Patents Assigned to Statoil ASA
  • Publication number: 20110085420
    Abstract: A passive method for exploring a region below the surface of the earth. The method comprises using a single sensor located in turn at a plurality of locations to obtain seismic data obtained by recording ambient seismic interface waves in a frequency range whose lower limit is greater than 0 Hz, and whose upper limit is less than or equal to substantially 1 Hz. The data are processed so as to obtain a measure of the energy in a frequency band within the frequency range. For example, the seismic data may be filtered and may be subjected to amplitude normalization before being transformed into the frequency domain. The energy measure may then be calculated by integrating the spectrum in the frequency domain over a desired frequency range. The resulting calculated energy provides information about the region of the earth being explored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Sascha Bussat, Peter Hanssen, Simone Patricia Kugler
  • Publication number: 20110072975
    Abstract: Assembly to separate a multiphase flow, comprising at least one compact separation unit chosen among an in-line deliquidiser and an in-line phase splitter, said compact separation unit is arranged to receive the multiphase flow for separation therof to a gas flow and a mainly liquid containing flow, an outlet for gas, arranged to receive the gas flow from the compact separation unit and possible additional gas flows, one or more conduit separators, arranged to receive the mainly liquid containing flow from the compact separation unit and any additional liquid containing flows, having an outlet for liquid from the at least one conduit separator in a low-lying part thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Eivind Aarebrot, Jan Høydal
  • Publication number: 20110075515
    Abstract: The invention is a method of calculating seismic time shifts ?{right arrow over (t)}(t), comprising: conducting a number (n) of three or more seismic surveys with large time differences such as months or years, producing a number (n) of three or more vintages of seismic data d1(t), d2(t), . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventor: Espen Oen LIE
  • Publication number: 20110073313
    Abstract: A device for fixing a valve (1) to a tubular member (2) being situated in wellbore formed in a subterranean reservoir and is having at least one drainage section (11) including a plurality of such valves as to allow the flow of fluid into and out from the tubular member, respectively. According to the present invention the valve (2) is secured to the tubular member (1) by means of a sleeve portion (3), the sleeve portion being part of the valve or is formed like a separate sleeve (4) into which the valve is to be arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Statoil ASA
    Inventors: Vidar Mathiesen, Haavard Aakre, Bjørnar Werswick
  • Publication number: 20110056700
    Abstract: A system for recompletion of an old well in order to achieve an increased oil recovery from a reservoir, said system comprising a pipe inserted into the old well, at least two constrictors or swell packers being arranged along the length of the recompleted well and defining a well section between two successive constrictors or swell packers, said system further comprising at least one autonomous valve arranged in said well section defined between said two successive swell packers or constrictors. Disclosed is also a method for recompletion of an old well in order to achieve an increased oil recovery from a reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Vidar Mathiesen, Haavard Aakre
  • Publication number: 20110056578
    Abstract: A tubular member having at least one drainage section (1) including a first plurality of self-adjustable valves or flow control devices (2) to control the flow of fluid into the drainage section from a well formed in a subterranean reservoir, each of the valves (2) comprising an inlet or aperture (10), thereby forming a flow path (11) through the control device (2) passing by a movable disc or body (9) designed to move freely relative to the opening of the inlet and thereby reduce or increase the flow-through area (A2) by exploiting the Bernoulli effect and any stagnation pressure created over the disc (9), whereby the valve (2), depending on the composition of the fluid and its properties, autonomously adjusts the flow of the fluid based on a pre-estimated flow design. To allow injection of fluid into the subterranean reservoir, the drainage section (1) is provided with a second plurality of such self-adjustable valves (32), each being situated in a direction opposite of the first plurality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Vidar Mathiesen, Haavard Aakre
  • Publication number: 20110057528
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a bearing system for a high speed rotary machine, said bearing system comprising a rotor shaft (51) including a plurality of active magnet or hydrostatic radial bearings (10,11,12,13,14,15) and at least one active magnet or hydrostatic axial bearing (16) for supporting said rotor shaft (51), said axial bearing (16) being arranged at one end of said rotor shaft (51), said bearing system also comprising a permanent magnet (PM) axial bearing arranged at a same end as the at least one active magnet or hydrostatic axial bearing (16), said permanent magnet axial bearing comprising at least one permanent magnet (52) arranged on the rotary shaft (51) and at least one permanent magnet (50) connected to a control system for varying a distance or gap (67) between said permanent magnets (50, 52), thus providing a variable force in said permanent magnet axial bearing in order to counteract at least semi-static axial forces imposed on said rotor shaft (51).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: Statoil ASA
