Patents Assigned to ExxonMobil Upstream Research
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Patent number: 11294087Abstract: A method for directional Q compensation of seismic data may comprise calculating angle-dependent subsurface travel times; applying directional Q compensation to the prestack seismic data to obtain Q-compensated data in time-space domain, wherein the directional Q compensation is based on the angle-dependent subsurface travel times; and using the Q-compensated data to generate an image of the subsurface. Directional Q compensation may comprise determining an angle-dependent forward E operator and an angle-dependent adjoint E* operator using the angle-dependent subsurface travel times; and applying a sparse inversion algorithm using the angle-dependent operators to obtain a model of Q-compensated data.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Mehdi Aharchaou, Erik R. Neumann
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Patent number: 11286748Abstract: Pump-through standing valves, wells including the pump-through standing valves, and methods of utilizing a pump-through standing valve to deploy a downhole device are disclosed herein. The pump-through standing valves include a valve body, a standing valve at least partially formed within the valve body, and a flow-through valve at least partially formed within the valve body. The standing valve includes a standing valve fluid conduit and a standing valve flow control device. The flow-through valve includes a flow-through valve fluid conduit and a flow-through valve flow control device. The wells include a wellbore, which extends within a subterranean formation, a wellbore tubular, which extends within the wellbore, and the pump-through standing valve, which is operatively attached to the wellbore tubular.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2017Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Michael C. Romer, Randy C. Tolman
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Patent number: 11287541Abstract: A method, including: determining, with a computer, point spread functions for a plurality of parameter locations by performing at least a portion of a first iteration of an iterative full wavefield inversion process; determining at least one property for each of the point spread functions; and evaluating a candidate survey design based on the at least one property for each of the point spread functions.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: William A Burnett, Martin J. Terrell, Pavel Dimitrov, Thomas A. Dickens, Yaxun Tang, Partha S. Routh, William Curry, Dennis E. Willen
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Patent number: 11286755Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules in sand control structures and/or methods of completing the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore, defines a tubular conduit, and includes a fluid-permeable segment. The hydrocarbon wells also include a sand control structure that is positioned within an annular space that extends between the wellbore and the fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular. The sand control structure is configured to restrict migration of formation sands from the subsurface region and into the tubular conduit via the fluid-permeable segment and includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The methods include positioning a downhole tubular within a wellbore and providing a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules to an annular space that extends between the wellbore and a fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Charles S. Yeh, Robert M. Shirley, Pavlin B. Entchev
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Patent number: 11274880Abstract: A drive system for liquefied natural gas (LNG) refrigeration compressors in a LNG liquefaction plant. Each of three refrigeration compression strings include refrigeration compressors and a multi-shaft gas turbine capable of non-synchronous operation. The multi-shaft gas turbine is operationally connected to the refrigeration compressors and is configured to drive the one or more refrigeration compressors. The multi-shaft gas turbine uses its inherent speed turndown range to start the one or more refrigeration compressors from rest, bring the one or more refrigeration compressors up to an operating rotational speed, and adjust compressor operating points to maximize efficiency of the one or more refrigeration compressors, without assistance from electrical motors with drive-through capability and variable frequency drives.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Ashley R. Guy, Sorin T. Lupascu, Donna J. Parker, Yow-Yeen Lee
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Patent number: 11268358Abstract: Methods include positioning a downhole completion assembly in a tubular conduit of a downhole tubular of a hydrocarbon well. The downhole completion assembly includes a downhole sub-assembly and an uphole sub-assembly. The methods also include forming a fluid seal within the tubular conduit with the downhole sub-assembly, decoupling the uphole sub-assembly from the downhole sub-assembly, translating the uphole sub-assembly in an uphole direction, perforating the downhole tubular with the uphole sub-assembly, translating the uphole sub-assembly in a downhole direction, coupling the uphole sub-assembly to the downhole sub-assembly, ceasing the fluid seal, and translating the downhole completion assembly in the uphole direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2020Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Rami Jabari, P. Matthew Spiecker, Michael C. Romer, Michael T. Hecker, Timothy J. Hall
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Patent number: 11270078Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 18, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventor: Paul Hugh Cleverley
