Patents Assigned to ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
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Patent number: 10112848Abstract: A method of emulsion extraction and processing from an oil/water separator, comprising detecting an emulsion parameter, passing an emulsion stream out of the separator, combining the emulsion stream with a water stream exiting the separator to create a diluted emulsion, dynamically adjusting a dilution of the diluted emulsion based at least in part on the emulsion parameter, and separating the diluted emulsion into an underflow stream comprising substantially water and a reject stream comprising substantially oil.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2015Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Edward J. Grave, Michael D. Olson
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Patent number: 10107093Abstract: A sand screen assembly offering alternate flow path technology for gravel slurry is provided. The sand screen assembly utilizes transport conduits along an outer diameter of a base pipe for transporting gravel slurry from sand screen to sand screen, thereby providing for a consistent gravel packing along the wellbore. The assembly also includes a unique in-flow control section. The in-flow control section allows the operator to restrict or control the flow of production fluids into the sand screen assembly once a gravel packing operation is completed. Multiple assemblies may be connected using a unique coupling assembly. A method for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation using the sand screen assembly is also provided herein.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Charles S. Yeh, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker
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Patent number: 10107938Abstract: A method and system are described for generating a geologic model having material properties for a faulted subsurface region. The method and system involve parameterizing corresponding fault surfaces and solving an energy optimization equation and/or conservation law equation for the corresponding fault surfaces based on parameterized nodes on the fault surfaces to generate a displacement map. The displacement map is used to map a geologic model from the physical space to the design space, where it is populated with material properties. The resulting populated geologic model may be used for hydrocarbon operations associated with the subsurface region.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Hao Huang, Xiaohui Wu, Larisa V. Branets, Dar-Lon Chang, Xiang Ma, Gauthier D. Becker, Thomas C. Halsey
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Patent number: 10107495Abstract: In one embodiment, a gas turbine system includes a controller configured to receive fuel composition information related to a fuel used for combustion in a turbine combustor; receive oxidant composition information related to an oxidant used for combustion in the turbine combustor; receive oxidant flow information related to a flow of the oxidant to the turbine combustor; determine a stoichiometric fuel-to-oxidant ratio based at least on the fuel composition information and the oxidant composition information; and generate a control signal for input to a fuel flow control system configured to control a flow of the fuel to the turbine combustor based on the oxidant flow information, a target equivalence ratio, and the stoichiometric fuel-to-oxidant ratio to enable combustion at the target equivalence ratio in the presence of an exhaust diluent within the turbine combustor.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2013Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Karl Dean Minto
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Patent number: 10100635Abstract: A system for downhole telemetry is provided herein. The system employs a series of communications nodes spaced along a tubular body in a wellbore. Each communications node is associated with a sensor that senses data indicative of a formation condition or a wellbore parameter along a subsurface formation. The data is stored in memory until a logging tool is run into the wellbore. The data is transmitted from the respective communications nodes to a receiver in the logging tool. The data is then transferred to the surface. A method of transmitting data in a wellbore is also provided herein. The method uses a logging tool to harvest data in a wellbore from a plurality of sensor communications nodes.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Stuart R. Keller, Timothy I. Morrow, James S. Burns, Max Deffenbaugh, Mark M. Disko, David A. Stiles
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Patent number: 10099972Abstract: Systems and a method are provided for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon and generating electricity from a tail gas stream. The method includes feeding a first stream including a raw natural gas into a reactor. The method includes converting the first stream, at least in part, to a second stream including an aromatic hydrocarbon within the reactor. The method includes separating the second stream into a tail gas stream and a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon stream and combusting at least a portion of the tail gas stream to generate electricity.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2014Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Paul F. Keusenkothen, Timothy A. Barckholtz, J. Tim Cullinane, Robert D. Denton, Frank Hershkowitz, Ian J. Laurenzi
