Patents by Inventor Ali A. Al-Yousef
Ali A. Al-Yousef 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).
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Patent number: 12152477Abstract: Methods of enhancing productivity of a subterranean wellbore may include introducing a carbonated mixture comprising water and carbonate anions to a target zone of the subterranean wellbore; introducing basaltic particles to the target zone of the subterranean wellbore; contacting the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture; dissolving at least a part of the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture to release divalent cations including calcium cations, magnesium cations and ferrous cations; reacting, in the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, the divalent cations with the carbonate anions in the carbonated mixture to produce carbonate minerals; providing stimulus to the basaltic particles and the carbonated mixture to promote the dissolving and the reacting; depositing at least a part of the carbonate minerals to fractures of the target zone; and monitoring the reacting of the divalent cations with the carbonated anions and depositing.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2022Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Abdulaziz S. Al-Qasim, Ali A. Al-Yousef
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Publication number: 20240217844Abstract: Systems and methods including a pretreatment component for pretreating a produced water obtained from a subterranean formation operation to remove at least a portion of dispersed hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide therein, thereby producing a high salinity produced water; a desalination component for desalinating of the high salinity produced water to remove at least one or more salts therein, thereby producing a desalinated water and a saturated saline water; and a mineral recovery component for treating the saturated saline water to recover mineral salts therein, thereby producing the recovered mineral salts.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2023Publication date: July 4, 2024Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Subhash AYIRALA, Salah H. ALSALEH, Ali A. AL-YOUSEF
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Publication number: 20230220752Abstract: Methods of enhancing productivity of a subterranean wellbore may include introducing a carbonated mixture comprising water and carbonate anions to a target zone of the subterranean wellbore; introducing basaltic particles to the target zone of the subterranean wellbore; contacting the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture; dissolving at least a part of the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture to release divalent cations including calcium cations, magnesium cations and ferrous cations; reacting, in the target zone of the subterranean wellbore, the divalent cations with the carbonate anions in the carbonated mixture to produce carbonate minerals; providing stimulus to the basaltic particles and the carbonated mixture to promote the dissolving and the reacting; depositing at least a part of the carbonate minerals to fractures of the target zone; and monitoring the reacting of the divalent cations with the carbonated anions and depositing.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Abdulaziz S. Al-Qasim, Ali A. Al-Yousef
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Patent number: 11572747Abstract: A method of mitigating lost circulation in a subterranean wellbore for oil and gas includes introducing basaltic particles and a carbonated mixture to the lost circulation zone of the subterranean wellbore, contacting the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture, dissolving at least a part of the basaltic particles with the carbonated mixture, reacting divalent cations with the carbonate anions in the carbonated mixture to produce carbonate minerals, providing stimulus to the basaltic particles and the carbonated mixture, depositing at least a part of the carbonate minerals to fractures of the lost circulation zone, monitoring the reacting and depositing; and optionally repeating one or more of the aforementioned steps. A drilling system for oil and gas extraction includes basaltic particles, a carbonated mixture, at least one stimulus generator, and a mitigation device.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2021Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Abdulaziz S. Al-Qasim, Ali A. Al-Yousef
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Patent number: 11066910Abstract: 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 iType: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Inventors: Subhash Ayirala, Sultan Alenezi, Muhannad Alabdullateef, Salah Seleh, Waleed Mohammed Alhodythi, Ali Al-Yousef
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Patent number: 10954764Abstract: Provided are oil recovery compositions and processes for enhancing oil recovery from a carbonate reservoir. A process for enhancing oil recovery includes injecting a first slug of an aqueous solution having a salinity in the range of about 5,000 ppm TDS to about 7,000 ppm TDS and sulfate ions in the range of about 500 ppm to about 5000 ppm. After injection of the first slug, the process includes injecting a second slug of an aqueous solution having a salinity in the range of about 5,000 ppm TDS to about 7,000 ppm TDS, calcium ion concentrations in the range of about 100 ppm to about 1000 ppm, and magnesium ions in the range of about 200 ppm to about 2000 ppm. A third slug of seawater or produce water may then be injected as chase water.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Subhash C. Ayirala, Ammar AlShehri, Sultan Enezi, Ali Al-Yousef