    Inventors: Tom Grimseth, William Bakke
  • Publication number: 20110048732
    Abstract: A system for controlling the flow of fluid in a branched well from a reservoir (29), the system comprising a completed main well (27) having at least one uncompleted branch well (25), an annulus (24) defined between the reservoir (29) and a production pipe (1) of the completed main well (27) and at least two successive swell packers or constrictors (26) defining at least one longitudinal section of the main well (27) and within which at least one branch well (25) is arranged, and comprising at least one autonomous valve (2) arranged in said longitudinal section of the main well (27) defined between said two successive swell packers or constrictors (26). The uncompleted branch wells (25) are provided to increase the drainage area, i.e. maximum reservoir contact (MRC). Disclosed is also a method for controlling the flow of fluid in a branched well from a reservoir (29).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Vidar Mathiesen, Haavard Aakre
  • Publication number: 20110048696
    Abstract: A gas-liquid separator separates free water at a downhole position of a gas well. The separator includes a centrifugal separator within a tubular portion defining a gas inlet and a gas outlet. Upstream of the centrifugal separator, the tubular portion is provided with a plurality of drain holes through which free water which was centrifugated to the tubular portion enters an annular duct allowing the collected water to flow off due to gravity. Upstream of the drain holes, a jet pump is arranged. The jet pump is driven by the gas stream to create underpressure in the duct and to suck back gas which has entered the annular duct through the drain holes. The gas-liquid separator has no moving parts and avoids monitoring or controlling of the separating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventor: Sverre Thomas Holte
  • Publication number: 20110048546
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wet gas compression system comprising a compact flow conditioner (21), intended to be placed below sea level in close vicinity to a well head or on a dry installation, said flow conditioner (21) being intended to receive a multi-phase flow through a supply pipe (11) from a sub sea well for further transport of such hydrocarbons to a multi-phase receiving plant, and where preferably avoid sand accumulation or remove as much sand as possible from the multi-phase flow, the gas (G) and the liquid (L) being separated in the flow conditioner (21) whereupon the separated gas (G) and liquid (L) are re-assembled and enters a multi-phase meter (46) prior to boosting by means of a compressor (22). In the combined multi-phase pump and compressor unit (22), as an integrated unit, comprises a combined multi-phase pump and compressor unit (22) functioning on the centrifugal principle, used for trans-porting liquid and gas from a flow conditioner (21) to a remote multi-phase receiving plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Tor Bjørge, Lars Brenne, Harald Unerbakke, Bjørn-André Egerdahl, Rune Mode Ramberg, William Bakke
  • Publication number: 20110052375
    Abstract: A bearing system for a rotor in rotating machines, such as compressors, pumps, turbines, expanders, has points of bearing and sealing for the rotor each being in the form of a combined bearing and sealing formed by a stator situated within a rotating machine house and surrounding the rotor. The stator is formed with a bore, whereby an annular clearance is created between stator and rotor, and the bore is having sectional area gradually increasing in the direction of larger pressure within the rotating machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventor: Harald Underbakke
  • Patent number: 7896170
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flow divider promoting separation, the flow divider comprising an inlet, at least one dividing fin, and two or more outlets. According to the present invention a pipeline leading to the inlet is sufficiently long to promote at least a degree of separation of a fluid that is carried through the pipeline and that initially is mixed, the lighter constituents flowing through a top section of the pipeline, and the heavier constituents flowing through a bottom section of the pipeline, wherein the at least one dividing fin is/are arranged either vertically and/or horizontally in order to divide the flow into two or more smaller flow streams downstream of the flow divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Statoil ASA
    Inventors: Bernt Bjerkreim, Karl Olav Haram, Per Salater
  • Publication number: 20110046885
    Abstract: A passive method for exploring a region below the surface of the earth. The method comprises using a plurality of sensors to obtain seismic data obtained by recording ambient seismic interface waves in a frequency range whose lower limit is greater than 0 Hz, and whose upper limit is less than or equal to substantially 1 Hz. The sensors may be sensitive to three orthogonal components. Recordings may be made simultaneously by all sensors and normalization of data is unnecessary. The sensors may be moved and clean data may be selected. Local dispersion curves may be determined to improve vertical resolution. The data are processed so as to obtain a measure of the energy in a frequency band within the frequency range. The energy measure may be calculated by integrating the spectrum in the frequency domain over a desired frequency range. The resulting calculated energy provides information about the region of the earth being explored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Sascha Bussat, Peter Hanssen, Simone Patricia Kugler
  • Patent number: 7882892
