Patents Examined by John J. Figueroa
  • Patent number: 11897796
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to compositions and uses of sulfidogenesis inhibitor compounds of Formulae 1 and 2 for preventing sulfidogenesis, i.e., the reduction reaction of a sulfur-containing compound by sulfur-utilizing prokaryotes that produce sulfide species such as hydrogen sulfide, during enhanced oil recovery processes. A method for inhibiting or decreasing microbial sulfide production by sulfur-utilizing prokaryotes includes addition of an effective amount of sulfidogenesis inhibitor compounds of Formulae 1 and 2 to the fluid that is injected into a sulfidogenic reservoir system during enhanced oil recovery. For example, the compounds can be used as sulfidogenesis inhibitors in a water injection system for use in a hydrocarbon extraction system or a hydrocarbon production system. Thus, these compositions can be effectively used as inhibitors of biogenic hydrogen sulfide generation in oilfield fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ChampionX USA Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy James Tidwell, Alicia Dinges, Ashish Dhawan
  • Patent number: 11891567
    Abstract: The subject invention provides compositions comprising solvents and surfactants, as well as their use in improving oil and/or gas production. In some embodiments, the compositions comprise chemical or synthetic solvents and/or surfactants. In other embodiments, the compositions comprise biological components, such as microorganisms and/or their growth by-products. The subject invention can be used to dissolve, disperse and/or emulsify paraffin precipitates and/or deposits; prevent and/or inhibit paraffin deposition; remove rust deposits and prevent corrosion associated therewith; inhibit bacterial growth and/or biofilm formation; and to enhance oil recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Locus Solutions IPCo, LLC
    Inventors: Sean Farmer, Ken Alibek, Tyler Dixon, Karthik N. Karathur
  • Patent number: 11891334
    Abstract: A pigmented asphaltic sealant composition and methods of preparing and using the sealant composition which eliminate or reduce a color contrast between the sealant composition and the road, pavement, or other substrate surface to which the sealant composition is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Adventus Material Strategies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph J. Lorenc, Joseph Drbohlav, III, Thomas John Haslett
  • Patent number: 11884875
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for preventing the formation of aggregates and for dispersing aggregates and other poorly soluble materials in hydrocarbon fluids. The compositions include an asphaltene dispersant prepared from the reaction of a polyethyleneimine (PEI) dendrimer and one or more derivatizing reagents wherein the polyethyleneimine dendrimer has a weight average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 9 kDa. The methods include emplacing in a wellbore a composition comprising an asphaltene inhibitor, wherein the asphaltene inhibitor is a compound prepared from the reaction of a polyethyleneimine dendrimer and one or more derivatizing reagents wherein the polyethyleneimine dendrimer has a weight average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 9 kDa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Rachael Cole, Astrid Lone, Neil David Feasey, Tore Nordvik
  • Patent number: 11879093
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting corrosion of pipelines and other metal surfaces, particularly those used in the oil-and-gas industry, is disclosed. The method comprises treating a brine-exposed metal surface with a film-forming composition. The composition comprises a quaternary surfactant, which is made by reacting a polyalkylene glycol (PAG), a haloalkanoic acid, and a tertiary fatty amine that optionally incorporates amide or ester functionality. The surfactant comprises a PAG monoester quat and a PAG diester diquat and may have other components. The quaternary surfactants provide good corrosion protection and can partition effectively from an oily phase into a brine phase in the absence of agitation. The surfactants are easy to synthesize economically and have structures that can be tailored to meet local HLB requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: STEPAN COMPANY
    Inventors: Maxime Feche, Mathieu Pepin, Elodie Shaw, Laure Canal, José Santiago, Milan Bartos, Alla Crabtree
  • Patent number: 11873447
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses superhydrophobic nanoparticles and a preparation method therefor, and a superhydrophobic nanofluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: China University of Petroleum (East China)
    Inventors: Mingwei Zhao, Caili Dai, Zhongzheng Xu, Yining Wu, Mingwei Gao, Lin Li, Guang Zhao
  • Patent number: 11873248
