Abstract: A co-current contacting system for removing impurities from a gas stream is described herein. The co-current contacting system includes a co-current contactor configured to co-currently flow a gas stream including impurities and a liquid stream through the co-current contactor. The co-current contactor is also configured to incorporate liquid droplets formed from the liquid stream into the gas stream, such that the impurities from the gas stream are absorbed by the liquid droplets. The co-current contacting system also includes a separator configured to remove the gas stream from the liquid droplets including the impurities, generating a purified gas stream and a rich liquid stream. The co-current contacting system is configured to recycle the rich liquid stream for reuse as a portion of the liquid stream flowing into the co-current contactor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for removing moisture from refrigerant that use a desiccant-based moisture removal unit can be used in the production of liquid natural gas (LNG). For example, a method can include: compressing a refrigerant; conveying at least a portion of the refrigerant to a moisture removal unit comprising a desiccant to form dehydrated refrigerant; cooling and condensing the dehydrated refrigerant to provide a cooled dehydrated liquid refrigerant; conveying the cooled dehydrated refrigerant to a heat exchanger; and passing a LNG stream rich in methane through the heat exchanger to cool at least part of the LNG stream by indirect heat exchange with the cooled dehydrated refrigerant.

Abstract: A lock mandrel is described herein. The lock mandrel includes an upper connector and a lower connector. The upper connector includes locking keys configured to attach the lock mandrel to a landing nipple on a tubing within a hydrocarbon well. The upper connector also includes a spring-loaded locking collar configured to prevent the locking keys from disengaging from the landing nipple by pressing radially against the locking keys from the inside when in a seated position, and allow the locking keys to disengage from the landing nipple by retracting away from the locking keys when in an unseated position. The lower connector includes a tool adaptor configured to attach a downhole tool to the lock mandrel.

Abstract: Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve performing modeling to generate a swing adsorption system to manage a feed stream to produce a product stream within specification. The process may be utilized for swing adsorption processes, such as TSA and/or PSA, which are utilized to remove one or more contaminants from a gaseous feed stream.

Abstract: An illustrative geologic modeling method may comprise: obtaining a geologic model representing a subsurface region in physical space, the subsurface region being divided into multiple zones; sequentially generating a physical space simulation mesh for each of said multiple zones by: (a) mapping a current zone of the physical space geologic model to a current zone of a design space model representing a current zone of an unfaulted subsurface region; (b) gridding the design space model to obtain a design space mesh; (c) partitioning cells in the current zone of the design space mesh with faults mapped from the current zone of the physical space geologic model, thereby obtaining a partitioned design space mesh for the current zone; and (d) reverse mapping the partitioned design space mesh for the current zone to the physical space for the current zone.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells and methods that utilize a plug with an included tracer material. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plug positioned within the wellbore and a tracer detection structure. The plug forms a fluid seal and includes a tracer material. The tracer detection structure is configured to detect the tracer material within a produced fluid stream that is produced from the hydrocarbon well. The methods include releasing the tracer material from the plug and producing the produced fluid stream. The methods also include detecting the tracer material within the produced fluid stream.

Abstract: Method for constructing a continuous design space for generating a physical property model in a faulted subsurface medium. The matching relationship of the fault traces on the two sides of each fault is used in a systematic way to determine the location of the fault traces in the design space. The location of any other point in the design space may then be determined by interpolation of the locations of fault traces. The fault traces are thus used as control points for the mapping. The method involves: (a) identifying the control points and determining their location in both physical and design space and (b) using selected control points, mapping any point from physical space to design space, preferably using the moving least squares method.

Abstract: Downhole plugs including a sensor, hydrocarbon wells including the downhole plugs, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells. The downhole plugs include a sealing structure, an actuation mechanism, and the sensor. The actuation mechanism is configured to selectively transition the sealing structure between a disengaged state, in which the downhole plug is free to move within a tubular conduit of a downhole tubular of the hydrocarbon well, and an engaged state, in which the sealing structure operatively engages with the downhole tubular, forms a fluid seal with the downhole tubular, and resists motion of the downhole plug within the tubular conduit. The sensor is configured to detect a sensed parameter within the tubular conduit and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the sensed parameter.

Abstract: A fluid mixture for attenuating pressure within a confined volume. The fluid mixture comprises an aqueous carrier fluid. The fluid mixture further comprises a plurality of compressible particles dispersed in the carrier fluid. Each of the compressible particles is fabricated to collapse in response to fluid pressure within a confined volume. Each of the compressible particles has a density that is less than a density of the carrier fluid and has a compressibility of between 10% and 30%, up to 10,000 psi. A column of fluid within a trapped annulus of a wellbore is also presented, wherein the column of fluid has a plurality of compressible particles dispersed in a carrier fluid.

Abstract: A method for regenerating liquid desiccant is described herein. The method includes co-currently contacting a rich desiccant stream including water with a stripping gas within a co-current contacting system such that the stripping gas removes at least a portion of the water from the rich desiccant stream, producing a wet stripping gas and a lean desiccant stream. The method also includes removing the water from the wet stripping gas within a stripping gas separation system, regenerating the stripping gas, and recirculating the stripping gas to the co-current contacting system.

