Patents by Inventor Herbert W. Swan
Herbert W. Swan 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: 11802783Abstract: A system for measuring fluid flow in a wellbore is provided. A probe includes at least a heater. A fiber optic cable is connected to the probe. The system is programmed to perform operations including: changing an output of the heater to thereby change a temperature of drilling fluid moving over a fiber optic cable; measuring a strain on the fiber optic cable caused by changing the temperature of the drilling fluid; preliminarily determining a velocity of the drilling fluid from the measured strain; measuring at least a second parameter of the drilling fluid; adjusting the preliminary determined velocity based on the measured at least a second parameter to yield an adjusted velocity; and determining a flow rate of the drilling fluid based on the adjusted velocity.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: ConocoPhillips CompanyInventors: Baishali Roy, Kyle Friehauf, Kevin T. Raterman, Herbert W. Swan, Jesse J. Constantine, Ge Jin
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Publication number: 20230014753Abstract: A system for measuring fluid flow in a wellbore is provided. A probe includes at least a heater. A fiber optic cable is connected to the probe. The system is programmed to perform operations including: changing an output of the heater to thereby change a temperature of drilling fluid moving over a fiber optic cable; measuring a strain on the fiber optic cable caused by changing the temperature of the drilling fluid; preliminarily determining a velocity of the drilling fluid from the measured strain; measuring at least a second parameter of the drilling fluid; adjusting the preliminary determined velocity based on the measured at least a second parameter to yield an adjusted velocity; and determining a flow rate of the drilling fluid based on the adjusted velocity.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2022Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventors: Baishali Roy, Kyle Friehauf, Kevin T. Raterman, Herbert W. Swan, Jesse J. Constantine, Ge Jin
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Publication number: 20220307371Abstract: Water hammer is oscillatory pressure behavior in a wellbore resulting from the inertial effect of flowing fluid being subjected to an abrupt change in velocity. It is commonly observed at the end of large-scale hydraulic fracturing treatments after fluid injection is rapidly terminated. Factors affecting treatment-related water hammer behavior are disclosed and field studies are introduced correlating water hammer characteristics to fracture intensity and well productivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2022Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventor: Herbert W. SWAN
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Patent number: 10890058Abstract: A workflow using techniques for improving signal-to-noise ratio and decreasing interferences for Low-Frequency Distributed Acoustic Sensing is described.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: ConocoPhillips CompanyInventors: Kyle R. Krueger, Ge Jin, Charles C. Mosher, Herbert W. Swan, Baishali Roy
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Patent number: 10370957Abstract: This disclosure describes a method of combining DAS and DTS data to accurately estimate borehole temperature. The described method takes advantage of the thermal sensitivity of DAS signal in the low-frequency band, and combines with the absolute temperature measurement from DTS, to produce a distributed temperature estimation that is up to 10000 more accurate than the current commercial solution. The DAS and DTS data should be record simultaneously at the same well. The DAS data are first low-pass filtered and then converted into temperature variation measurement. Then an accurate temperature estimation is obtained by fitting both DTS and DAS data.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANYInventors: Ge Jin, Herbert W. Swan, Baishali Roy, Kyle R. Krueger
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Patent number: 10095828Abstract: A system and method for monitoring oil flow rates along a producing oil or gas well using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing fiber is described. This system uses the low-frequency component of the acoustic signal as a measurement of temperature variations within the well. The relative flow contributions can then be inferred from these temperature fluctuations.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANYInventors: Herbert W. Swan, Ge Jin, Kyle R. Krueger, Baishali Roy
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Publication number: 20180045040Abstract: A system and method for monitoring oil flow rates along a producing oil or gas well using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing fiber is described. This system uses the low-frequency component of the acoustic signal as a measurement of temperature variations within the well. The relative flow contributions can then be inferred from these temperature fluctuations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2017Publication date: February 15, 2018Inventors: Herbert W. SWAN, Ge JIN, Kyle R. KRUEGER, Baishali ROY
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Publication number: 20170342814Abstract: A workflow using techniques for improving signal-to-noise ratio and decreasing interferences for Low-Frequency Distributed Acoustic Sensing is described.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2017Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Kyle R. KRUEGER, Ge JIN, Charles C. MOSHER, Herbert W. SWAN, Baishali ROY
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Publication number: 20170260846Abstract: This disclosure describes a method of combining DAS and DTS data to accurately estimate borehole temperature. The described method takes advantage of the thermal sensitivity of DAS signal in the low-frequency band, and combines with the absolute temperature measurement from DTS, to produce a distributed temperature estimation that is up to 10000 more accurate than the current commercial solution. The DAS and DTS data should be record simultaneously at the same well. The DAS data are first low-pass filtered and then converted into temperature variation measurement. Then an accurate temperature estimation is obtained by fitting both DTS and DAS data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2017Publication date: September 14, 2017Inventors: Ge JIN, Herbert W. SWAN, Baishali ROY, Kyle R. KRUEGER
