Patents by Inventor Ian Ralph Collins
Ian Ralph Collins 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: 7074258Abstract: A process for the removal of water from gas which comprises an absorption step of bringing a gas saturated with water vapor into gas-liquid contact with a water-lean absorbing liquid comprising a water absorbing liquid having a cloud point temperature above the freezing point of water whereby water vapor present in the gas is absorbed into the water-lean absorbing liquid at a temperature below its cloud point to produce a refined gas having a reduced water vapor content and water-loaded absorbing liquid. A regeneration step is provided in which the water-loaded absorbing liquid is heated to above the cloud point temperature of the absorbing liquid whereby the water-loaded absorbing liquid separates into a water-rich phase and an absorbing liquid-rich phase and the absorbing liquid-rich phase is cooled to a temperature below its cloud point prior to recycling the absorbing liquid-rich phase for use as water-lean absorbing liquid in the absorption step.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2002Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company LimitedInventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Stephen Paul Goodwin
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Patent number: 7008466Abstract: A method for inhibiting the formation of gas hydrates within a fluid comprising a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase which method comprises mixing a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier with the fluid prior to subjecting the fluid to conditions under which gas hydrates can be formed so as to generate a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising said polymeric emulsifier and optionally said non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2002Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: BP Exploration Operating CompanyInventor: Ian Ralph Collins
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Patent number: 6939832Abstract: Method of treating a subterranean formation, comprising (A) injecting down a well bore into the formation an admixture of (a) an emulsion having an internal aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble oil of gas field chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water-dispersible oil or gas field chemical and an external oil phase comprising a liquid hydrocarbon and an oil-soluble surfactant and (b) a demulsifier comprising a solution of a surfactant having a cloud point temperature of above 40° C. Alternatively, the method comprises separately injecting down a well bore into the formation emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) and generating an admixture of emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) within the formation.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company LimitedInventor: Ian Ralph Collins
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Publication number: 20040139855Abstract: A process for the removal of water from gas which comprises an absorption step of bringing a gas (1) saturated with water vapour into gas-liquid contact with a water-lean absorbing liquid (3) comprising a water absorbing liquid having a cloud point temperature above the freezing point of water whereby water vapour present in the gas is absorbed into the water-lean absorbing liquid at a temperature below its cloud point to produce a refined gas (4) having a reduced water vapour content and water-loaded absorbing liquid (5); and a regeneration step of heating the water-loaded absorbing liquid (5) to above the cloud point temperature of the absorbing liquid whereby the water-loaded absorbing liquid separates into a water-rich phase (7) and an absorbing liquid-rich phase (8) and cooling the absorbing liquid-rich phase to a temperature below its cloud point prior to recycling the absorbing liquid-rich phase for use as water-lean absorbing liquid (3) in the absorption step.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2004Publication date: July 22, 2004Inventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Stephen Paul Goodwin
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Patent number: 6764980Abstract: An oil field production chemical, especially a scale inhibitor, is in the form of particles thereof carrying a coating e.g. of a dispersing agent. The coating may be polymeric such as an oligomeric polyacid polyester, a polymeric alkoxylated alcohol or a fatty acid polyamine condensate or it may also be a surfactant and may be used in the form of a suspension in an inert oil, such as diesel oil or kerosene which may be injected into a subterranean formation to inhibit the formation of deposits, e.g. scale in oil wells over a longer period than compounds free of the coating.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company LimitedInventors: Christopher Ian Bates, Ian Ralph Collins, Paul Derek Ravenscroft
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Publication number: 20030150779Abstract: A process for removing metal ions from crude oil comprising contacting a non-ionic amphiphilic solvent with the crude oil, optionally, in the presence of water, so as to produce a metal ion-containing phase, and separating the metal ion-containing phase from the crude oil.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2002Publication date: August 14, 2003Inventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Simon Neil Duncum, Christopher George Osborne
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Patent number: 6581687Abstract: A microemulsion comprising (i) an oil phase, (ii) an aqueous phase comprising an aqueous solution of a water soluble oil field or gas field production chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water dispersible oil field or gas field production chemical and (iii) at least one surfactant, wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the oil phase in the form of droplets having a diameter in the range 1 to 1000 mn or in the form of microdominans having at least one dimension of length, breath or thickness in the range 1 to 1000 nm.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2001Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company LimitedInventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Isabelle Vervoort
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Publication number: 20030069143Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising: (A) injecting down a well bore into the formation an admixture of (a) an emulsion having an internal aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble oil or gas field chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water-dispersible oil or gas field chemical and an external oil phase comprising a liquid hydrocarbon and an oil-soluble surfactant and (b) a demulsifier comprising a solution of a surfactant having a cloud point temperature of above 40 ° C.; or (B) separately injecting down a well bore into the formation emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) and generating an admixture of emulsion (a) and demulsifier (b) within the formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2002Publication date: April 10, 2003Inventor: Ian Ralph Collins
