Patents Assigned to ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
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Patent number: 10982536Abstract: A system of performing a well operation including determining a minimum horizontal in-situ stress of a subterranean formation, comprising: a first component configured to create a measured pressure response from data of a well injection test; a simulation component configured to generate a simulated pressure response with a selected value of a simulated minimum horizontal in-situ stress; and an arrangement to compare at least a portion of the simulated pressure response to a corresponding portion of the measured pressure response to resolve a difference; whereby the minimum horizontal in-situ stress of the formation may be equated to a value of the simulated minimum horizontal in-situ stress corresponding with a lesser resolved difference. Further aspects of the disclosure include novel methods.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Kedar S. Kirane, Shekhar V. Gosavi, Pablo F. Sanz Rehermann
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Patent number: 10968723Abstract: System and methods for cleaning debris or particulates from a wellbore using foam is provided, including predicting if a foam cleanout of a well is feasible by calculating foam properties at each of a number of segments in a well during a foam cleanout, comparing the foam properties to screening limits, providing an output to indicate if a foam cleanout is feasible. If feasible, the foam cleanout is performed.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Sai S. Rao, Kaustubh S. Kulkarni
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Patent number: 10968781Abstract: A system includes a probe disposed through one or more walls of a turbomachine. The probe includes a sensing component configured to sense a parameter of the turbomachine. The probe also includes a body coupled to the sensing component, an inlet configured to receive a cooling inflow, a shell that defines a cooling passage, and an outlet. The sensing component is disposed on a warm side of the one or more walls. The inlet and the outlet are disposed on a cool side of the one or more walls. The cooling passage directs the cooling inflow toward the sensing component and toward the outlet. The outlet is configured to receive an outflow from the cooling passage, wherein the outflow includes at least a portion of the cooling inflow.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Srinivas Pakkala
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Patent number: 10968730Abstract: A method of optimizing drilling ramp-up is provided herein. More specifically, a method of ramping up a drilling operation from a static condition (0, 0) to optimum drilling parameter values (WOB*, RPM*) is provided. The method includes identifying a set of drilling control variables used in forming the wellbore. Examples include weight-on-bit (WOB) and rate of penetration (RPM). The method additionally includes selecting desired control variable values for a first identified drilling stage. The values may be generically referred to as (V1, V2). The method also includes increasing the drilling control variables from (0, 0) to pre-defined drilling control variable values (V1, V2). Preferably, V1 is a WOB value while V2 is a rotation speed value (RPM). The method also comprises monitoring a performance index (PI), wherein (PI) is a combination of torque (TQ) and penetration rate (RPM).Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Lei Wang, Gregory S. Payette, Jeffrey R. Bailey, Jeff H. Moss
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Patent number: 10963815Abstract: The systems and methods described herein include training a well performance predictor based on field data corresponding to a hydrocarbon field in which a well is to be drilled; generating a number of candidate well parameter combinations for the well and predicting a performance of the well for each candidate well parameter combination using the trained well performance predictor; and determining an optimized well parameter combination for the well such that the predicted performance of the well is maximized.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Damian N. Burch, Antonio R. C. Paiva, Rainer van den Bosch
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Patent number: 10954731Abstract: A method for conducting a wellbore operation includes drilling a wellbore through one or more hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formations with a drill bit arranged at an end of a drill string, wherein an annulus is defined between the drill string and an inner wall of the wellbore. A foam is generated with a foam generator of an annular injection system in communication with the annulus, and the foam is introduced into the annulus with the annular injection system.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Gregory King, Kaustubh S. Kulkarni, Sai S. Rao, Andrey A. Troshko
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Patent number: 10947610Abstract: Mooring chains used in offshore environments are typically formed from carbon steels due to their wear and fatigue resistance properties. Although carbon steels may exhibit robust mechanical properties, they are susceptible to corrosion, which can shorten the usable working lifetime of mooring chains, particularly in a seawater environment. Austenitic steels comprising high percentages of manganese may have comparable mechanical properties to the carbon steels commonly used in mooring chains, yet exhibit less susceptibility to corrosion. Austenitic steels suitable for use in mooring chains and other structures in contact with or exposed to a seawater environment may comprise: 0.4-0.8 wt. % C, 12-25 wt. % Mn, 4-15 wt. % Cr, a non-zero amount of Si<3 wt. %, a non-zero amount of Al<0.5 wt. %, a non-zero amount of N<0.1 wt. %, <5 wt. % Mo, and balance Fe and inevitable impurities.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Neerav Verma, Andrew J. Wasson, Hyun-Woo Jin, Haiping He