Abstract: Drill strings with probe deployment structures, hydrocarbon wells that include the drill strings, and methods of utilizing the drill strings are disclosed herein. The drill strings include a pipe string and a drill bit attached to the pipe string. The drill strings also include a probe deployment structure attached to the pipe string and a downhole communication device attached to the pipe string. The probe deployment structure includes a probe and is configured to selectively insert the probe into a subterranean formation via a wellbore of the hydrocarbon well. The probe is configured to measure at least one property of the subterranean formation. The downhole communication device is configured to communicate with the probe. The hydrocarbon wells include a drill string support structure, which supports the drill string, a wellbore extending within a subsurface region, and the drill string extending within the wellbore.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for machine learning for use with automated seismic interpretation include: obtaining input data; extracting patches from a pre-extraction dataset based on the input data; transforming data of a pre-transformation dataset based on the input data and geologic domain knowledge and/or geophysical domain knowledge; and generating augmented data from the extracted patches and the transformed data. A method and apparatus for machine learning for use with automated seismic interpretation include: a data input module configured to obtain input data; a patch extraction module configured to extract patches from a pre-extraction dataset that is based on the input data; a data transformation module configured to transform data from a pre-transformation dataset that is based on the input data and geologic domain knowledge and/or geophysical domain knowledge; and a data augmentation module configured to augment data from the extracted patches and the transformed data.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for an adsorbent bed assembly for separation of gaseous mixtures. The assembly includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes an outer shell, and first and second ends engaged with the outer shell that include inputs/outputs. A central support structure is positioned within the interior cavity and is engaged with the body or forms a portion thereof. Anti-telescoping devices are positioned about the central support structure, at least one of which is affixed to the central support structure. Each anti-telescoping device includes a plurality of spokes extending within the interior cavity from or proximate the central support structure towards the outer shell.

Abstract: A cryogenic distillation tower for separating a feed stream. The tower includes a distillation section. A controlled freeze zone section is situated above the distillation section and forms a solid from the feed stream. The controlled freeze zone section includes a spray assembly in an upper section and a melt tray assembly in a lower section. The melt tray assembly includes at least one vapor stream riser that directs the vapor from the distillation section into liquid retained by the melt tray assembly, and one or more draw-off openings positioned to permit a portion of the liquid to exit the controlled freeze zone section. The portion of the liquid indirectly exchanges heat with a heating fluid. One or more return inlets return the portion of the liquid to the melt tray assembly after it has been heated in the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Provided is a method for determining convergence in full wavefield inversion (FWI) of 4D seismic (time-lapse seismic: 3D seismic surveys acquired at different times with the first survey termed as the baseline and subsequent surveys termed as monitors). FWI applied to field seismic data includes iteratively solving for subsurface property models and model difference between monitor and baseline. Iteration occurs until the model difference is sufficiently converged. Rather than determining convergence by examining an entire subsurface region of the models and/or the model difference, subparts of the subsurface region models and/or the model difference are examined in order to determine convergence. For example, different regions behave differently, include the target reservoir region (where hydrocarbon is present) and the background region that is outside the target reservoir region.

Abstract: In some examples, an electric submersible pump includes a pump, an electric motor to drive the pump, and a controller. The controller can monitor at one or more terminals of the electric motor a value relating to total harmonic distortion. The controller can also determine whether to de-rate the electric motor in response to the monitoring at the one or more terminals of the electric motor of the value relating to the total harmonic distortion.

Abstract: A multi-layer friction reducing tape, including: a foil layer including a metal, polymer, or hybrid-metal-polymer; an under layer disposed on the foil layer; an adhesion promoting layer contiguous with a surface of the under layer; a functional layer that includes a fullerene based composite, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), or combinations thereof, wherein the functional layer is contiguous with a surface of the adhesion promoting layer; and a tape, including an adhesive layer and a backing material, wherein the adhesive layer is attached to a surface of the foil layer opposite the under layer.

Abstract: A method of moving a string assembly within a wellbore is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises moving the string assembly within the wellbore; obtaining surface data regarding at least one parameter associated with moving the string assembly within the wellbore over a range of depths; modeling the at least one parameter over the range of depths for a plurality of assumed friction factors to obtain modeled data for each assumed friction factor; calculating a derivative of the surface data over the range of depths; calculating a derivative of the modeled data over the range of depths; comparing the derivative of the surface data to the derivative of the modeled data; determining one or more local friction factors for the range of depths based on the comparison; and adjusting at least one string assembly operating parameter based on the one or more local friction factors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying features of a subsurface region, including: obtaining an initial physical property model and survey data for the subsurface region; identifying a current model to be the initial physical property model; and executing one or more iterations of: generating synthetic data and forward wavefields with the current model and the survey data by forward modeling with forward wave equations representing isotropic wave-mode-independent attenuation; generating adjoint wavefields with the synthetic data and the survey data by adjoint modeling with adjoint wave equations representing isotropic wave-mode-independent attenuation; computing an objective function gradient with the forward wavefields and the adjoint wavefields by solving gradient equations with the corresponding wave equations representing isotropic wave-mode-independent attenuation; computing a search direction of the objective function; searching for a possible improved model along the search direction; and updating the

Abstract: A method of placing compressible particles within a wellbore. The method first comprises accessing a wellbore. The wellbore has a first string of casing and a second string of casing, wherein the first string of casing surrounds an upper portion of the second string of casing, forming a trapped annulus. The method further includes pumping a fluid mixture down the second string of casing and back up the annulus. The fluid mixture comprises an aqueous carrier fluid having a plurality of compressible particles dispersed therein. Each of the compressible particles is fabricated to collapse in response to fluid pressure within the trapped annulus. The method additionally includes pumping cement into at least a lower portion of the annulus behind the fluid mixture, forming a column of cement, and thereby placing the fluid mixture in the annulus above the column of cement.