Patents Examined by Zakiya W. Bates
  • Patent number: 11078405
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide compositions and methods suitable for injection of a nanosurfactant-based foam composition into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation for enhanced recovery operations. The nanosurfactant-based foam composition includes a gaseous component and nanoassemblies. The nanoassemblies contain a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, mineral oil, and a zwitterionic co-surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Ayrat Gizzatov, Shehab Alzobaidi, Amr Abdel-Fattah
  • Patent number: 11078402
    Abstract: Methods include drilling at least one interval of a wellbore with a water-based wellbore fluid producing a filtercake in the at least one interval of the wellbore. The methods also include gravel packing an interval of a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation with a gravel pack that comprises polyhydroxycarboxylic acid, and hydrolyzing the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid to degrade at least a portion of the filtercake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Offenbacher, Balkrishna Gadiyar
  • Patent number: 11072997
    Abstract: A pressure shock wave apparatus applies shock waves to separate substances, such as oil, from a water mixture in an enclosure. The substance, such as oil, is moved toward a substance removal conduit and the water moved toward a water conduit from action of the shock wave apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SANUWAVE, INC.
    Inventors: Iulian Cioanta, Cary McGhin
  • Patent number: 11066594
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide compositions and methods suitable for injection of a nanosurfactant composition into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation for enhanced recovery operations. The nanosurfactant composition includes nanoassemblies that contain a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, mineral oil, a zwitterionic co-surfactant. The nanosurfactant composition also includes a functionalized zwitterionic copolymer present in an aqueous environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventors: Ayrat Gizzatov, Chang Da, Amr Abdel-Fattah, Shitong Zhu
  • Patent number: 11066910
    Abstract: A method for extracting hydrocarbons from a carbonate reservoir in a formation, the method includes: injecting an aqueous conditioning slug having a primary reducing agent into the carbonate reservoir; injecting an aqueous main slug having an alkalinity agent and a secondary reducing agent into the carbonate reservoir to treat the carbonate reservoir and surface of the formation to reduce interfacial tension and alter wettability of the surface of the formation towards water-wet; injecting an aqueous buffering slug into the carbonate reservoir, the aqueous buffering slug having a tertiary reducing agent to treat the carbonate reservoir and surface of the formation to maintain altered wettability; wherein the primary reducing agent, secondary reducing agent, and tertiary reducing agent are inorganic sodium salts selected from the group consisting of: sodium sulfate, trisodium phosphate, sodium tetraborate, sodium iodide, and combinations of the same; and injecting a displacing fluid to drive the hydrocarbons i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventors: Subhash Ayirala, Sultan Alenezi, Muhannad Alabdullateef, Salah Seleh, Waleed Mohammed Alhodythi, Ali Al-Yousef
  • Patent number: 11066898
    Abstract: A resin plug for wellbore abandonment includes: an amount of a heavier resin and an amount of a light weight resin, the heavier resin configured to have a faster setting rate than the light weight resin. The resin plug creates a seal for wellbore abandonment by the heavier resin setting first followed by setting of the light weight resin thereafter. Any void formed during setting of the heavier resin is filled by the light weight resin before the light weight resin sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: NAUTONNIER HOLDING CORP.
    Inventors: Bernie Cabot, Mark Schumlick
  • Patent number: 11066596
    Abstract: Systems and methods having friction reducer compositions for use in subterranean treatment fluids are presented. An embodiment is a method comprising: (A) forming a treatment fluid comprising: an aqueous base fluid, a friction reducer, and an alkaline buffering agent, wherein the treatment fluid has a pH in the range of about 7 to about 10; and (B) injecting the treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures within the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Multi-Chem Group, LLC
    Inventors: Liang Xu, Paul Lord, Scott Gale
  • Patent number: 11066914
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide compositions and methods suitable for injection of a nanosurfactant-based foam composition into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation for hydraulic fracturing operations. The nanosurfactant-based foam composition includes a gaseous component and nanoassemblies that contain a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, mineral oil, and a zwitterionic co-surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventors: Ayrat Gizzatov, Shehab Alzobaidi, Amr Abdel-Fattah
  • Patent number: 11053786
    Abstract: Systems and methods for treating subterranean formations for treating subterranean formations using propellant fracturing and hydraulic fracturing to detonate and inject in sequential stages. A method comprises disposing a propellant fracturing tool downhole into a well bore; introducing a fracturing fluid into a work string coupled to the fluid conduit to pressurize and set an upper packer and a lower packer against the well bore; detonating sequentially a plurality of propellant band stages to produce one or more fractures; introducing sequentially a series of treatment fluids into a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, wherein the sequential introduction of the series of treatment fluids occurs between the sequential detonation of the plurality of propellant band stages; and depositing at least a portion of the treatment fluids in at least a portion of the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip D. Nguyen, Ronald Glen Dusterhoft, Paul M. Ashcraft
  • Patent number: 11041114
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and compositions for creating microfractures within subterranean formations and delivering microproppant particles into microfractures within subterranean formations are provided. In some embodiments, the methods include: providing a treatment fluid that comprises an aqueous base fluid, a surfactant, and a plurality of microproppant particles having a mean particle diameter of about 100 microns or less; introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation at or above a pressure sufficient to initiate the formation of at least one microfracture within the subterranean formation; and allowing at least a portion of the microproppant particles to enter the at least one microfracture within the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Multi-Chem Group LLC
    Inventors: Liang Xin Xu, Kai He, Paul David Lord, Philip Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11041108
    Abstract: A variety of systems, methods and compositions are disclosed, including, in one method, a method of cementing may comprise: providing a cement composition comprising: a hydraulic cement comprising Portland cement in an amount of about 50% by weight of hydraulic cement or less, water, and a phosphorylated amino polycarboxylic acid cement retarder; placing the cement composition in a wellbore; and allowing the cement composition to set. A cement composition, the composition comprising: a hydraulic cement comprising Portland cement in an amount of about 50% by weight of hydraulic cement or less; water; and a phosphorylated amino polycarboxylic acid cement retarder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Jason Pisklak, Aaron Michael Beuterbaugh, Aleksey V. Kolasnikov
  • Patent number: 11041110
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing fluid for use in oilfield applications, where hydraulic fracturing fluid includes a spherical bead-forming liquid composition, the spherical bead-forming liquid composition comprising a micellar forming surfactant, a bead-forming compound, a non-solids bearing liquid solvent, a pH control agent, and a curing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignees: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, OIL CHEM TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Fakuen Frank Chang, Paul D. Berger, Christie H. Lee
  • Patent number: 11028311
    Abstract: A method of cementing a wellbore comprises combining an alginate suspension additive with a cement slurry to form a cementing composition, the cement slurry comprising an aqueous carrier and a cementitious component; injecting the cementing composition into the wellbore; and allowing the cement composition to set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Thomas S. Sodhi
  • Patent number: 11028670
    Abstract: A battery of shock waves applicators positioned on a support beam having an elliptical or spherical shape in a common device wherein focused shock waves from the applicators combine to provide pseudo-planar waves over a far field distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SANUWAVE INC.