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Publication number: 20210063083Abstract: A method and apparatus for liquefying a feed gas stream comprising natural gas and carbon dioxide. A method includes compressing an input fluid stream to generate a first intermediary fluid stream; cooling the first intermediary fluid stream with a first heat exchanger to generate a second intermediary fluid stream, wherein a temperature of the second intermediary fluid stream is higher than a carbon dioxide-freezing temperature for the second intermediary fluid stream; expanding the second intermediary fluid stream to generate a third intermediary fluid stream, wherein the third intermediary fluid stream comprises solid carbon dioxide; separating the third intermediary fluid stream into a fourth intermediary fluid stream and an output fluid stream, wherein the output fluid stream comprises a liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquid; and utilizing the fourth intermediary fluid stream as a cooling fluid stream for the first heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Applicant: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Robert D. Kaminsky, Marcel Staedter
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Patent number: 10934830Abstract: Downhole gas separators, artificial lift systems including the downhole gas separators, hydrocarbon wells including the artificial lift systems, and methods of separating a gas from a liquid hydrocarbon within a hydrocarbon well. The downhole gas separators include an elongate outer housing that defines an enclosed volume, a fluid inlet port, and a gas outlet port. The downhole gas separators further include an elongate dip tube that extends within the enclosed volume, and the gas outlet port is configured to selectively provide fluid communication between the enclosed volume and an external region.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Jason Y. Wang, Andrey A. Troshko, Scott R. Buechler, Michael C. Romer
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Publication number: 20210053827Abstract: A method for recovering sulfur within a gas processing system is described herein. The method includes contacting a natural gas stream including an acid gas with a solvent stream within a co-current contacting system to produce a sweetened natural gas stream and a rich solvent stream including an absorbed acid gas. The method also includes removing the absorbed acid gas from the rich solvent stream within a regenerator to produce a concentrated acid gas stream and a lean solvent stream. The method further includes recovering elemental sulfur from hydrogen sulfide (H2S) within the concentrated acid gas stream via a sulfur recovery unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2020Publication date: February 25, 2021Applicant: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: P. Scott NORTHROP, John Timothy Cullinane
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Patent number: 10920539Abstract: A method for modeling a subsurface reservoir system, the method including: generating, with a computer, a background mesh that does not honor at least one subsurface feature included in the subsurface reservoir system; splitting, with a computer, the background mesh along the subsurface feature included in the subsurface reservoir system such that a resulting mesh honors a geometry of the subsurface features; identifying, with a computer, element faces or edges where the resulting mesh is non-conforming and/or the element faces or edges lie on subsurface features; and performing a computer-based numerical simulation utilizing the resulting mesh to model at least one fluid-related or geomechanical reservoir response, wherein mass or traction balance is enforced on the identified element faces or edges.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Gauthier D. Becker, Hao Huang, Huafei Sun
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Patent number: 10921471Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring operation integrity during hydrocarbon production or fluid injection operations. According to the methods and systems, received microseismic data is processed to obtain a plurality of data panels corresponding to microseismic data measured over a predetermined time interval. For each data panel, trigger values are calculated for data traces corresponding to sensor receivers of the microseismic monitoring system. At least one data panel is selected as a triggered data panel that satisfies predetermined triggering criteria. At least one triggered data panel is selected as a non-trivial data panel that satisfies spectral density criteria. A value is calculated for each of at least two event attributes of a plurality of event attributes of the event. An event score is determined based on the values of the plurality of event attributes. An event is classified into at least one event category of a plurality of event categories based on the event score.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Sri Venkata Tapovan Lolla, Jeffrey R. Bailey, Simona O. Costin, Michael S. Hons, Helen Yam, Arslan Akhmetov, Tim W. Hayward, Richard J. Smith, Colum M. Keith, Marc-Andre P. Chen