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Patent number: 10100613Abstract: The present disclosure provides a subwater heat exchanger that includes a duct, first coils, a first impeller and a second impeller. The duct is configured to receive a first fluid. The first coils are inside of the duct and are configured to receive a second fluid that is heated or cooled by the first fluid. The first impeller is inside of the duct that is configured to initiate flow of the first fluid around the first coils. The second impeller is inside of the duct and is substantially in line with the first impeller along a duct lateral axis of the duct.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2013Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Nicholas F. Urbanski, Robert D. Denton, Charles J. Mart, Tracy A. Fowler
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Patent number: 10100741Abstract: A system is provided with a turbine combustor having a first diffusion fuel nozzle, wherein the first diffusion fuel nozzle has first and second passages that separately inject respective first and second flows into a chamber of the turbine combustor to produce a diffusion flame. The first flow includes a first fuel, and the second flow includes a first oxidant and a first diluent. The system includes a turbine driven by combustion products from the diffusion flame in the turbine combustor. The system also includes an exhaust gas compressor, wherein the exhaust gas compressor is configured to compress and route an exhaust gas from the turbine to the turbine combustor along an exhaust recirculation path.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2013Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Richard A. Huntington, Sulabh K. Dhanuka, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy
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Patent number: 10094566Abstract: A system having a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a turbine and a combustor coupled to the turbine. The combustor includes a combustion chamber, one or more fuel nozzles upstream from the combustion chamber, and a head end having an end cover assembly. The end cover assembly includes an oxidant inlet configured to receive an oxidant flow, a central oxidant passage, and at least one fuel supply passage. The central oxidant passage is in fluid communication with the oxidant inlet, and the central oxidant passage is configured to route the oxidant flow to the one or more fuel nozzles. The at least one fuel supply passage is configured to receive a fuel flow and route the fuel flow into the one or more fuel nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Bradford David Borchert, Jesse Edwin Trout, Scott Robert Simmons, Almaz Valeev, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Igor Petrovich Sidko, Leonid Yul'evich Ginesin
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Patent number: 10094815Abstract: A method and system are described that may be used for exploration, production and development of hydrocarbons. The method and system may include analyzing a sample for a geochemical signature, wherein the geochemical signature includes a multiply substituted isotopolog signature and/or a position specific isotope signature. Then, the historical temperature, type of alteration and/or extent of alteration may be determined from the signature(s) and used to develop or refine an exploration, development or production strategy.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Michael Lawson, Brian K. Peterson, Cara L. Davis, David R. Converse, John M. Eiler
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Patent number: 10087713Abstract: A subsurface safety valve and method for sealing an annulus within a tubular, including a valve housing having a first section having a hollow cylinder for receiving a piston, the hollow cylinder having a first portion, a second portion and a first circumferential ledge; a piston positioned within the hollow cylinder, the piston having a first end, a second end, a first radially extending circumferential land positioned therebetween, and a first reservoir for receiving a first fluid; a biasing element to assist in placing the valve in a sealed condition, the biasing element positioned between the first circumferential ledge of the hollow cylinder and the first radially extending circumferential land; and a flexible sealing member for selectively sealing the annular space when a hydraulic force is exerted thereupon.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Marcel A. Grubert
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Patent number: 10087719Abstract: A method of disposing of fluids produced from a wellbore extending into a subsurface formation, the subsurface formation having a production zone and a disposal zone, at least a portion of the wellbore lined with a string of production casing. The method includes placing a wellbore tubular conduit within the casing; placing a pump in fluid communication with the wellbore tubular conduit, the pump having an inlet and a discharge, the inlet in fluid communication with a source of produced fluids; and injecting the produced fluids through a plurality of perforations positioned about the casing into a disposal zone of the subsurface formation. A system for disposing of fluids produced from a wellbore extending into a subsurface formation is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Randy C. Tolman, Michael C. Romer
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Patent number: 10087697Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for controlling a well blowout comprising: a flow control device such as a blowout preventer on a wellbore, the primary throughbore of the flow control device comprising internal dimensional irregularities creating a non-uniform flow path in the primary throughbore which as sufficient fluid rate may enhance pressure fluid pressure drop therein; a control fluid aperture fluidly connected with the wellbore for introducing a control fluid through a control fluid aperture and into the primary throughbore while wellbore fluid flows through the wellbore; a weighted fluid aperture positioned in the wellbore conduit below the control fluid aperture for introducing a weighted fluid into the wellbore while control fluid is also being introduced into the wellbore through the control fluid aperture.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2015Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Timothy J. Nedwed, David R. Converse, Michael W. Eaton
