Patents Assigned to NEXEN ENERGY ULC
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Patent number: 10145225Abstract: A hydrocarbon production process comprising operating a first early stage hydrocarbon production process within a first communication domain with a first well pair, and operating a second early stage hydrocarbon production process within a second communication domain with a second well pair, such that an intermediate reservoir region including stranded bitumen becomes disposed between the first and second communication domains; wherein the first early stage hydrocarbon production process includes injecting a first production-initiating fluid via a first injection well of the first well pair into a first communication domain such that hydrocarbon material is mobilized and conducted to a first production well of the first well pair, and producing the received hydrocarbon material via the first production well; and wherein the second early stage hydrocarbon production process includes injecting a second production-initiating fluid via a second injection well of the second well pair into a second communication doType: GrantFiled: July 8, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Julio Sanchez, Jason Russell Bruce Dickson, Sergio Merchan
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Publication number: 20180306693Abstract: A system for sensing an estimated composition of a produced fluid being conducted from a reservoir includes: at least one device for measuring temperature data; at least one device for obtaining flow rate data, pressure data, pump speed data and valve travel data; a first produced fluid density generator; a second produced fluid density generator; and a composition generator. The first produced fluid density generator is configured to generate a first produced fluid density based on the obtained flow rate, pressure, pump speed and valve travel data. The second produced fluid density generator is configured to generate a second produced fluid density based at least in part on the measured temperature data. The composition generator is configured to: iteratively generate a phantom component content, a bitumen content and a water content for the produced fluid based on at least in part on: a material balance of the produced fluid.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2016Publication date: October 25, 2018Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Alireza NAZARI, Yiming JI, Daniel Joseph GIESBRECHT
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Patent number: 10041341Abstract: There is provided a process for producing hydrocarbons from a reservoir. The process includes within the hydrocarbon reservoir, electrically heating a liquid heating fluid such that the liquid heating fluid is evaporated to produce a gaseous heating fluid, heating hydrocarbon-comprising material with the gaseous heating fluid such that the heated hydrocarbon-comprising material is mobilized and such that the gaseous heating fluid is condensed to produce a condensed heating fluid, and electrically heating at least a fraction of the condensed heating fluid such that the at least a condensed heating fluid fraction is re-evaporated, and while the evaporation, the condensing, and the re-evaporation are being effected, producing a produced fluid including at least the mobilized hydrocarbon-comprising material.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2014Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Richard Kelso Kerr, Thomas Harding
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Patent number: 10030491Abstract: A process for producing gaseous hydrocarbon from a subterranean formation by hydraulically fracturing with injection of a liquid material under pressure such that a connecting fracture is generated extending between a lower injection well and an upper production well, where a gas-liquid interface is defined within the fracture or within the upper producing well, and producing gas across the gas-liquid interface.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2014Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: James Frederick Pyecroft, Jurgen Siegfried Lehmann, Omar El-Naggar
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Patent number: 10007015Abstract: Methods, devices and computer-readable media for predicting hydrocarbon production rates for a subterranean formation are described. A method includes: receiving or generating, by at least one processor, well logs from data collected from at least one well in the subterranean formation; generating from the well logs a predicted production rate log for the at least one well; receiving, by the at least one processor, a field dataset for the subterranean formation, the field dataset including field data at locations in 3-dimensions of a volume of the subterranean formation; identifying the predicted production rate log for the at least one well as one or more targets, determining a transform relating the field data and the predicted rate log for the at least one well; and using the transform, generating a predicted production rate for each location of the volume of the subterranean formation.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Frederick David Gray, Dragana Todorovic-Marinic, Byron Matthew Kelly