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Patent number: 10907472Abstract: A method and system are described for imaging core samples associated with a subsurface region. The imaging results may be used to create or update a subsurface model and using the subsurface model and/or imaging results in hydrocarbon operations. The imaging techniques may include NMR imaging and CT imaging. Further, the imaging techniques may also include exposing the core sample to the imaging gas.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Hubert E. King, Jr., Shawn Fullmer, Antonio S. Buono, Michael Sansone, Pavel Kortunov, John H. Dunsmuir, Bo Gao, James G. Kralik, Ye Xu
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Patent number: 10901105Abstract: A method and system are described for hydrocarbon exploration, development and production. The method relates to performing regression and/or classification in subsurface models to support decision making for hydrocarbon operations. The evaluation may then be used in performing hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development and/or hydrocarbon production.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Thomas C. Halsey, Xiaohui Wu, Sumeet Trehan
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Patent number: 10900420Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes performing a turbine combustor diagnostic routine including operating a first turbine combustor of a plurality of turbine combustors at a substantially steady state of combustion; adjusting an operational parameter of the first turbine combustor to cause a change in combustion products produced by the first turbine combustor; identifying a first sensor response of a first subset of a plurality of sensors disposed within or downstream from a turbine fluidly coupled to the turbine combustor, the first sensor response being indicative of the change in the combustion products, and wherein the first subset comprises one or more first sensors; correlating the first subset of sensors with the first turbine combustor; and diagnosing a condition of the first subset of the plurality of sensors, the first turbine combustor, or a combination thereof, based on the first sensor response.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2018Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Eugene Delano White
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Patent number: 10901118Abstract: A method and system are described for creating a subsurface model. In this method, a watertight framework may be adjusted to lessen the ill-formed mesh elements. The method collapses mesh elements and/or eliminates nodes enhance the watertight framework and subsequent subsurface model. The resulting subsurface model may be used in reservoir simulations and hydrocarbon operations.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2017Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Matthias Imhof
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Patent number: 10895654Abstract: A method, including: determining, with a computer, a reflectivity spectrum; generating, with a computer, a target spectrum that is a convolution of a roll-off function and the reflectivity spectrum; and filtering, with a computer, seismic data to cause the seismic data to have the target spectrum.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Kyle J. Basler-Reeder, Spyridon K. Lazaratos, Eugene C. Trantham, Michael P. Matheney
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Patent number: 10895655Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating missing frequencies within geophysical data, said method including: decomposing, with a computer, geophysical data into frequencies and slowness or wavenumber along time and one or more spatial dimensions; estimating, with a computer, a filter across known frequencies within the geophysical data for each time, spatial dimension, and slowness or wavenumber sample; extrapolating or interpolating, with a computer, the missing frequencies from the known frequencies by applying the filter; recomposing, with a computer, the known frequencies and the missing frequencies back into time and the one or more spatial dimensions; and prospecting for hydrocarbons with geophysical data that includes the missing frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2018Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: William Curry, Yaxun Tang
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Patent number: 10894581Abstract: The present techniques are directed to systems and a method for reducing trenching around piles. An exemplary method includes attaching a mooring line to one end of a padeye extender bar that is coupled by another end to a padeye on the pile. The pile is installed in a sediment layer. The padeye extender bar is deployed to hold an attachment point for the mooring line above the sedimenlt layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Patrick C. Wong, Haydar Arslan, Roald T. Lokken
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Patent number: 10895666Abstract: A method of identifying hydrocarbon seeps that are connected to hydrocarbon reservoirs and for identifying in situ conditions of hydrocarbon reservoirs is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect microbial signatures that are specific to families associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs; and using the signature to determine whether the hydrocarbon seep is connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir and to identify properties of the hydrocarbon reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2017Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: A. Lucie N'Guessan, Aaron B. Regberg, Zarath M. Summers