Patents Assigned to Union Oil Company of California
  • Method for water remediation
    Patent number: 5531902
    Abstract: BTEX and other hydracarbons are removed from oil field and refinery waste streams by countercurrent extraction techniques. The contaminated waste water is contacted with adsorbent particles, selected to adsorb BTEX and other hydrocarbons, circulating in counter current fashion to the waste water stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Darrell L. Gallup
  • Superplasticizer-concrete composition and method of preparation
    Patent number: 5525155
    Abstract: A concrete pipe liner is formed from a difficult-to-compact hydraulic cement slurry applied to a pipe interior. The slurry contains inorganic non-compactible hydraulic cement particles, a concrete superplasticizer component, water, and optionally and preferably filler particles. The pipe is then spun to centrifugally cast a stronger, denser pipe liner than a comparable liner containing no superplasticizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: William C. Allen
  • Glass gob drop guide funnel assembly
    Patent number: 5511593
    Abstract: A graphite funnel inserted into a metal funnel support sleeve guides hot glass gobs from a furnace to the glass blowing mold. The graphite insert is adjustable by set screws and is easily repositioned. The graphite insert has an outer diameter slightly less than the metal retainer to allow ambient air to pass upwardly past it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: James E. Sweetland
  • Methods for using concentrated nitrogen-containing fertilizers
    Patent number: 5494498
    Abstract: Urea increases the solute content of a fertilizer comprising water and at least two different nitrate-containing compounds selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate, alkali metal nitrates, and alkaline earth metal nitrates. In addition, urea enhances plant uptake of alkaline earth metals. Particularly favored are quaternary aqueous solutions containing urea, calcium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Donald C. Young
  • Mobile fire apparatus having hose coupling-vehicle brake interlock
    Patent number: 5488995
    Abstract: A fire fighting vehicle provides the capability to access obstructed areas, to quickly connect to fire water sources, to discharge large amounts of water and/or foam to fight major industrial fires, and to be capable of repositioning while fighting these fires. The vehicle is adapted from a boom truck chassis and mounts a large flow rate capability fire monitor in a position to provide maximum orientation flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Mark Kuwahara
  • Method of imaging overturned waves
    Patent number: 5490120
    Abstract: An overturned wave is identified in initial seismic data and revised seismic data gathering parameters are calculated (e.g., a range of locations for a seismic source and detectors laterally displaced from the source). The gathered seismic data is used to image the interface by using an imaging algorithm capable of migrating downgoing and upcoming reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Zhiming Li, Richard Ottolini
  • High temperature stable gels
    Patent number: 5486312
    Abstract: Gels stable in a subterranean formation at a temperature greater than about 175.degree. F. are formed using, inter alia, a stabilizing agent (e.g., a buffer having a buffering capacity at a pH of at least about 8 and/or a chelating agent).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Burton B. Sandiford, Hoai T. Dovan, Richard D. Hutchins
  • Use of sequential fracturing and controlled release of pressure to enhance production of oil from low permeability formations
    Patent number: 5472050
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon production from a low permeability formation is increased by fracturing a production interval in the formation and restricting the release of pressure from the fracture to lengthen the time that the reservoir pressure remains above the fracture collapse pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Aaron T. Rhoten, Matthew A. Norris, Gregory S. Craley, Paul E. Crossman, Anthonius W. Vervloet
  • Hydraulic fracturing of shallow wells
    Patent number: 5472049
    Abstract: A method for fracturing formations near a shallow horizontal well notches a wellbore at orientations such that later applied hydraulic pressure generates fractures only in preferred directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Brent F. Chaffee, Brian J. Kelly, Jeffery W. Koepke, Michael J. Kirby
  • Downhole tube turning tool
    Patent number: 5469925
    Abstract: A tube turning tool allows laterals to be drilled and completed without the need for articulated bending tools, underreaming, high fluid pressure, or a separate running of completion tools. The turning tool uses a rigid bent pipe section capable of being run downhole within many standard diameter well tubulars, supported in a desired position, and bending coil tubing at an ultra short radius of curvature as it is being run into the wellbore so that it can jet drill a lateral. After jet drilling a lateral, the lateral can also be completed using the coil tubing, e.g., gravel packed by pumping a slurry through the coil tubing while withdrawing the tubing from the lateral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Mark D. Mueller, John C. McClellan
  • Use of steam to condensate to dilute brine stream additives
    Patent number: 5462668
    Abstract: Additives are usually diluted before they are added to a geothermal brine processing stream. It has been found that one preferred diluent is the conditioned steam condensate produced after power generation in the geothermal plants. One class of additives beneficially diluted by the conditioned steam condensate are crystal structure modifiers. When it is diluted with the steam condensate, the heat-sensitive crystal structure modifier is prevented from being degraded by the heat of the brine so that when blended with the geothermal brine the crystal structure modifier can perform its function of inhibiting the precipitation of alkaline earth salts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone, Carl E. Flint
