Patents by Inventor Alex Turta

Alex Turta 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).

  • Patent number: 7938182
    Abstract: A method for recovering natural gas from a group of subterranean zones containing natural gas, including injecting an amount of a displacing gas into a first subterranean zone, producing a first produced gas from the first subterranean zone, collecting an amount of the first produced gas wherein the quality of the collected first produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold production quality for the first produced gas, injecting an amount of the first produced gas into a second subterranean zone wherein the quality of the injected first produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold injection quality for the first produced gas, producing a second produced gas from the second subterranean zone, and collecting an amount of the second produced gas wherein the quality of the collected second produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold production quality for the second produced gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Turta, Steve Sim, Ashok Singhal, Gary Bunio, Blaine F. Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20090200026
    Abstract: A method for recovering natural gas from a group of subterranean zones containing natural gas, including injecting an amount of a displacing gas into a first subterranean zone, producing a first produced gas from the first subterranean zone, collecting an amount of the first produced gas wherein the quality of the collected first produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold production quality for the first produced gas, injecting an amount of the first produced gas into a second subterranean zone wherein the quality of the injected first produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold injection quality for the first produced gas, producing a second produced gas from the second subterranean zone, and collecting an amount of the second produced gas wherein the quality of the collected second produced gas is higher than or equal to a threshold production quality for the second produced gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL INC.
    Inventors: Alex TURTA, Steve SIM, Ashok SINGHAL, Gary BUNIO, Blaine F. HAWKINS
  • Patent number: 7328743
    Abstract: A modified toe-to-heel waterflooding (TTHW) process is provided for recovering oil from a reservoir in an underground formation. After establishing the conventional TTHW waterflood, the process includes placing a chemical blocking agent at the watered out producing toe portion of the horizontal leg of the production well to create a blockage in the producing toe portion and to create a new producing toe portion in an open portion of the horizontal leg adjacent the blockage through which most of the production takes place. Production is then continued through the new producing toe portion and the open portion of the horizontal leg of the production well. These blocking and producing steps can be continued to progressively block producing toe portions in a direction toward the vertical pilot portion of the production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Turta, Fred Wassmuth, Vijay Shrivastava, Ashok Singhal
  • Publication number: 20070068674
    Abstract: A modified toe-to-heel waterflooding (TTHW) process is provided for recovering oil from a reservoir in an underground formation. After establishing the conventional TTHW waterflood, the process includes placing a chemical blocking agent at the watered out producing toe portion of the horizontal leg of the production well to create a blockage in the producing toe portion and to create a new producing toe portion in an open portion of the horizontal leg adjacent the blockage through which most of the production takes place. Production is then continued through the new producing toe portion and the open portion of the horizontal leg of the production well. These blocking and producing steps can be continued to progressively block producing toe portions in a direction toward the vertical pilot portion of the production well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL, INC.
    Inventors: Alex Turta, Fred Wassmuth, Vijay Shrivastava, Ashok Singhal
  • Patent number: 6412557
    Abstract: A well configuration is provided comprising an injection well (102) completed relatively high in an oil reservoir (100) and a production well (103-106) completed relatively low in the reservoir (100). The production well has a horizontal leg (107) oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well (102). The leg (107) is positioned in the path of the advancing front. Oil upgrading catalyst has been emplaced along the horizontal leg. The production well (103-106) is maintained open, thereby providing a low pressure sink which induces the front to advance along the leg. The hot combustion gases react with the commingled oil over the catalyst to provide in situ upgrading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: Conrad Ayasse, Malcolm Greaves, Alex Turta
  • Patent number: 6167966
    Abstract: In an underground oil reservoir, an injection well is completed low in the reservoir and a production well is provided having a horizontal leg completed relatively high in the reservoir and a vertical leg completed low in the reservoir. Water is injected with the vertical leg open and the horizontal leg closed, so that a displacement front advances in an under-riding manner between the wells and oil is produced through the vertical leg. Once the water break-through in the vertical leg occurs, it is closed and the horizontal leg is opened. A rising, horizontal, gravity-stable displacement front then advances upwardly toward the horizontal leg, through which oil is produced. The open horizontal leg acts as a low pressure sink to induce the horizontal displacement front to advance up toward it. This two-stage process is characterized by a good vertical and lateral sweep.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council, Inc.
    Inventors: Conrad Ayasse, Alex Turta