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Patent number: 11268341Abstract: Wellbore plugs that include an interrogation device, hydrocarbon wells that include the wellbore plugs, and methods of operating the hydrocarbon wells are disclosed herein. The wellbore plugs include a plug body, an interrogation device, and a sealing structure. The interrogation device is contained within the plug body and includes a sensor configured to detect at least one parameter of the hydrocarbon well. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore, a downhole tubular, the plug, and a communication device configured to receive communication data from the interrogation device. The methods include releasing an interrogation device from a plug, detecting at least one parameter within the hydrocarbon well with the interrogation device, transmitting communication data from the interrogation device, and receiving the communication data with a communication device.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2020Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Rami Jabari, Timothy J. Hall, P. Matthew Spiecker, Michael C. Romer
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Patent number: 11268378Abstract: In conjunction with a communication network, for example, a downhole wireless network for transmission of data along a tubular body, disclosed herein are: (1) a variety of hardware interfacing methods with sensors and downhole tools; (2) sensing concepts that are enabled by the unique interfaces; (3) physical implementation of the integrated sensor/communication node structures; (4) related software communication protocols. The interfaces may support both data communication and power transfer.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Yibing Zhang, Limin Song, Katie M. Walker, Mark M. Disko, Scott William Clawson, Patrick M. Moore, David M. Chorneyko
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Patent number: 11261725Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a liquid level in a formation between a horizontal segment of an injection wellbore and a horizontal segment of a production wellbore are disclosed. Under shut-in conditions, local temperatures and pressures are determined for each of a plurality of inflow zones along the production wellbore segment. Local profile values are determined based on local shut-in subcool values and local shut-in liquid levels. After flow has resumed, a local liquid level is determined based on the local operating subcool value and the local profile value for that inflow zone. The local profile values may be updated during subsequent shut-ins.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Robin Gupta, Neal L. Adair, Sriram Doraiswamy, Ted A. Long
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Patent number: 11260342Abstract: A fractionation system for removing heavy hydrocarbons in a gas stream. A stripping section receives a predominantly liquid phase of the feed gas stream. A co-current contacting system receives a predominantly vapor phase of the feed gas stream. The co-current contacting system includes a compact contacting bundle disposed within a vessel and including a plurality of substantially parallel contacting units, each of the plurality of contacting units having a droplet generator, a mass transfer section, and a separation system. Each droplet generator generates droplets from a liquid disperses the droplets into a gas stream. Each mass transfer section provides a mixed, two-phase flow having a vapor phase and a liquid phase. Each separation system separates the vapor phase from the liquid phase such that the concentration of heavy hydrocarbons in the vapor phase is lower than in the liquid phase.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Norman K. Yeh, Edward J. Grave, Shwetha Ramkumar, Juan C. Juarez
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Patent number: 11260339Abstract: 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 may provide access to the adsorbent material within the adsorbent bed unit without having to remove one or more of valves, conduits and manifolds.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Robert F. Tammera, Bruce T. Kelley, Sebastian Chialvo, Ananda K. Nagavarapu, William Barnes, Tracy A. Fowler
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Patent number: 11255190Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells and methods of interrogating fluid flow within hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore and downhole tubing that defines a tubing conduit and extends within the wellbore. The hydrocarbon wells also include an interrogation device. The interrogation device is configured to indicate at least one property of fluid flow within the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells also include a downhole location at which the interrogation device is released into the tubing conduit and a detection structure configured to query the interrogation device to determine the at least one property of fluid flow within the hydrocarbon wells. The methods include releasing an interrogation device at a downhole location within a hydrocarbon well and flowing the interrogation device from the downhole location to a surface region. The methods also include querying the interrogation device to determine at least one property of fluid flow within the hydrocarbon well.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Michael C. Romer, Ted A. Long, Tony W. Hord
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Patent number: 11255603Abstract: A method of designing, constructing, and operating a hydrocarbon gas treatment plant is disclosed. A target hydrocarbon production range for a hydrocarbon gas meeting a required product specification is established. A cryogenic distillation column is designed and constructed with a vapor capacity to meet the target hydrocarbon production range. A variable feed refrigeration system is incorporated to cool an inlet feed of the hydrocarbon gas. The variable feed refrigeration system is designed to handle the target hydrocarbon production range and a wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed. A variable bottoms heating system is incorporated to handle heating duties associated with the wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed. A variable bottoms pumping system is incorporated to handle liquid flows associated with the wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2016Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Jaime A. Valencia, Robert D. Denton, David W. Maher
