Patents by Inventor Alan R. Huffman

Alan R. Huffman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and process for prediction of subsurface fluid and rock pressures in the earth
    Patent number: 6977866
    Abstract: A method of determination of fluid pressures in a subsurface region of the earth uses seismic velocities and calibrations relating the seismic velocities to the effective stress on the subsurface sediments. The seismic velocities may be keyed to defined seismic horizons and may be obtained from many methods, including velocity spectra, post-stack inversion, pre-stack inversion, VSP or tomography. Overburden stresses may be obtained from density logs, relations between density and velocity, or from inversion of potential fields data. The seismic data may be P-P, P-S, or S-S data. The calibrations may be predetermined or may be derived from well information including well logs and well pressure measurements. The calibrations may also include the effect of unloading. The determined pressures may be used in the analysis of fluid flow in reservoirs, basin and prospect modeling and in fault integrity analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: ConocoPhillps Company
    Inventors: Alan R. Huffman, Ernest C. Onyia, Richard W. Lahann, David W. Bell, Robert Lankston
  • Method and process for prediction of subsurface fluid and rock pressures in the earth
    Publication number: 20030004648
    Abstract: A method of determination of fluid pressures in a subsurface region of the earth uses seismic velocities and calibrations relating the seismic velocities to the effective stress on the subsurface sediments. The seismic velocities may be keyed to defined seismic horizons and may be obtained from many methods, including velocity spectra, post-stack inversion, pre-stack inversion, VSP or tomography. Overburden stresses may be obtained from density logs, relations between density and velocity, or from inversion of potential fields data. The seismic data may be P-P, P-S, or S-S data. The calibrations may be predetermined or may be derived from well information including well logs and well pressure measurements. The calibrations may also include the effect of unloading. The determined pressures may be used in the analysis of fluid flow in reservoirs, basin and prospect modeling and in fault integrity analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Huffman, Robert Lankston, Ernest C. Onyia, Richard Wayne Lahann, David W. Bell