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Patent number: 9828841Abstract: There is provided a process to recover bitumen from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir. The process includes injecting steam and oxygen separately into the bitumen reservoir. When mixed in the reservoir, the mix is in the range of 5 to 50% O2. The process also includes producing hot bitumen and water using a horizontal production well, and producing/removing non-condensable combustion gases to control reservoir pressure.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2012Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Patent number: 9803456Abstract: A process to utilize at least one water lean zone (WLZ) interspersed within a net pay zone in a reservoir and produce bitumen from the reservoir, includes using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Oxygen (SAGDOX) to enhance oil recovery, locating a SAGDOX oxygen injector proximate the WLZ, and removing non-condensable gases.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Patent number: 9650578Abstract: A process for upgrading oil including optionally pre-treating a heavy oil including at least one dissolved gas, asphaltenes, water, and mineral solids; reducing at least one dissolved gas content from said heavy oil, optionally further reducing water content from said heavy oil; adding a paraffinic solvent to said heavy oil, at a predetermined paraffinic solvent:heavy oil ratio, facilitating separation of asphaltenes, water, and mineral solids from the heavy oil resulting in a de-asphalted or partially de-asphalted oil (“DAO”)-paraffinic solvent stream, comprising a low asphaltenes content DAO-paraffinic solvent stream and an asphaltenes-mineral solids-paraffinic solvent-water slurry stream; optionally separating the paraffinic solvent and water from the asphaltenes-mineral solids-paraffinic solvent-water slurry stream; optionally separating the DAO-paraffinic solvent stream into a paraffinic solvent rich stream and a DAO stream; and optionally adding diluent to the DAO stream resulting in transportable oil.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Amo De Klerk, Nestor Gregorio Zerpa Reques, Yuhan Xia, Ayyub Abduljawad Omer
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Patent number: 9644468Abstract: A process to recover hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir, namely bitumen (API<10; in situ viscosity>100,000 c.p.), said process comprising; establishing a horizontal production well in said reservoir; separately injecting an oxygen-containing gas and steam into the hydrocarbon reservoir continuously to cause heated hydrocarbons and water to drain, by gravity, to the horizontal production well, the ratio of oxygen/steam injectant gases being controlled in the range from 0.05 to 1.00 (v/v). removing non-condensable combustion gases from at least one separate vent-gas well, which is established in the reservoir to avoid undesirable pressures in the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2014Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Patent number: 9562199Abstract: This invention relates to systems and methods for catalytic steam cracking of non-asphaltene containing heavy hydrocarbon fractions. The method enables upgrading heavy hydrocarbons to hydrocarbons capable of being transported through pipelines and/or a pretreated step before further treatment in an upgrading refinery, including the steps of separating the heavy hydrocarbon mixture into a light fraction, a full gasoil fraction and a vacuum residue fraction with or without at least partial reduction or asphaltenes; adding a catalyst to the full gasoil and/or to the blend of this with a reduced asphaltenes fraction and subjecting the catalyst-full gasoil and/or deasphalted oil fraction to catalytic steam cracking to form an effluent stream; separating the effluent stream into a gas stream and a liquid stream; and mixing the liquid stream with the light fraction and the vacuum residue fraction to form an upgraded oil. The system includes hardware capable of performing the method.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2012Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Pedro Pereira Almao, Gustavo Luis Trujillo, Enzo Peluso, Carmen Galarraga, Clementina Sosa, Carlos Scott Algara, Francisco Lopez-Linares, Lante Antonio Carbognani Ortega, Nestor Gregorio Zerpa Reques
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Patent number: 9328592Abstract: A cyclic remediation process to restore oil recovery from a primary oil production well that has watered off from bottom water encroachment (cone or crest) whereby: (a) the primary oil production well has a produced water cut in excess of 95% (v/v); (b) the oil is heavy oil, with in-situ viscosity >1000 cp; wherein the process includes: (c) injecting a steam slug with a volume of 0.5 to 5.0 times the cumulative primary oil production, with steam volumes measured as water volumes; (d) shutting in the well for a soak period, after the steam injection is complete; and (e) producing the well until the water cut exceeds 95%.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Richard Kelso Kerr, Peter Yang