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Patent number: 11255993Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging seismic data includes obtaining an initial model of a subsurface formation, wherein the model includes a plurality of nodes that form at least part of a grid; an initial dip value for the nodes; and a set of origin coordinates for each of the nodes; performing bottom-up ray tracing for each node in the model, resulting in a set of arrival coordinates for each node; identifying a plurality of gathers from the seismic data; for each gather: calculating a set of midpoint coordinates; defining a midpoint vicinity surrounding the set of midpoint coordinates; identifying the nodes having arrival coordinates within the midpoint vicinity; and estimating a unique aperture for each of the gathers based on the respective origin coordinates; storing the estimated apertures in a table; and generating a subsurface volume or image with subsurface reflectors determined with apertures of the respective gathers.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Valeriy V. Brytik, Yaxun Tang, David Gaines, Fuxian Song, Anton Spirkin
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Patent number: 11247168Abstract: A co-axial co-current contactor (CA-CCC) is described herein. The CA-CCC includes an outer annular support ring and an inner annular support ring configured to maintain the CA-CCC within an outer pipe and an inner pipe, respectively. The CA-CCC includes rich liquid flow channels located between the outer annular support ring and the inner annular support ring that are configured to allow a rich liquid stream to flow through the CA-CCC, and a central gas entry cone and gas flow channels configured to allow a gas stream to flow through the CA-CCC. The CA-CCC further includes radial blades configured to secure the central gas entry cone to the inner annular support ring and allow a lean liquid stream to flow into the central gas entry cone and the gas flow channels. The CA-CCC provides for efficient incorporation of liquid droplets formed from the lean liquid stream into the gas stream.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Sean T. Philbrook, Shwetha Ramkumar
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Patent number: 11237147Abstract: Described herein are methods and techniques for determining one or more characteristics of a hydrocarbon source. The method comprises obtaining a hydrocarbon fluid sample, determining at least one measured clumped isotope signature or measured position specific isotope signature for at least one hydrocarbon species of interest in the hydrocarbon fluid sample, determining at least one expected clumped isotope signature or expected position specific isotope signature for the hydrocarbon species of interest, comparing the measured clumped isotope signature or measured position specific isotope signature with the expected clumped isotope signature or expected position specific isotope signature, and determining at least one characteristic of the source of the hydrocarbon sample based on the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2018Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Brian K. Peterson, Michael Lawson, Michael J. Formolo, Meytal B. Higgins
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Patent number: 11237283Abstract: A method, including: obtaining, with a computer, an initial geophysical model; modeling, with a computer, a forward wavefield based on the initial geophysical model with wave equations including a second order z-derivative in a rotated coordinate system that accounts for a tilted transverse isotropic (TTI) medium; modeling, with a computer, an adjoint wavefield with adjoint wave equations including a second order z-derivative in a rotated coordinate system that accounts for a tilted transverse isotropic (TTI) medium, wherein the wave equations and the adjoint wave equations include relaxation terms accounting for anelasticity of earth in an update of a primary variable and an evolution relationship for the relaxation terms; and obtaining, with a computer, a gradient of a cost function based on a combination of a model of the forward wavefield and a model of the adjoint wavefield.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2018Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Praveen Nakshatrala, Anoop A. Mullur, Hong Zhao, Valeriy V. Brytik
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Patent number: 11237146Abstract: A system and method is provided for enhancing hydrocarbon production. The method and system involve geochemistry analysis and include multiply substituted isotopologue and position specific isotope geochemistry. The method and system involve using clumped isotope and position-specific isotope signatures to enhance reservoir surveillance operations.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Michael J. Formolo, Michael Lawson, Cara L. Davis
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Patent number: 11231514Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating attenuation-compensated images of subsurface region, including: computing an image of the region utilizing elastic wave propagation, based on field data and subsurface model; generating forward-modeled data utilizing forward viscoelastic wave propagation, based on the image; computing secondary image by migration; computing NMF based on the images; and applying the NMF to the image to generate the attenuation-compensated image. A method and apparatus includes: iteratively computing attenuation-compensated gradient of the region utilizing an elastic wave propagation operator in the back-propagation and a viscoelastic wave propagation operator in the forward modelling, based on field data and subsurface model; computing search direction based on the attenuation-compensated gradient, searching for an improved model, and checking the improved model for convergence.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2020Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Sirui Tan, Junzhe Sun