Patents by Inventor Eva Vinegar

Eva Vinegar 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: 12655725
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: TerraH2 LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Patent number: 12554037
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting underground structures using muon tomography in conjunction with a horizontal borehole. The system involves drilling or tunneling a horizontal borehole beneath the expected subsurface substructure depth, deploying multiple muon detector units within the borehole, equipment for moving the detector sonde along the borehole, recording data, and analyzing the detected muon flux to identify anomalies indicative of tunnels. The muon detectors, configured as tubular bundles of scintillators and drift tubes, detect muons with energies ranging from 10 GeV to 1 TeV and record the path of the muons. The system ensures borehole integrity and precise drilling alignment, providing a reliable means for subsurface structure detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Vinegar Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Harold Vinegar, Eva Vinegar
  • Publication number: 20250377475
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting underground structures using muon tomography in conjunction with a horizontal borehole. The system involves drilling or tunneling a horizontal borehole beneath the expected subsurface substructure depth, deploying multiple muon detector units within the borehole, equipment for moving the detector sonde along the borehole, recording data, and analyzing the detected muon flux to identify anomalies indicative of tunnels. The muon detectors, configured as tubular bundles of scintillators and drift tubes, detect muons with energies ranging from 10 GeV to 1 TeV and record the path of the muons. The system ensures borehole integrity and precise drilling alignment, providing a reliable means for subsurface structure detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2024
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Inventors: HAROLD VINEGAR, EVA VINEGAR
  • Patent number: 12467341
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Assignee: TerraH2 LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Patent number: 12366138
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: TerraH2 LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Publication number: 20240391858
    Abstract: A net-zero-carbon (NZC) methanol or ethanol is produced from a hydrogen gas stored in and subsequently recovered from a geological formation, and from carbon dioxide captured from ambient air. The hydrogen and carbon dioxide are stored and used to produce the NZC methanol and/or ethanol in a synthesis reactor. The NZC methanol and/or ethanol is blended with crude oil and/or condensate at a first location, e.g., at the location of the synthesis reactor, and transported to a second location, e.g., a refiner, where the NZC methanol and/or ethanol are separated from the crude oil and/or condensate. The separated NZC methanol and/or NZC ethanol can subsequently be blended with a gasoline, jet fuel, or diesel to achieve a desired concentration of NZC methanol and/or ethanol in the gasoline or jet fuel or diesel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: EVA VINEGAR, HAROLD VINEGAR
  • Patent number: 11959364
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TerraH2 LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Patent number: 11933932
    Abstract: This invention is useful for determining the permeability of a geological formation using 1H NMR diffusion measurements acquired in the laboratory and using downhole 1H NMR well logging. The current technology for obtaining formation permeability downhole using NMR is not adequate for low-permeability, unconventional source rock formations with high organic content. This new method uses laboratory 1H NMR diffusion measurements for creating continuous downhole well logs of the mobile-hydrocarbon permeability of the hydrocarbon-filled pore space of downhole geological formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: VINEGAR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Harold J. Vinegar, Philip M. Singer, George J. Hirasaki, Zeliang Chen, Xinglin Wang, Eva Vinegar
  • Patent number: 11921069
    Abstract: The following invention is used for determining the relative permeability of a fluid in a rock for three different phases: water, oil, and gas, in both conventional and unconventional formations. The permeability of a phase describes how much it can flow in porous media given a pressure gradient and is useful in evaluating reservoir quality and productivity. The following invention is a method to determine the three-phase relative permeabilities in both conventional and unconventional formations using NMR restricted diffusion measurements on core with NMR-active nuclei, combined with centrifugation of the core. In addition, the tortuosity, pore size (surface-to-volume ratio), fluid-filled porosity, and permeability is determined for each of the three phases in a rock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Vinegar Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Philip M. Singer, George J. Hirasaki, Zeliang Chen, Xinglin Wang, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Patent number: 11680466
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TERRAH2 LLC
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Harold J. Vinegar
  • Publication number: 20230167720
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Eva VINEGAR, Harold J. VINEGAR
  • Publication number: 20230167719
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Eva VINEGAR, Harold J. VINEGAR
  • Publication number: 20230160284
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Eva VINEGAR, Harold J. VINEGAR
  • Publication number: 20230077276
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Eva VINEGAR, Harold J. VINEGAR
  • Publication number: 20220251935
    Abstract: A method for operating a kerogen-rich unconventional gas reservoir characterized by there being multiple hydraulically-fractured wells drilled thereinto comprises: recovering a methane-containing gas from a first hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, steam-methane reforming the recovered methane-containing gas to yield a hydrogen gas and an inorganic carbon-containing gas, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into a second hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir, and injecting at least a portion of the inorganic carbon-containing gas into a third hydraulically-fractured well drilled into the gas reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Eva VINEGAR, Harold J. VINEGAR
  • Patent number: 9784882
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for generating an areal map of a pre-determined hydrocarbon liquid property of a subsurface kerogen-containing source rock from an electromagnetic resistivity profile. Preferably, the profile is generated by a transient EM method such as a long-offset transient electromagnetic (LOTEM) method. In some embodiments, the areal map is generated by employing resistivity-hydrocarbon liquid-quality relationship data describing a relationship between (i) a property of hydrocarbon liquid generated within the source rock pore space to (ii) an electrical resistivity of the source rock. In some embodiments, it is possible to acquire such data even in the absence of source rock samples where the hydrocarbon liquids within the samples has been preserved. The areal map is useful for determining a target location and/or depth in the source rock to drill for oil. The presently-disclosed techniques are particularly relevant to tight oil formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: GENIE IP B.V.
    Inventors: Eva Vinegar, Scott Nguyen, Harold Vinegar
  • Publication number: 20150168588
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for generating an areal map of a pre-determined hydrocarbon liquid property of a subsurface kerogen-containing source rock from an electromagnetic resistivity profile. Preferably, the profile is generated by a transient EM method such as a long-offset transient electromagnetic (LOTEM) method. In some embodiments, the areal map is generated by employing resistivity-hydrocarbon liquid-quality relationship data describing a relationship between (i) a property of hydrocarbon liquid generated within the source rock pore space to (ii) an electrical resistivity of the source rock. In some embodiments, it is possible to acquire such data even in the absence of source rock samples where the hydrocarbon liquids within the samples has been preserved. The areal map is useful for determining a target location and/or depth in the source rock to drill for oil. The presently-disclosed techniques are particularly relevant to tight oil formations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: GENIE IP B.V.
    Inventors: Harold Vinegar, Scott Nguyen, Eva Vinegar