Patents Assigned to ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
  • Patent number: 10112848
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Grave, Michael D. Olson
  • Patent number: 10107093
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Charles S. Yeh, Michael D. Barry, Michael T. Hecker
  • Patent number: 10107938
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Hao Huang, Xiaohui Wu, Larisa V. Branets, Dar-Lon Chang, Xiang Ma, Gauthier D. Becker, Thomas C. Halsey
  • Patent number: 10107495
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Karl Dean Minto
  • Patent number: 10100635
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Stuart R. Keller, Timothy I. Morrow, James S. Burns, Max Deffenbaugh, Mark M. Disko, David A. Stiles
  • Patent number: 10099972
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Paul F. Keusenkothen, Timothy A. Barckholtz, J. Tim Cullinane, Robert D. Denton, Frank Hershkowitz, Ian J. Laurenzi
  • Patent number: 10100613
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Nicholas F. Urbanski, Robert D. Denton, Charles J. Mart, Tracy A. Fowler
  • Patent number: 10100741
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Huntington, Sulabh K. Dhanuka, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy
  • Patent number: 10094566
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Bradford David Borchert, Jesse Edwin Trout, Scott Robert Simmons, Almaz Valeev, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Igor Petrovich Sidko, Leonid Yul'evich Ginesin
  • Patent number: 10094815
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Michael Lawson, Brian K. Peterson, Cara L. Davis, David R. Converse, John M. Eiler
  • Patent number: 10087713
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Marcel A. Grubert
  • Patent number: 10087719
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Randy C. Tolman, Michael C. Romer
  • Patent number: 10087697
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Timothy J. Nedwed, David R. Converse, Michael W. Eaton
  • Patent number: 10087721
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Adam Usadi, Dachang Li, Rossen Parashkevov, Sergey A. Terekhov, Xiaohui Wu, Yahan Yang
  • Patent number: 10082063
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Tilman W. Beutel, Sulabh K. Dhanuka
  • Patent number: 10080991
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Johnson, Harry W. Deckman, Bruce T. Kelley, Russell H. Oelfke, Shwetha Ramkumar
  • Patent number: 10082000
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Marcel A. Grubert, David E. Courtnage, Jing Wan
  • Patent number: 10083254
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Yahan Yang, Xiaohui Wu
  • Patent number: 10080992
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Ananda K. Nagavarapu, Ransdall K. Smith, Russell H. Oelfke
  • Patent number: 10082588
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Vincent Favreau, Gianni Matteucci, Prasad Sumant