Patents by Inventor Hannes Georges Zuercher

Hannes Georges Zuercher 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: 9279897
    Abstract: This patent deals with methods to extract and analyze seismic signals due to resonance phenomena in an enclosed oil, gas, or water reservoir, which are passively excited by seismic background noise, locating thereby the presence of the reservoir by doing qualitative and quantitative estimates via forward modeling. Measurements are first used in a qualitative analysis in eight steps. The influence of gas bubbles is important. A quantitative method in form of a numerical simulation using one of several specific physical concepts is used for further analysis. By using successive forward modeling, together with investigation and feedback and in conjunction with the Monte Carlo method, more details are gained. It is also possible to determine the fluid type. The uniqueness of the methods is first that it is purely passive; second it is directly sensitive to the oil or gas, because the resonance effect is only present for a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Inventor: Hannes Georges Zuercher
  • Patent number: 9176243
    Abstract: This patent deals with methods to selectively excite and analyze the resonance phenomena existing in an enclosed oil, gas and or water reservoir, thereby locating its presence, by doing qualitative and quantitative estimates of its extent via forward modeling. The oil, gas or water reservoir is represented as a fluid filled crack system or as a fluid saturated sponge located in solid rock. This patent covers the actively excited response and details methods to optimize the excitation. Due to interaction between either fluid filled fractures or fluid saturated rock lenses and the surrounding rock, the incident seismic energy is amplified in specific frequency ranges corresponding to the resonance frequencies of such systems. Measurements are made over the survey area, singly or in arrays. These are first used to determine qualitatively the resonance behavior, by relating them to resonance signal sources and possibly their direction. Overall statistical analysis assesses dominant frequencies in the spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hanner Zueroher
    Inventor: Hannes Georges Zuercher
  • Publication number: 20100036614
    Abstract: This patent deals with methods to extract and analyze seismic signals due to resonance phenomena in an enclosed oil, gas, or water reservoir, which are passively excited by seismic background noise, locating thereby the presence of the reservoir by doing qualitative and quantitative estimates via forward modeling. Measurements are first used in a qualitative analysis in eight steps. The influence of gas bubbles is important. A quantitative method in form of a numerical simulation using one of several specific physical concepts is used for further analysis. By using successive forward modeling, together with investigation and feedback and in conjunction with the Monte Carlo method, more details are gained. It is also possible to determine the fluid type. The uniqueness of the methods is first that it is purely passive; second it is directly sensitive to the oil or gas, because the resonance effect is only present for a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventor: Hannes Georges Zuercher
  • Publication number: 20100027377
    Abstract: This patent deals with methods to selectively excite and analyze the resonance phenomena existing in an enclosed oil, gas and or water reservoir, thereby locating its presence, by doing qualitative and quantitative estimates of its extent via forward modeling. The oil, gas or water reservoir is represented as a fluid filled crack system or as a fluid saturated sponge located in solid rock. This patent covers the actively excited response and details methods to optimize the excitation. Due to interaction between either fluid filled fractures or fluid saturated rock lenses and the surrounding rock, the incident seismic energy is amplified in specific frequency ranges corresponding to the resonance frequencies of such systems. Measurements are made over the survey area, singly or in arrays. These are first used to determine qualitatively the resonance behavior, by relating them to resonance signal sources and possibly their direction. Overall statistical analysis assesses dominant frequencies in the spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Hannes Georges Zuercher