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Publication number: 20210062629Abstract: 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 iType: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2019Publication date: March 4, 2021Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Subhash AYIRALA, Sultan ALENEZI, Muhannad ALABDULLATEEF, Salah SELEH, Waleed Mohammed ALHODYTHI, Ali AL-YOUSEF
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Publication number: 20200284130Abstract: Provided are oil recovery compositions and processes for enhancing oil recovery from a carbonate reservoir. A process for enhancing oil recovery includes injecting a first slug of an aqueous solution having a salinity in the range of about 5,000 ppm TDS to about 7,000 ppm TDS and sulfate ions in the range of about 500 ppm to about 5000 ppm. After injection of the first slug, the process includes injecting a second slug of an aqueous solution having a salinity in the range of about 5,000 ppm TDS to about 7,000 ppm TDS, calcium ion concentrations in the range of about 100 ppm to about 1000 ppm, and magnesium ions in the range of about 200 ppm to about 2000 ppm. A third slug of seawater or produce water may then be injected as chase water.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2019Publication date: September 10, 2020Inventors: Subhash C. Ayirala, Ammar AlShehri, Sultan Enezi, Ali Al-Yousef
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Patent number: 10429372Abstract: A method for measuring liquid-rock and liquid-liquid interfaces including performing at least one measurement technique proximate a subterranean rock sample and an interfacial liquid hydrocarbon fraction, where a liquid hydrocarbon fraction and the subterranean rock sample are combined to exhibit a first interface between the liquid hydrocarbon fraction and the subterranean rock sample, producing the interfacial liquid hydrocarbon fraction. The method includes performing at least one measurement technique proximate the interfacial liquid hydrocarbon fraction and a brine solution, where the liquid hydrocarbon fraction and the brine solution are combined to exhibit a second interface between the liquid hydrocarbon fraction and the brine solution, and where the measurement techniques result in measurements of the interfacial liquid hydrocarbon fraction at macro, micro to nano, nano to sub-nano, and sub-nano scales, and result in measurements of the second interface at macro and micro to nano scales.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2018Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANYInventors: Ali Al-Yousef, Subhash Ayirala
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Publication number: 20180259499Abstract: Methods, compositions, and techniques for enhancing the production of hydrocarbons such as crude oil from subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formations. In some embodiments, the invention relates to processes for evaluating enhanced oil recovery mechanisms in carbonate based reservoirs at both the rock-fluid and oil-water interfaces using spectroscopic and interfacial techniques. In further embodiments, the spectroscopic and interfacial techniques include microscopic, rheometric and tensiometric measurements. In preferred embodiments, the disclosed methods and techniques provide reservoir based details at that allow for optimized “smart water” flooding practices and correspondingly higher oil recovery rates.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2018Publication date: September 13, 2018Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Ali Al-Yousef, Subhash Ayirala
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Patent number: 10000687Abstract: Methods, compositions, and techniques for enhancing the production of hydrocarbons such as crude oil from subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formations are disclosed. In some embodiments, the invention relates to processes for evaluating enhanced oil recovery mechanisms in carbonate based reservoirs at both the rock-fluid and oil-water interfaces using spectroscopic and interfacial techniques. In further embodiments, the spectroscopic and interfacial techniques include microscopic, rheometric and tensiometric measurements. In preferred embodiments, the disclosed methods and techniques provide reservoir based details at that allow for optimized “smart water” flooding practices and correspondingly higher oil recovery rates.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Ali Al-Yousef, Subhash Ayirala
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Publication number: 20170015893Abstract: Methods, compositions, and techniques for enhancing the production of hydrocarbons such as crude oil from subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formations are disclosed. In some embodiments, the invention relates to processes for evaluating enhanced oil recovery mechanisms in carbonate based reservoirs at both the rock-fluid and oil-water interfaces using spectroscopic and interfacial techniques. In further embodiments, the spectroscopic and interfacial techniques include microscopic, rheometric and tensiometric measurements. In preferred embodiments, the disclosed methods and techniques provide reservoir based details at that allow for optimized “smart water” flooding practices and correspondingly higher oil recovery rates.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2016Publication date: January 19, 2017Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Ali Al-Yousef, Subhash Ayirala