    Abstract: The invention belongs to the field of electronic ceramics and its manufacturing, in particular to the modified NiO—Ta2O5-based microwave dielectric ceramic material sintered at low temperature and its preparation method. It is guided by ion doping modification, not only considering the substitution of ions with similar radius, such as Zn2+ replacing Ni2+ ions, V5+ replacing Ta5+ ions; Meanwhile, the selected doped oxide still has the property of low melting point. Therefore, the microwave dielectric properties of NiO—Ta2O5-based ceramic material can be improved and the appropriate sintering temperature can be reduced. In the invention, by adjusting the molar content of each raw material, the NiO—Ta2O5-based ceramic material with low-temperature sintering, stable temperature and excellent microwave dielectric property is directly synthesized at one time, which can be widely applied to the technical field of LTCC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Yangtze Delta Region Institute of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou
    Inventors: MengJiang Xing, XiaoZhen Li, HongYu Yang, MingShan Qu
  • Patent number: 11873261
    Abstract: Gypsum panels and methods of making gypsum panels are provided. Methods of making gypsum panels include: depositing a first gypsum slurry onto a first surface of a first fiberglass mat; allowing the first gypsum slurry to set to form at least a portion of a gypsum core; and applying a substantially continuous barrier coating comprising a polymer binder to a second surface, opposite the first surface, of the first fiberglass mat, in an amount of from about 1 lb/MSF to about 40 lb/MSF, such that the substantially continuous barrier coating has an average thickness of from about 1 micron to about 100 microns, wherein the substantially continuous barrier coating eliminates at least 99 percent of pin holes present in the exposed second surface of the first fiberglass mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC
    Inventors: Yi-Hsien Harry Teng, Xian-yong Wang, Stuart Brandon Gilley
  • Patent number: 11866638
    Abstract: A drilling fluid composition comprising a continuous phase and a disperse phase, the continuous phase comprising fatty acid methyl esters derived from soy oil, and sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier. A method for increasing the electrical stability of a drilling fluid composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: YPF TECNOLOGÍA S.A.
    Inventors: Marcela Zaira Mucci, Leandro Ariel Sanz, Luciana Martina García Eiler, Manuel Ramiro Sanz
  • Patent number: 11866639
    Abstract: Well treatment fluids may include solid particles comprising one or more components selected from the group consisting of urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, barium hydroxide, and ammonium thiocyanate. These well treatment fluids may also include a carrier fluid, which may be an aqueous polymeric fluid, an oil, or combinations thereof. The aqueous polymeric fluid may include a polymer selected from the group consisting of guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar, cellulose, or polyacrylamide. The oil may include a material selected from the group consisting of diesel, mineral oil, and wax. Methods for reducing an acid carbonate reaction in a carbonate formation may include pumping a composition of solid particles into a formation; releasing the solid particles from the capsules or emulsion within the formation; and injecting an acid following the releasing step or during pumping, wherein the acid carbonate reaction is carried out at a reduced reaction rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Fakuen Frank Chang, Wenwen Li
  • Patent number: 11858878
    Abstract: The invention concerns synthesized amido-amine-based cationic gemini surfactants with flexible and rigid spacers and different hydrophobic. These gemini surfactants were prepared by modified procedure through amidation of long chain carboxylic acids using 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine followed by treatment with halohydrocarbons and showed excellent thermal stability and surface properties useful for various oilfield applications such as enhanced oil recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Syed M. Shakil Hussain, Muhammad Shahzad Kamal, Abdullah S. Sultan
  • Patent number: 11851615
    Abstract: A method of polymer flooding within a sandstone formation the method comprising: injecting a treatment fluid composition into a wellbore, the treatment fluid composition comprising: a base fluid, and a viscosifier comprising a branched block copolymer wherein the branched block copolymer is a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C and monomer A and monomer B and monomer D; and increasing hydrocarbon production from the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Sivaprakash Shanmugam, Carl Thaemlitz
  • Patent number: 11845858
    Abstract: A friction reducer comprising a copolymer of acrylamide, an anionic monomer, a zwitterionic monomer or a cationic monomer, a physical ligand or a chemical ligand, wherein the acrylamide amounts to at least 50% (w/w) of the total monomer content. The friction reducer is useful in hydraulic fracturing operations and is obtained by controlled radical polymerization at a temperature between 30° C. and 70° C. using iodine as polymerization control agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: YPF TECNOLOGIA S.A.
