Patents by Inventor Hon Chung Lau

Hon Chung Lau 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).

  • Publication number: 20230358120
    Abstract: A method for storing CO2 includes identifying a depleted or partially depleted gas, gas condensate or oil reservoir having a plurality of injection wells and a plurality of production wells. The reservoir is then depleted. Once the reservoir is depleted or partially depleted, enhanced oil recovery and/or enhanced gas recovery is then performed on the reservoir where a first quantity of carbon dioxide is injected into the plurality of injection wells to displace the remaining oil and gas. Heat mining is then performed on the reservoir, where the second quantity of carbon dioxide is injected into the reservoir and the first and second quantities of carbon dioxide are subsequently produced to the surface for capture and conversion of geothermal heat of the first and second quantities of carbon dioxide into electricity. A third quantity of carbon dioxide is then injected and stored in the reservoir permanently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Hon Chung Lau, KAI ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20230358119
    Abstract: A CO2 sequestration system sequesters carbon dioxide as carbon dioxide hydrate in offshore saline aquifers. The system includes an offshore aquifer in a tropical region. A plurality of wellbores are positioned inside or around a perimeter of the aquifer. The CO2 may be injected into the aquifer via separate injectors located in the wellbores connected to the aquifer while aquifer water or brine is produced from one or more of the other wellbores and provided to the aquifer. Injection of the CO2 into and production of water from the offshore aquifer at separately timed intervals may maintain the reservoir pressure below the reservoir fracture pressure and the hydrate formation pressure so that the CO2 may be stored as carbon dioxide hydrate within the aquifer. Depending on the specific output desired, the aquifer may be positioned either straddling or within a hydrate stability zone. A method for sequestering CO2 uses the aforementioned system to carry out CO2 sequestration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Hon Chung Lau, KAI ZHANG
  • Patent number: 11795784
    Abstract: A CO2 sequestration system sequesters carbon dioxide as carbon dioxide hydrate in offshore saline aquifers. The system includes an offshore aquifer in a tropical region. A plurality of wellbores are positioned inside or around a perimeter of the aquifer. The CO2 may be injected into the aquifer via separate injectors located in the wellbores connected to the aquifer while aquifer water or brine is produced from one or more of the other wellbores and provided to the aquifer. Injection of the CO2 into and production of water from the offshore aquifer at separately timed intervals may maintain the reservoir pressure below the reservoir fracture pressure and the hydrate formation pressure so that the CO2 may be stored as carbon dioxide hydrate within the aquifer. Depending on the specific output desired, the aquifer may be positioned either straddling or within a hydrate stability zone. A method for sequestering CO2 uses the aforementioned system to carry out CO2 sequestration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Low Carbon Energies, LLC
    Inventors: Hon Chung Lau, Kai Zhang
  • Patent number: 8857523
    Abstract: An offshore oil production system, comprising a structure in a body of water, having a portion extending above a surface of the body of water; a wellhead located at a boom of the body of water; a riser extending from the wellhead to the portion extending above the surface; a primary wellbore extending into a subsea formation beneath the body of water; and at least two secondary wellbores extending further into the subsea formation beneath the body of water and beneath the primary wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Hon Chung Lau
  • Publication number: 20130319681
    Abstract: An offshore oil production system, comprising a structure in a body of water, having a portion extending above a surface of the body of water; a first surface wellhead located at a top of the body of water; a second surface wellhead located at a top of the body of water; a first wellhead located at a bottom of the body of water; a second wellhead located at a bottom of the body of water; a first riser extending from the first wellhead to the first surface wellhead; and a second riser extending from the second wellhead to the second surface wellhead; wherein the first surface wellhead is a distance of less than about 12 feet from the second surface wellhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Glenn Martin Wald, Mathew Jay Jabs, Hon Chung Lau, Maartje Van Krieken, David Alex Knoll, Yile Li, Raymond Louis Jean Pierre Fonk, Quentin Terry Mcglothlin, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130240215
    Abstract: An offshore oil production system, comprising a structure in a body of water, having a portion extending above a surface of the body of water; a wellhead located at a boom of the body of water; a riser extending from the wellhead to the portion extending above the surface; a primary wellbore extending into a subsea formation beneath the body of water; and at least two secondary wellbores extending further into the subsea formation beneath the body of water and beneath the primary wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventor: Hon Chung Lau
  • Publication number: 20130213663
    Abstract: An offshore oil production system, comprising a structure in a body of water, having a portion extending above a surface of the body of water; a surface wellhead located at a top of the body of water; a first wellhead located at a bottom of the body of water; a second wellhead located at a bottom of the body of water; a first riser extending from the first wellhead to the surface wellhead; and a second riser extending from the second wellhead to the surface wellhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventor: Hon Chung Lau
  • Patent number: 5354786
    Abstract: Polymers used to prevent fluid loss from boreholes may be eliminated after a predetermined time by including with the polymer composition halogen-substituted organic acids or their salt derivatives. These components hydrolyze, releasing hydrogen-halogen acids which break down the polymers within the wellbore or formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Hon Chung Lau
  • Patent number: 5069802
    Abstract: Improved gas foam flooding surfactants and gas foam-forming mixtures wherein the surfactants are enriched in olefin disulfonate. The surfactants may be used in either a gas drive or a gas soak process. Use of the disulfonate-enriched gas foam surfactants and mixtures in a gas flooding operation is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: John K. Borchardt, Hon Chung Lau
  • Patent number: 4911238
    Abstract: An improved process for recovering oil by injecting a mixture of noncondensible gas and gas foam surfactant into an oil-containing subterranean reservoir, the improvement provided by using a surfactant enriched in olefin disulfonate. The sulfactant may be used in either a gas drive or a gas soak process. Disulfonate-enriched gas foam surfactants and mixtures are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Hon Chung Lau, John K. Borchardt
  • Patent number: 4617995
    Abstract: Oil is produced from an ion-exchanging reservoir by a dual gradient-establishing injection of a relatively short and concentrated slug of hot aqueous fluid containing surfactant and monovalent salt, followed by a steam-foaming mixture in which stem is mixed with much less of each of the surfactant and salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Hon Chung Lau
  • Patent number: H1685
    Abstract: Zinc oxide and zirconium oxide are used as weighting materials for water and oil based drilling fluids for horizontal wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Hon Chung Lau, Arthur Herman Hale, Louis Anthony Bernardi, Jr.