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Patent number: 10087721Abstract: There is provided a method for modeling a hydrocarbon reservoir that includes generating a reservoir model that has a plurality of sub regions. A solution surrogate is obtained for a sub region by searching a database of existing solution surrogates to obtain an approximate solution surrogate based on a comparison of physical, geometrical, or numerical parameters of the sub region with physical, geometrical, or numerical parameters associated with the existing surrogate solutions in the database. If an approximate solution surrogate does not exist in the database, the sub region is simulated using a training simulation to obtain a set of training parameters comprising state variables and boundary conditions of the sub region. A machine learning algorithm is used to obtain a new solution surrogate based on the set of training parameters. The hydrocarbon reservoir can be simulated using the solution surrogate obtained for the at least one sub region.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2011Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Adam Usadi, Dachang Li, Rossen Parashkevov, Sergey A. Terekhov, Xiaohui Wu, Yahan Yang
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Patent number: 10082063Abstract: The present techniques are directed to a system and methods for operating a gas turbine system. An exemplary gas turbine system includes an oxidant system, a fuel system, and a control system. A combustor is adapted to receive and combust an oxidant from the oxidant system and a fuel from the fuel system to produce an exhaust gas. A catalyst unit including an oxidation catalyst that includes an oxygen storage component is configured to reduce the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas to form a low oxygen content product gas.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2018Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Tilman W. Beutel, Sulabh K. Dhanuka
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Patent number: 10080991Abstract: Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve passing streams through adsorbent bed units to remove contaminants, such as water, from the stream. As part of the process, the adsorbent bed unit is purged with a purge stream that is provided at a temperature less than 450° F. The de-contaminated stream may be used with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant or other subsequent process requiring a de-contaminated stream. The swing adsorption process may involve a combined TSA and PSA process, which is utilized to remove contaminants from the feed stream.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Robert A. Johnson, Harry W. Deckman, Bruce T. Kelley, Russell H. Oelfke, Shwetha Ramkumar
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Patent number: 10082000Abstract: A zonal isolation apparatus for an open-hole wellbore completed with a gravel pack having sections of blank pipe intermediate selected sections of sand screen, comprising a blank liner, with a first packer and second packer disposed therein. The first and second packers are set adjacent to sections of blank pipe and seal an annular area formed between the blank liner and the surrounding sections of sand screen at the first and second sections of blank pipe. The flow of fluids into the wellbore intermediate the first and second sections of blank pipe is inhibited.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2013Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Marcel A. Grubert, David E. Courtnage, Jing Wan
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Patent number: 10083254Abstract: A method is presented for modeling reservoir properties. The method includes an auxiliary time-stepping procedure of the reservoir between an old time and a new time, and calculating a plurality of masses explicitly. A plurality of phase component densities is updated linearly from the plurality of masses. A plurality of saturation changes is calculated based on the plurality of masses. A plurality of phase flow rates is updated based on the plurality of saturation changes, a plurality of phase flow rates at the old time, and a plurality of saturation derivatives of the phase flow rates at the old time. A plurality of component flow rates may be calculated based on the updated plurality of phase component densities and the plurality of phase flow rates. The method also includes a formulation method based on the auxiliary time stepping procedure.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2011Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Yahan Yang, Xiaohui Wu
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Patent number: 10080992Abstract: Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve passing streams through adsorbent bed units to treat the feed stream to form a stream that complies with nitrogen rejection specifications. The process may involve using at least a portion of the nitrogen rejection process product streams as a purge for the swing adsorption process.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Ananda K. Nagavarapu, Ransdall K. Smith, Russell H. Oelfke
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Patent number: 10082588Abstract: A method, including: growing, with a computer, an adaptive structure-oriented operator from a central computation location within seismic data using at least one of dip lateral variations, strike lateral variations, dip vertical variations, or strike vertical variations.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2015Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Vincent Favreau, Gianni Matteucci, Prasad Sumant