    Abstract: Well for production of hydrocarbons, comprising a hole drilled down into an underground, a casing fastened to the hole wall, a production pipe that extends into the casing from the surface and down to a hydrocarbon-containing zone, a hanger on the surface in an upper end of the well, in which hanger the production pipe and casing are hung up and electrically short-circuited, and a packer arranged sealingly and electrically short-circuiting in the annulus between the production pipe and the casing, in or close to a lower end of the well, distinguished in that the well further comprises: a primary coil arranged concentrically about the production pipe, a secondary coil arranged concentrically about the production pipe, a load connected to the secondary coil, and an alternating current generator/signal unit connected to the primary coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Statoil ASA
    Inventors: Bjømar Svenning, Bjarne Bugten
  • Publication number: 20110023498
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for production of electric energy and CO2 from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising steam reforming of the feedstock, separation and combustion of hydrogen and separation of CO2. Further the invention relates to a power plant for performing the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Gelein De Koeijer, Erling Rytter, Børge Rygh Sivertsen, Henrik Kobro
  • Publication number: 20110024127
    Abstract: An underwater placed assembly produces gas or gas and oil/condensate from a subsea gaseous reservoir, where at least one production well is provided from the seabed to a production zone and at least one water injection well is provided from the seabed to an injection zone. The assembly includes: a pressure increasing device connected to the outlet of the production well in order to increase the pressure in a production flow from the production well, and a water turbine that is connected to and driving the pressure increasing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventor: Harald Underbakke
  • Publication number: 20110027107
    Abstract: Power plant comprising: a lower level reservoir, a feed-through (line, hose, pipe, channel) for fluid communication from the lower level reservoir to a higher level reservoir, characterised by a pump arranged in connection with the feed-through in order to pump water from the lower level reservoir to the higher level reservoir in order to store energy by emptying the lower level reservoir, and a turbine/generator for power production arranged in or at the lower level reservoir in connection with said feed-through, or additional feed-through, for fluid communication between the lower level reservoir and the higher level reservoir for power production during flow of water from the higher level reservoir to the lower level reservoir. A method for power production. Use of the power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventor: Bjørn Bekken
  • Publication number: 20110016835
    Abstract: Separation device or unit for separating liquid from an inlet flow which mainly contains gas, the separation device comprising a container or a pipe section with an outlet for gas from the container or the pipe section, an outlet for liquid from the container or pipe section and an inlet for the inlet flow to the container or pipe section, characterised in that the separation device further comprises: a flow manifold arranged to receive and put the inlet flow in movement towards a porous pipe body extending towards the gas outlet and arranged to receive all or mainly the whole of the inlet flow, wherein part of said flow is flowing through the tubular body to the gas outlet, while the remaining of said flow is flowing through the porous wall of the tubular body, and an annular space consisting of the volume between the tubular body and the container wall or pipe section, said annular space is open for gas flow towards the gas outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Ame Olav Fredheim, Lars Henrik Gjertsen, Bernt Henning Rusten, Trond Austrheim, Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen
  • Publication number: 20110021384
    Abstract: A method of drilling is disclosed and includes pumping a wellbore fluid into a wellbore through an earth formation, wherein the wellbore fluid comprises a base fluid and a surface active agent capable of altering wettability of fines located in the earth formation, and allowing filtration of at least a portion of the wellbore fluid into the earth formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicants: M-I SWACO NORGE AS, STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Russell B. Watson, Patrick Viste, Niall Fleming, Kari Ramstad, Anne Mette Mathisen, Nils Kaageson-Loe
  • Publication number: 20110017311
    Abstract: A method for flow control and a self-adjusting valve or flow control device, in particular useful in a production pipe for producing oil and/or gas from a well in an oil and/or gas reservoir, which production pipe includes a lower drainage pipe preferably being divided into at least two sections each including one or more inflow control devices which communicates the geological production formation with the flow space of the drainage pipe. The fluid flows through an inlet (10?) and further through a flow path of the control device (2) passing by a non-disc shaped movable body (9?) which is designed to move relative to the opening of the inlet and thereby reduce or increase the flow-through area (A2) by exploiting the Bernoulli effect and stagnation pressure created over the body (9?), whereby the control device, depending on the composition of the fluid and its properties, automatically adjusts the flow of the fluid based on a pre-estimated flow design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: STATOIL ASA
    Inventors: Vidar Mathiesen, Haavard Aakre