    Inventors: Juan Martín Giussi, Lila Arias, Roque Carlos Dietrich, Isabel Vega, Sofía Rivelli, Juan Manuel Padró, Frederico Irou Roschzttardtz, Gabriel Lombardo, Paula Cecilia Dos Santos Claro
  • Patent number: 11840035
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Charles Breitkopf, Changhong Yin, Steve Yun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11839210
    Abstract: The present invention uses compound 3-OH-?-apo-13-carotenone (zaxinone) as a negative regulator of the plant hormone strigolactones (SLs). The compound 3-OH-?-apo-13-carotenone is a positive growth regulator which triggers the formation of crown roots and promotes growth in size and number of roots and shoots. Disclosed herein is a method of using 3-OH-?-apo-13-carotenone as a growth-promoting compound for cereal, grain and vegetable crops. The 3-OH-?-apo-13-carotenone compounds is also a negative regulator of strigolactone biosynthesis and release. Disclosed herein is a method of combating root parasitic weeds affecting cereal, grain and vegetable crops. Application of 3-OH-?-apo-13-carotenone to plant growth media down-regulates strigolactone production in cereal, grain and vegetable crops preventing root parasitic weed infestation of the crops by inhibiting germination of parasitic weed seeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Salim Al-Babili
  • Patent number: 11834381
    Abstract: Disclosed are a room temperature curable quick-setting high-strength alkali-activated fly ash (AAFA) cementitious material and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the technical field of building materials. The raw materials include: in parts by mass, 30-50 parts of undisturbed fly ash, 50-70 parts of highly reactive ultra-fine fly ash, and 12-18 parts of sodium hydroxide. Specifically, the AAFA with fast setting and high strength for room temperature curing is prepared by pretreatment of fly ash with sodium hydroxide exciter, based on a premise that the raw material system and preparation process are simplified and feasible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: XI'AN UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hui Li, Huimei Zhu, Yuwen Zhang, Xindong Zhang, Chen Yu, Jia'ni Chen
  • Patent number: 11834522
    Abstract: A methyl ethyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose (MEHEC), process for making the MEHEC, and a powder containing the MEHEC are disclosed. The MEHEC is provided with a DSmethyl from 1.5 to 2.5, a DSethyl from 0.005 to 0.15, and a MSalkylene-oxide from 0.005 to 0.2. The methyl ethyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose optionally includes an anti-oxidant. The MEHEC optionally does not have a combination of a DSmethyl of 2.2 or 1.8, a DSethyl of 0.05 or 0.1, and a MSalkylene-oxide of 0.1 and does not have a combination of a DSmethyl of 2.5 or 2.0, a DSethyl of 0.1, and a MSalkylene-oxide of 0.05. The MEHEC has very good biostability and is suitable for use in the building industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: NOURYON CHEMICALS INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventors: Leif Magnus Joakim Anger, Kjell Stridh, Lars Erik Berglund, Alexander Zapf
  • Patent number: 11834606
    Abstract: Embodiments of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. One embodiment comprises adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid and adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Sumitra Subrahmanyan, Gayani W. Pinnawala, Sophany Thach, Gregory A. Winslow, Dennis A. Alexis, Harold C. Linnemeyer, Timothy P. Theriot, Les Leszek Jackowski, Francesca Cibotti
  • Patent number: 11820937
    Abstract: The current method comprises producing a loss control blend by selecting blend ingredients that contribute to thixotropy of the blend, density of the blend, and compressive strength of the set blend, wherein at least one of the blend ingredients contributes positively to all three of these attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Sairam K S Pindiprolu, Sudhir Maruti Nimane, Sandip Prabhakar Patil, Rahul Chandrakant Patil
  • Patent number: 11820944
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, sulfate ions may be removed from seawater to form an injection fluid by a method including passing the seawater and formation water to a mixing tank. The seawater may comprise sulfate ions. The formation water may comprise barium ions. The seawater and formation water may be passed to the mixing tank in a ratio determined by a computerized geochemical model. The method may further include mixing the seawater and formation water to form a mixed fluid and passing the mixed fluid to a clarifier, where a barium sulfate precipitate may be formed and at least a portion of the barium sulfate precipitate may be separated from the mixed fluid. The method may further include passing the mixed fluid to a microfiltration system, where at least a portion of the barium sulfate precipitate may be removed from the mixed fluid to form an injection fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Peter Birkle, Yunjiao Fu