    Inventors: Iulian Cioanta, Cary McGhin
  • Patent number: 11028317
    Abstract: A method for extracting a crude oil contained in a geological formation comprises a step of fracturing the geological formation, by injection of a specific aqueous extraction fluid under pressure, which contains at least one surfactant that reduces the interfacial tension between the extraction fluid and the crude oil to be extracted to below 0.1 mN/m; followed by a discharge step (“flowback”). Additionally, the original fracturing fluids used in this method, and the additives used in these fracturing fluids include a surfactant or a surfactant mixture which make it possible to reduce the interfacial tension between the fluid and a petroleum oil below 0.1 mN/m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: RHODIA OPERATIONS, IFP Energies Nouvelles
    Inventors: Max Chabert, Eloise Chevallier
  • Patent number: 11028312
    Abstract: A system and method for hydraulic fracturing including mixing seawater with an additive to precipitate sulfate from the seawater and mixing a flocculating agent with the seawater to agglomerate the sulfate precipitates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Leiming Li, Hejian Sun, Feng Liang, Mohammed A. Bataweel
  • Patent number: 11021646
    Abstract: A method of designing a nanoparticle tailored to support hydrocarbon recovery in a subterranean formation, a method for using nanoparticles to extract hydrocarbon from a subterranean formation, and a nanoparticle structure. The method may include determining environmental conditions of a subterranean formation, defining nanoparticle parameters based on the environmental conditions, and forming a nanoparticle comprising the nanoparticle parameters. The method may include producing a colloidal suspension of nanoparticles by mixing nanoparticles with water and injecting the colloidal suspension of nanoparticles into a subterranean formation. A nanoparticle structure may include a hydrophilic material in a defined three-dimensional shape having a maximum diameter. The nanoparticle may penetrate through an oil-water interface with an optimized contact angle, minimize an interfacial area between oil and water, and create an oil in water emulsion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronaldo Giro, Claudius Feger, Mathias B. Steiner
  • Patent number: 11008501
    Abstract: Disclosed here compositions and methods suitable for injection of a nanosurfactant-containing fluid into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation for enhanced recovery operations. Embodiments of the composition contain a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, mineral oil, and a zwitterionic co-surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventors: Amr I. Abdel-Fattah, Dmitry Kosynkin, Mohammad Alaskar, Ayrat Gizzatov, Shannon Lee Eichmann
  • Patent number: 11002123
    Abstract: Thermal recovery methods for recovering viscous hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. The thermal recovery methods include performing a plurality of injection cycles. Each injection cycle in the plurality of injection cycles includes injecting a heated solvent vapor stream into a heated chamber that extends within the subterranean formation and fluidly contacting the viscous hydrocarbons with the heated solvent vapor stream to generate mobilized viscous hydrocarbons. Each injection cycle also includes injecting a steam stream into the heated chamber. The thermal recovery methods further include producing a chamber liquid and/or mobilized viscous hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Sriram Doraiswamy, Rahman Khaledi, Robert D. Kaminsky
  • Patent number: 11001745
    Abstract: Compounds, systems and method(s) for removing hydro-carbons from a hydrocarbon-containing reservoir. Various N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones, such as N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, alone in hot water or steam, or in conjunction with other surfactants and/or solvents are injected into petroleum reservoirs containing heavy oil or bitumen to accomplish one or more functions: (1) increase rate of petroleum production compared to that produced using steam and/or hot water alone; (2) decrease steam to oil ratio; (3) extend life of a well by recovering more petroleum; (4) recover petroleum from wells that have been declared uneconomic using existing recovery methods; and/or (5) generally increase estimated petroleum reserves by reducing cost of production. The N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones are most usefully applied in cyclic steam stimulation, steam drive or steam assisted gravity drainage operations after the initial rate of petroleum production has begun to decline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: The Saskatchewan Research Council
    Inventor: Ralph George Jonasson