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Patent number: 9163491Abstract: A steam assisted gravity drainage process that includes the addition of oxygen for recovering hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir is described. Steam and an oxygen-containing gas are separately and continuously injected into the hydrocarbon reservoir to heat hydrocarbons and water to drain, by gravity, to a horizontal production well. The process can include controlling the ratio of oxygen and steam from about 0.05 to about 1.00 (v/v). The steam assisted gravity drainage process can further include removing non-condensable combustion gases from the reservoir to avoid undesirable pressures in the reservoir. The non-condensable combustion gases can be removed from the reservoir by at least one separate vent-gas well.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Publication number: 20140166279Abstract: A process to recover hydrocarbons from a reservoir, where the hydrocarbons have an initial viscosity greater than 100,000 cp, preferably greater than 1,000 cp, the process including: (a) Initially injecting oxygen into the reservoir; (b) Allowing for combustion of the oxygen to vaporize connate water in the hydrocarbon reservoir; (c) Collecting hydrocarbons in a substantially horizontal production well in the reservoir and where the substantially horizontal production well has a length greater than about 800 metres.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Publication number: 20140166278Abstract: A process to recover hydrocarbons from a reservoir having at least one lean zone, wherein said lean zone has an initial bitumen saturation level less than about 0.6, said process including: i) Initially injecting of oxygen into said reservoir; ii) Allowing for combustion of said oxygen to vaporize connate water in said at least one lean zone; and iii) Recovering said hydrocarbons from said reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Publication number: 20140144623Abstract: A method of recovering product from a fracture below a surface, said method including: a. providing a first well that may be stimulated or has been stimulated at a first predetermined depth within a formation; b. stimulating said well resulting in at least one fracture in said formation; said fracture having at least one initiation point and at least one distal point; wherein said at least one initiation point is proximate said stimulated well and said at least one distal point is distant said stimulated well; c. providing at least one non-stimulated well, proximate said first well at a second predetermined depth in said formation and contacting said at least one distal point of said at least one fracture; said at least one non-stimulated well further including at least one access point to capture product from said at least one fracture in said formation; capturing said product from said fracture through said at least non-stimulated well, and recovering said captured product optionally at said surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: James Frederick Pyecroft, Brian Douglas Bearinger, Eric von Lunen
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Publication number: 20140138287Abstract: A process for upgrading oil including optionally pre-treating a heavy oil including at least one dissolved gas, asphaltenes, water, and mineral solids; reducing at least one dissolved gas content from said heavy oil, optionally further reducing water content from said heavy oil; adding a paraffinic solvent to said heavy oil, at a predetermined paraffinic solvent:heavy oil ratio, facilitating separation of asphaltenes, water, and mineral solids from the heavy oil resulting in a de-asphalted or partially de-asphalted oil (“DAO”)-paraffinic solvent stream, comprising a low asphaltenes content DAO-paraffinic solvent stream and an asphaltenes-mineral solids-paraffinic solvent-water slurry stream; optionally separating the paraffinic solvent and water from the asphaltenes-mineral solids-paraffinic solvent-water slurry stream; optionally separating the DAO-paraffinic solvent stream into a paraffinic solvent rich stream and a DAO stream; and optionally adding diluent to the DAO stream resulting in transportable oil.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventors: Arno De Klerk, Nestor Gregorio Zerpa Reques, Yuhan Xia, Ayyub Abduljawad Omer
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Publication number: 20140096962Abstract: A process to recover hydrocarbons, from a hydrocarbon reservoir having a bottom, using a substantially horizontal production well, the substantially horizontal production well having a toe and a heel, the process including: (a) injecting oxygen into the hydrocarbon reservoir, the horizontal production well having at least one perforation zone for contact with the reservoir; (b) injecting steam into the hydrocarbon reservoir; the oxygen producing in situ heat and in situ carbon dioxide by combustion and the steam producing in situ heat by conduction and condensation; the in situ carbon dioxide dissolving into the liquid hydrocarbon, lowering its viscosity; (c) recovering the reservoir liquid hydrocarbons of lowered viscosity using the substantially horizontal production well; and (d) optionally conveying the recovered liquid hydrocarbons to the surface; where the process is absent a removal step of any non-condensable gas from the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2013Publication date: April 10, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr
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Publication number: 20140076555Abstract: A steam assisted gravity drainage with injected oxygen (SAGDOX) process to recover hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon reservoir including: (a) starting the SAGDOX process at a first oxygen to steam ratio; (b) measuring a produced water to oil ratio (v/v) PWOR associated with the first oxygen to steam ratio; (c) adjusting the oxygen to steam ratio to obtain a predetermined PWOR; and (d) continuing steps (a) to (c) until a target PWOR is obtained improving the hydrocarbon recovery rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: NEXEN ENERGY ULCInventor: Richard Kelso Kerr