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Patent number: 6058074Abstract: A computer system and method of operating the same to apply overburden corrections to seismic signals prior to amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) analysis is disclosed. The system and method retrieve common midpoint gathers of the seismic signals, and generate analytical, or complex, AVO intercept and AVO slope traces therefrom, effectively stacking the traces in each gather. Over a sliding time window of the stacks, the computer system generates p-measure standard deviation and correlation statistics, preferably using a p-measure value less than one. The AVO intercept and AVO slope traces are then modified, at each depth point of interest corresponding to a time window placement, according to the relationship between the p-measure statistics and the desired statistics for the background distribution.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1998Date of Patent: May 2, 2000Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventors: Herbert W. Swan, Bruce J. Verwest
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Patent number: 5784334Abstract: A computer-operated method for analyzing seismic data to discern the presence of hydrocarbon-bearing formations is disclosed. According to the disclosed method and system, amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) analysis is performed to assign, for each depth point in a survey region, an AVO intercept value and an AVO gradient value; the AVO intercept value corresponds to the zero-offset response for acoustic reflections from the depth point, while the AVO gradient value corresponds to the rate of change of the amplitude as a function of the angle of incidence of the acoustic energy (typically, with the square of the sine of the angle).Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1996Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventors: Arcangelo G. Sena, Herbert W. Swan
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Patent number: 5661697Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) seismic data to distinguish sand formations, such as Morrow sands, from limestones and other similar intervals, is disclosed. For each of the traces in the survey, AVO intercept and AVO slope traces are generated, preferably after normalization of the amplitudes of the traces to account for geophone coupling variations. After normalization and conventional processing and corrections, spatial summation may be performed to further improve the traces. AVO trend lines are then generated, preferably on a weighted window basis, to generate localized trend lines against which the intercept and slope values of individual depth points may be compared. This comparison allows the plotting of AVO intercept versus AVO slope deviation from the trend line, from which sand formation interfaces may be identified by their presence in certain quadrants of the intercept-slope deviation cross-plot.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1995Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventors: Herbert W. Swan, Kenneth O. McDowell, James A. Specht
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Patent number: 5515335Abstract: A method for generating improved displays of seismic data by processing seismic amplitude versus offset data to correct for overburden effects. Analytic traces are calculated for the zero offset reflectivity, A, trace and the amplitude versus offset slope, B, trace of the AVO data. Statistics for the A and B traces within a selected window in time and common depth point space about a selected sample point are calculated. The statistics include root mean square amplitudes of the A and B traces and the correlation coefficient. Desired statistics are selected and used with the measured statistics to correct the A and B traces.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1993Date of Patent: May 7, 1996Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventor: Herbert W. Swan
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Patent number: 5440525Abstract: A method for displaying seismic data to provide direct indications of the presence of hydrocarbons. Seismic data is processed using conventional amplitude versus offset techniques to obtain zero offset reflectivity, or A, traces and the amplitude versus offset slope, or B, traces. AB cross plots of each trace are then generated. Each sample point on the cross plot is then assigned a value corresponding to its deviation from the regression line of the cross plotted AB points. The assigned values are then plotted in their corresponding time sample positions to generate a trace or display providing a direct indication of hydrocarbons.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1993Date of Patent: August 8, 1995Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventors: Samir K. Dey-Sarkar, Douglas J. Foster, Steven W. Smith, Herbert W. Swan
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Patent number: 5297108Abstract: A method for detecting errors in estimated seismic velocities used in a normal moveout correction of a gather of traces selected from conventional, common midpoint seismic data. Zero offset reflectivity and amplitude versus offset slope traces are derived from the NMO corrected gather. Analytic traces are calculated for the zero offset reflectivity and amplitude versus offset slope traces. The analytic zero offset reflectivity trace is multiplied by the complex conjugate of the analytic slope trace and the imaginary part of the product indicates estimated velocity errors. The velocity error indicator is used to correct the velocity estimates so that the normal moveout process may be reperformed without the errors caused by incorrect velocity estimates. Alternatively, the velocity error indicator itself is plotted on a seismic section as an indicator of characteristics of subsurface earth formations.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 1993Date of Patent: March 22, 1994Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventor: Herbert W. Swan
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Patent number: 5258960Abstract: A method for detecting errors in estimated seismic velocities used in a normal moveout correction of a gather of traces selected from conventional, common midpoint seismic data. Zero offset reflectivity and amplitude versus offset slope traces are derived from the NMO corrected gather. Analytic traces are calculated for the zero offset reflectivity and amplitude versus offset slope traces. The analytic zero offset reflectivity trace is multiplied by the complex conjugate of the analytic slope trace and the imaginary part of the product indicates estimated velocity errors. The velocity error indicator is used to correct the velocity estimates so that the normal moveout process may be reperformed without the errors caused by incorrect velocity estimates. Alternatively, the velocity error indicator itself is plotted on a seismic section as an indicator of characteristics of subsurface earth formations.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 1992Date of Patent: November 2, 1993Assignee: Atlantic Richfield CompanyInventor: Herbert W. Swan