values are recorded from the sensors associated therewith. At least some of the devices, one or more recorded values from the sensors associated with said each device, and/or a sensor associated with at least one other device, are processed in accordance with a variable instruction set, to thereby generate a processed dataset. At each device, at least one of recorded values, a processed dataset associated with another device, or a revision to the variable instruction set are received from another device. At least one of the one or more recorded values, and one or more processed datasets, are transmitted at each device to another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Scott W. Clawson, Mark M. Disko, Katie M. Walker
  • Pressure management system for a well annulus
    Patent number: 10844693
    Abstract: A system and methods for maintaining pressure on an annulus in a well are provided. An example of a pressure maintenance system for an annulus on a well, included a passive accumulator coupled to the annulus to accept fluid expanding in the annulus or to supply fluid to replace fluid contracting in the annulus. A gas pressure system is included to maintain a gas in a headspace over the fluid in the passive accumulator, and a pressure controller maintains pressure in the headspace within a set range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Benjamin B. Douglas, Ian McKay, Malcom J. Stevenson
  • Apparatus and method for sampling solids in pipeline fluid
    Patent number: 10845273
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for sampling solid particles in fluid flowing through a pipeline. In one or more embodiments, a pipeline pig having at least one bypass channel and at least one filter located within the bypass channel is configured to collect solid particles within the fluid of predetermined minimum size. Additional filters of varying mesh size may be included. In other embodiments, at least one valve may be used to adjust the fluid flow through the bypass channel, and a flow metering device may be configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the bypass channel. In other embodiments, a bypass control device may be configured to control the valve to regulate fluid flow rate and fluid access into the bypass channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Todd Peter Lagus
  • Method and system for stacking fracture prediction
    Patent number: 10846447
    Abstract: Methods and systems for modeling and predicting fractures within the subsurface region are provided. The methods and systems use multi-layer models to represent stacks of layered rocks, which are used to evaluate shear tractions caused by the relatively higher lateral strains in a more compliant overlying or underlying adjacent layers. As the lateral strains can induce tensional stresses in the brittle layers that can exceed the rocks tensile strength and fail, the formation of natural fractures may be modeled. Accordingly, the method and system model fractures due to stacking using mechanical rock property information from well logs and simulating the farfield loading conditions using basin history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Rodrick Myers, Leonel A. Gomez Torres, Hao Huang, Gauthier D. Becker
  • Method and System for Generating a Surprisingness Score for Sentences within Geoscience Text
    Publication number: 20200364306
    Abstract: The invention is a data processing method and system for suggesting insightful and surprising sentences to geoscientists from unstructured text. The data processing system makes the necessary calculations to assign a surprisingness score to detect sentences containing several signals which when combined exponentially, have tendencies to give rise to surprise. In particular, the data processing system operates on any digital unstructured text derived from academic literature, company reports, web pages and other sources. Detected sentences can be used to stimulate ideation and learning events for geoscientists in industries such as oil and gas, economic mining, space exploration and Geo-health.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Paul Hugh Cleverley
  • Estimating multiple subsurface parameters by cascaded inversion of wavefield components
    Patent number: 10838092
    Abstract: A method, including: obtaining initial estimates of a plurality of subsurface parameters; obtaining a recorded wavefield decomposed into a plurality of discrete components; performing, with a computer, a cascaded inversion where the initial estimates of the subsurface parameters are individually updated, wherein each of the subsurface parameters are updated using a different discrete component of the recorded wavefield of the plurality of discrete components; and generating, with the computer, updated subsurface models from the cascaded inversion for each of the subsurface parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Gboyega Ayeni, Partha S. Routh, John E. Anderson
  • Hydrocarbon gas treatment systems and methods
    Patent number: 10837272
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon gas treatment systems and methods. The hydrocarbon gas treatment systems include a feed gas supply system configured to provide a feed gas stream and a hydrogen sulfide removal system configured to separate the feed gas stream into a product gas stream and an acid gas stream. The hydrocarbon gas treatment systems also include a heat exchanger configured to cool the acid gas stream to generate a cooled acid gas stream and an acid gas enrichment system configured to separate the cooled acid gas stream into a treated gas stream and an enriched acid gas stream. The methods include providing a feed gas stream, separating the feed gas stream into a product gas stream and an acid gas stream, cooling the acid gas stream to generate a cooled acid gas stream, and separating the cooled acid gas stream into a treated gas stream and an enriched acid gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Suhas P. Mondkar, P. Scott Northrop
  • Method and system for stable and efficient reservoir simulation using stability proxies
    Patent number: 10839114
    Abstract: A method and system are described to form a subsurface model for use in hydrocarbon operations. The method and system utilize stability proxies with the subsurface models, such as simulation models, and to manage the reservoir simulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Yahan Yang
  • Krylov-space-based quasi-newton preconditioner for full-wavefield inversion
    Patent number: 10838093
    Abstract: A method, including: storing, in a computer memory, seismic data acquired from a seismic survey of a subsurface region; and generating, with a computer, a final subsurface physical property model of the subsurface region by processing the seismic data with an iterative full wavefield inversion method, wherein the iterative full wavefield inversion method generates the final subsurface physical property model by iteratively applying a linear solver with a preconditioner that is generated from information from one or more previous iterations of the linear solver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Volkan Akcelik, Huseyin Denli
  • Outlier detection for identification of anomalous cross-attribute clusters
    Patent number: 10838094
    Abstract: A method of identifying regions in a subsurface that may be a hydrocarbon reservoir, the method including: extracting features from cross-attribute clusters; assigning a distance metric and linkage criterion in feature space; calculating, with a computer, a degree of anomaly for the cross-attribute clusters in the feature space; ranking the cross-attribute clusters in accordance with the degree of anomaly; and prospecting for hydrocarbons by investigating a subsurface region in accordance with the rankings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Matthew W. Harris
  • Method and system for interpolating discontinuous functions in a subsurface model
    Patent number: 10838108
    Abstract: A method and system are described for creating a subsurface model. In this method, discontinuous functions are interpolated in a subsurface model. The method extrapolates specified values over discontinuous manifolds by embedding the manifold in a higher-dimensional space that amplifies distances across discontinuities and thus eliminates special consideration to prevent extrapolation across discontinuities. The resulting subsurface model may be used in reservoir simulations and hydrocarbon operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Matthias Imhof, Matthew S. Casey