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Publication number: 20020128157Abstract: An oil field production chemical, especially a scale inhibitor, is in the form of particles thereof carrying a coating e.g. of a dispersing agent. The coating may be polymeric such as an oligomeric polyacid polyester, a polymeric alkoxylated alcohol or a fatty acid polyamine condensate or it may also be a surfactant and may be used in the form of a suspension in an inert oil, such as diesel oil or kerosene which may be injected into a subterranean formation to inhibit the formation of deposits, e.g. scale in oil wells over a longer period than compounds free of the coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2002Publication date: September 12, 2002Applicant: BP Exploration Operating Company LimitedInventors: Christopher Ian Bates, Ian Ralph Collins, Paul Derek Ravenscroft
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Publication number: 20020125175Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for removing trace acidic compounds from liquid hydrocarbons. Traces of acidic compounds, including carboxylic acids, H2S, naphthenic acids, et al., are present in most hydrocarbon streams. The presence of these acidic compounds is considered deleterious to accepted product specifications. The trace acidic compounds which interfere are removed via injection of a dilute aqueous alkaline solution into the hydrocarbon stream and passage of this stream through a coalescing bed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2001Publication date: September 12, 2002Inventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Simon Nell Duncum, Christopher George Osborne
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Publication number: 20020125010Abstract: A microemulsion comprising, (i) an oil phase, (ii) an aqueous phase comprising an aqueous solution of a water soluble oil field or gas field production chemical or an aqueous dispersion of a water dispersible oil field or gas field production chemical and (iii) at least one surfactant, wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the oil phase in the form of droplets having a diameter in the range 1 to 1000 mn or in the form of microdomains having at least one dimension of length, breath or thickness in the range 1 to 1000 nm.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2001Publication date: September 12, 2002Inventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Isabelle Vervoort
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Patent number: 6380136Abstract: An oil field production chemical, especially a scale inhibitor, is in the form of particles thereof carrying a coating e.g. of a dispersing agent. The coating may be polymeric such as an oligomeric polyacid polyester, a polymeric alkoxylated alcohol or a fatty acid polyamine condensate or it may also be a surfactant and may be used in the form of a suspension in an inert oil, such as diesel oil or kerosene which may be injected into a subterranean formation to inhibit the formation of deposits, e.g. scale in oil wells over a longer period than compounds free of the coating.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1998Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignees: BP Exploration Operating Company, Collag LimitedInventors: Christopher Ian Bates, Ian Ralph Collins, Paul Derek Ravenscroft
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Patent number: 6225263Abstract: A method of recovering or increasing the recovery of oil and/or gas from an underground formation involving injecting into the formation, preferably in the form of an aqueous solution, at least one mono alkyl ether of polyethylene glycol in which the alkyl group has 3-5 carbons and the polyethylene glycol contains 3-6 ethylene oxy units e.g. butyl ether of triethylene glycol. Especially preferred are mixtures comprising that and at least one mono alkyl ether of mono or di ethylene glycol e.g. a mixture of butyl triglycol ether, butyl tetraglycol ether, butyl pentaglycol ether and butyl diglycol ether. The method of the invention may be applied to well stimulation treatments such as water blocking, sand consolidation, sandstone acidizing and methods of increasing the recovery of oil such as tertiary oil recovery.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1999Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: BP Chemicals LimitedInventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Stephen Paul Goodwin, James Charles Morgan, Nevin John Stewart
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Patent number: 6173780Abstract: The invention relates to a process for increasing the effectiveness of production chemicals by reducing the number of squeezing and shut-in operations needed to increase the production rate from an oil well. The process includes injecting into an oil-bearing rock formation matrix a water-miscible formulation comprising: (a) a water-miscible surfactant which is an alkyltriglycol ether and (b) at least one water-miscible oil field or gas field production chemical. Components (a) and (b) are introduced either as a pre-formed, single, homogeneous composition, or simultaneously in parallel or sequentially in either order into the rock formation. After introduction of (a) and (b) into the oil-bearing rock formation, the well is shut-in for a period and, subsequently, the oil-bearing rock formation matrix is over-flushed with an oil.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1998Date of Patent: January 16, 2001Assignee: BP Chemicals LimitedInventors: Ian Ralph Collins, Nevin John Stewart
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Patent number: 6148913Abstract: This invention is a process and a formulation for minimising the squeezing and shut-in operations needed to inhibit scale in a production well using the precipitation squeeze method by injecting into an oil-bearing rock formation a water-miscible formulation comprising: (a) a water-miscible surfactant which is in liquid form, (b) a solution of water-soluble metal salt comprising a multivalent cation and (c) a solution of a water-miscible scale-inhibiting compound comprising an anionic component capable of forming a scale-inhibiting precipitate in situ in the presence of the cations in (b) upon injection into the rock formation, wherein the surfactant is a glycol ether and the minimum ion concentration of the scale inhibiting compound (c) is 50 ppm based on the total weight of the formulation.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: BP Chemicals LimitedInventor: Ian Ralph Collins
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Patent number: 5690174Abstract: This invention relates to a process for increasing the effectiveness of production chemicals by reducing the number of squeezing and shut-in operations needed to increase the production rate from an oil well. The process includes injecting into an oil-bearing rock formation a water-miscible formulation including as components: (a) a water-miscible surfactant which is an alkyltriglycol ether and (b) at least one water-miscible oil field or gas field production chemical, said components of the formulation being introduced either as a pre-formed single composition, or simultaneously in parallel or sequentially in either order into the rock formation via the production well.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 1996Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: BP Chemicals LimitedInventors: Richard George Chapman, Ian Ralph Collins, Stephen Paul Goodwin, Andrew Richard Lucy, Nevin John Stewart