Patents Assigned to Golder Sierra, LLC
  • Patent number: 6443227
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for initiating an azimuth controlled vertical hydraulic fracture in unconsolidated and weakly cemented soils and sediments using active resistivity to monitor and control the fracture initiation and propagation. Separate or overlapping treatment walls and containment barriers can be created by controlling and monitoring the propagation of fractures in the subsurface. A fracture fluid is injected into a well bore to initiate and propagate a vertical azimuth controlled fracture. The fracture fluid is energized to conduct electrical current while the fracture propagates through the ground. A series of electrical resistivity monitors measure the electrical conductivity of the fracture fluid in real time against the background conductivity of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Golder Sierra LLC
    Inventors: Grant Hocking, Samuel L. Wells
  • Patent number: 6330914
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for initiating an azimuth controlled vertical hydraulic fracture in unconsolidated and weakly cemented soils and sediments using active resistivity to monitor and control the fracture initiation and propagation. Separate or overlapping treatment walls and containment barriers can be created by controlling and monitoring the propagation of fractures in the subsurface. A fracture fluid is injected into a well bore to initiate and propagate a vertical azimuth controlled fracture. The fracture fluid is energized to conduct electrical current while the fracture propagates through the ground. A series of electrical resistivity monitors measure the electrical conductivity of the fracture fluid in real time against the background conductivity of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Golder Sierra LLC
    Inventors: Grant Hocking, Samuel L. Wells
  • Patent number: 6308135
    Abstract: A method and system of preventing soil liquefaction beneath a structure during an earthquake event, by monitoring local seismic precursor events, such as early arrival ground motion using an accelerometer, predicting the onset of a major earthquake tremor, and energizing conductors in the ground by a d-c power source for moving the ground water by electro-osmosis away from the foundation of the structure or to a series of pressure relief wells, whereby lowering the soil pore water pressure and preventing liquefaction of the soil beneath the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Golder Sierra LLC
    Inventor: Grant Hocking
  • Patent number: 6216783
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for initiating an azimuth controlled vertical hydraulic fracture in unconsolidated and weakly cemented soils and sediments using active resistivity to monitor and control the fracture initiation and propagation. Separate or overlapping treatment walls and containment barriers can be created by controlling and monitoring the propagation of fractures in the subsurface. A fracture fluid is injected into a well bore to initiate and propagate a vertical azimuth controlled fracture. The fracture fluid is energized to conduct electrical current while the fracture propagates through the ground. A series of electrical resistivity monitors measure the electrical conductivity of the fracture fluid in real time against the background conductivity of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Golder Sierra, LLC
    Inventors: Grant Hocking, Samuel L. Wells
  • Patent number: 5944446
    Abstract: This invention relates to an environmental engineering process for injecting a mixture into the ground to act as a containment barrier for fluids or gases or to act as in situ waste remediation process. The process involves pumping a mixture into the ground so that the mixture penetrates from the injection source(s), to form overlapping and/or intersecting horizontal or vertical planar geometries. Control of the geometry of the propagating fracture is made by the down hole outlet design and by interactively modifying mixture composition, injection pressures and flow rates, according to the sequential calculation of the in situ injected geometry by an inverse or tomographic method from monitored response of detection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Golder Sierra LLC
    Inventor: Grant Hocking