  • Pulsing remediation method
    Patent number: 5445474
    Abstract: A process for cyclically operating injection and withdrawal wells penetrating contaminated zones. A high flowrate portion of the cycle time preferably does not exceed a transient response period for in-situ formation fluids to achieve a quasi-steady state conditions. A low flowrate portion of the cycle time limits fluid flowrate which allows in-situ formation fluids to at least partially return to the zone affected by the high flowrate portion of the cycle. The cyclic operation produces improved remediation when compared to continuous operation of wells at similar operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Paul D. Lundegard, Carl E. Flint, Brent F. Chaffee
  • Combined geothermal and fossil fuel power plant
    Patent number: 5442906
    Abstract: A power production process integrates geothermal steam and fossil fuel energy sources to give a higher energy efficiency than is normally obtained when using these energy sources individually. Geothermal steam is partially diverted from a steam turbine and injected into a combustion turbine. Although the steam turbine output is reduced by the diversion of steam, the plant efficiency and total plant output are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: John G. Broadus
  • Recovery of cerium
    Patent number: 5433931
    Abstract: Recovery of cerium values from fluoride-containing ores such as bastnasite is enhanced. The ore is ground, roasted, and leached with dilute hydrochloric acid to produce an ore concentrate. The concentrate is treated with a solution of hydrochloric acid and boric acid to solubilize cerium values and convert fluoride to tetrafluoroborate ion. Tetrafluoroborate is removed from the solution, e.g., by precipitation, and the solution is further processed for recovery of cerium values. Removal of tetrafluoroborate avoids loss of cerium as insoluble cerium tetrafluorborate during said further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Paula J. Bosserman
  • Water immersible vapor sensor
    Patent number: 5425268
    Abstract: A continuous vapor sensor is assembled within a partially open protective enclosure which restricts (but does not exclude) the entry of liquid and means for excluding liquid from a portion of the enclosure, such as a non-wetting attachment material. The assembly allows the use of a continuous sensor which is adversely impacted by liquid contact in locations where the assembly may be immersed. The enclosure traps a sufficient amount of vapor to maintain a minimum vapor volume when the enclosure is submerged to a significant depth below a water level. The means for excluding controls the location of the minimum vapor volume to protect the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Dong X. Li, David L. Yasumura, Brent F. Chaffee, G. Todd Ririe
  • Concentrated nitrogen-containing fertilizers having increased alkaline earth metal uptake
    Patent number: 5417737
    Abstract: Urea increases the solute content of a fertilizer comprising water and at least two different nitrate-containing compounds selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate, alkali metal nitrates, and alkaline earth metal nitrates. In addition, urea enhances plant uptake of alkaline earth metals. Particularly favored are quaternary aqueous solutions containing urea, calcium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Donald C. Young
  • Composition for selectively reducing subterranean formation permeability
    Patent number: 5418217
    Abstract: Visible gels are formed by mixing an inorganic crosslinking agent with a low viscosity aqueous solution having a low polyacrylamide concentration and devoid of polymers containing a vicinal diol pendant group. The visible gels are employed to reduce the water/hydrocarbon permeability ratio of subterranean formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Richard D. Hutchins, Hoai T. Dovan
  • Catalyst containing zeolite beta and a layered magnesium silicate
    Patent number: 5413977
    Abstract: A composition of matter comprising zeolite Beta and a layered magnesium silicate such as sepiolite is especially suited for use in combination with one or more hydrogenation components as a catalyst for hydrocracking various types of feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Mario L. Occelli
  • Use of added water to achieve 100% injection weight in geothermal operations
    Patent number: 5413718
    Abstract: Geothermal brines are extracted from the earth, flashed and the remaining liquids are injected back into the earth. Although it would be advantageous for resource maintenance to inject the same amount of liquid as extracted, addition of liquid causes massive system upsets that prevent such addition. River or other similar surface waters can now be added to the brine stream created when extracting power from a geothermal source, after adding a crystal structure modifier to the brine stream. In operations where the brine stream is returned to the earth, the weight rate of the brine injected into the earth is brought to at least 90% what it was when extracted from the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
  • Takeout jaw insert and assembly
    Patent number: RE34953
    Abstract: A takeout jaw .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.for use in a bottle-forming machine .[.is formed in a semicircular shape and.]. contains a spring clip for holding immovably .[.a piece of.]. .Iadd.an arcuate, .Iaddend.non-metallic .[.contact material.]. .Iadd.takeout jaw insert .Iaddend.within .[.a.]. .Iadd.an arcuate .Iaddend.pocket in the body of the takeout jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Michael L. Denney, Shelby M. Withrow, John M. DeLancey, Sr.