Patents by Inventor Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr.

Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr. 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: 6742588
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. A hydrocarbon condensate produced from the formation may be a high quality oil that has a low olefin content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6739393
    Abstract: A coal formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The mixture may be produced from the formation through production wells. A spacing between production wells, and operating conditions of production wells and heat injection wells, may allow the produced mixture to have a desired ratio of condensable hydrocarbons to non-condensable hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, John Michael Karanikas, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6732794
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The mixture produced from the formation may have a relatively high hydrogen partial pressure, and a large portion of the pressure within the formation may be attributable to hydrogen partial pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6732795
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat may be allowed to transfer from one or more heat sources to a selected section of the formation such that superimposed heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes a relatively large portion of hydrocarbon material within the selected section of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6729397
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The formation to be treated may be chosen so that the mixture produced from the formation will have a desired amount of condensable hydrocarbons and non-condensable hydrocarbons. The formation to be treated may be chosen based on an initial vitrinite reflectance of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Etuan Zhang, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6729395
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The mixture may be produced from the formation through a plurality of production wells. A selected number of heat sources may be positioned in the formation for each production well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6725920
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heating may be controlled such that at least a selected amount of a total organic carbon content of the hydrocarbon material in the formation may be converted into formation fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Etuan Zhang, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6722429
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. An unpyrolyzed section may be left between two substantially pyrolyzed sections to inhibit subsidence of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6719047
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. A high hydrogen partial pressure within the formation may allow for hydrogenation of formation fluid within the formation. In addition, hydrogen, from produced formation fluid or from another source, may be used to hydrogenate produced fluid in a surface hydrogenation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Thomas David Fowler, Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6715548
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The mixture produced from the formation may contain condensable hydrocarbons fluids with some nitrogen containing hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6715549
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The formation to be treated may be selected based on initial elemental oxygen to carbon ratio of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6712136
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The mixture may be produced from the formation through production wells. A spacing between production wells, and operating conditions of production wells and heat injection wells, may allow the produced mixture to have a desired ratio of condensable hydrocarbons to non-condensable hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6702016
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat sources within a relatively thin layer of hydrocarbon material may be positioned in a staggered pattern near to edges of the layer so that superposition of heat from the heat sources allows a large percentage of the layer to reach a desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6688387
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise a temperature of the formation at a selected rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., John Michael Karanikas, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6591906
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. A formation to be treated may produce a relatively large amount of condensable hydrocarbons and/or a relatively large amount of non-condensable hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons within the formation may have a relatively low initial elemental oxygen weight percentage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6581684
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. The produced mixture may contain condensable hydrocarbons with sulfur containing hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6279392
    Abstract: A distributed pressure monitoring system is disclosed for monitoring formation pressure along substantial lengths of a casing in a borehole. The monitoring system has a communications line connected to surface facilities on one end which leads down the casing on the other end. A plurality of pressure sensors are spaced along the casing, each connected in communication with the communications line. A sensor housing encloses each sensor and an open pressure tentacle is attached to the sensor housing in communication with the pressure sensor. Another aspect of the present invention is a method for simultaneously monitoring the formation pressure in multiple zones of a borehole. The formation pressure is substantially separated from overburden pressure and pressure sensors adjacent selected zones of the formation are substantially isolated by filling the borehole with a cement selected to provide less hydraulic diffusivity than that of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Snell Oil Company
    Inventors: Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Harold J. Vinegar
  • Patent number: 6125935
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a cementing operation is disclosed for predicting whether an effective formation-to-casing seal has been formed across an annulus of a well. In this method a distributed well monitoring system is installed in the annulus of the well before the cement is pumped. Once pumped, the cement is monitored substantially along the annulus. The pressure in the annulus is determined at cement transition and this pressure is compared to the maximum formation pressure as an indication of whether the cement had set to a strength sufficient to maintain an effective formation-to-casing seal across the annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr.