Patents Assigned to Transco Energy Company
  • Patent number: 4116276
    Abstract: A method of increasing the recovery of natural gas from a geo-pressured aquifer having a structural high or other "trap" from which gas or other fluids cannot escape upward and containing water and gas in solution in the water. The method includes producing water, from one or more wells extending from the surface and completed in the geo-pressured aquifer at a point below and spaced from and remote from the trap, by reservoir pressure at a high enough rate of production to reduce the existing pressure of the aquifer to allow a portion of the gas in solution to be released from the water whereby some of the released gas will migrate upward to form or increase any free-gas phase existing in the trap. Thereafter, gas is produced from one or more wells extending from the surface to the free-gas phase in the trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: Transco Energy Company
    Inventors: Harold L. Cook, Jr., Ernest C. Geer, Donald L. Katz
  • Patent number: 4090564
    Abstract: A method for the economic recovery of significant additional quantities of oil and gas from a geo-pressured water-drive oil reservoir where oil production has ceased by conventional production techniques and equipment. The method increases the recovery from this type of reservoir, after primary depletion by conventional techniques, by producing the water (and a quantity of oil) from the wells at an abnormally high rate of flow and thereby induces a significant pressure drop in the reservoir remote from the well. This will then induce a significant release of solution gas from the oil through the reservoir. Since the residual hydrocarbon saturation in a water-wet porous media is a constant value for a given reservoir rock, a part of the gas released from solution will increase the hydrocarbon saturation and allow a portion of the oil and gas to become mobile and migrate to the producing wells to be recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: Transco Energy Company
    Inventors: Harold L. Cook, Jr., Ernest C. Geer
  • Patent number: 4042034
    Abstract: A method of increasing the recovery of natural gas from a geo-pressured aquifer containing water and gas and having a zone of free gas dispersed in water, by providing one or more wells extending from the surface to and completed in the geo-pressured aquifer in said zone and allowing the aquifer to flow water and gas under natural pressure through the well and lowering the pressure in the aquifer sufficiently to allow the gas to be released from solution in the water whereby the gas released will migrate more freely to the well and be produced. Also, any gas-phase saturation in the aquifer and any deposit of gaseous hydrocarbons in the formation in pressure communication with the wells will expand due to lowered aquifer pressure and be encouraged to flow to the wells and be recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1977
    Assignee: Transco Energy Company
    Inventors: Harold L. Cook, Jr., Ernest C. Geer
  • Patent number: 4040487
    Abstract: A method of increasing the recovery of natural gas from a geo-pressured aquifer containing water and gas and having a zone of free gas dispersed in water, by providing one or more wells extending from the surface to and completed in the geo-pressured aquifer in said zone and allowing the aquifer to flow water and gas under natural pressure through the well and lowering the pressure in the aquifer sufficiently to allow the gas to be released from solution in the water whereby the gas released will migrate more freely to the well and be produced. Also, any gas-phase saturation in the aquifer and any deposit of gaseous hydrocarbons in the formation in pressure communication with the wells will expand due to lowered aquifer pressure and be encouraged to flow to the wells and be recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1977
    Assignee: Transco Energy Company
    Inventors: Harold L. Cook, Jr., Ernest C. Geer, Donald L. Katz