Patents by Inventor James E. Varnon

James E. Varnon 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: 4299284
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for conducting an enhanced oil recovery process comprising injecting an oil displacing fluid into an injection well and recovering petroleum displaced by the fluid from one or more spaced-apart production wells, by an improved method in which the sweep efficiency or horizontal conformance of the displacement process is increased. A fluid is injected into the producing well, which fluid has a viscosity not substantially greater than the viscosity of water at the conditions of injection, but which reacts with oil present in the formation, forming a viscous emulsion which restricts the flow of fluids through the portion of the formation contacted by the emulsion-forming fluid. As a result of this treatment, there is a reduction in tendency for the displaced and injected fluids to form cusps as they approach the production well, thereby failing to sweep substantial portions of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1981
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Brown, Mohan V. Kudchadker, James E. Varnon, Lawrence E. Whittington
  • Patent number: 4161982
    Abstract: The conformance of an enhanced oil recovery process, including water flood, surfactant or other chemicalized water flood process, in a formation containing at least two zones of varying permeability, the permeability of one zone being at least 50 percent greater than the permeability of the other zone, is improved by flooding until the higher permeability zone has been depleted, after which a fluid is injected into the high permeability zone, said fluid having relatively low viscosity at the time of injection and containing a mixture of surfactants or surface active agents which promote the formation of a coarse emulsion in the flow channels of the formation which reduces the permeability of the high permeability zone. Since the viscosity of the fluid injected into the previously flooded, high permeability zone is no greater than water, it is injected easily into the zone and moves through substantially the same flow channels as water would move in the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1979
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Vernon H. Schievelbein, Mohan V. Kudchadker, James E. Varnon, Lawrence E. Whittington
  • Patent number: 4161218
    Abstract: The conformance of a water flood oil recovery process, including surfactant or other chemicalized water flood process, in a formation containing at least two zones of varying permeability, the permeability of one zone being at least 50 percent greater than the permeability of the other zone, is improved by flooding until the higher permeability zone has been depleted, after which a fluid is injected into the high permeability zone, said fluid having relatively low viscosity at the time of injection and containing surface active agents which promote the formation of a coarse emulsion in the flow channels of the formation which reduces the permeability of the high permeability zone. Since the viscosity of the fluid injected into the previously water flooded, high permeability zone is no greater than water, it is injected easily into the zone and moves through substantially the same flow channels as water would move in the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Varnon, Vernon H. Schievelbein, Mohan V. Kudchadker, Lawrence E. Whittington
  • Patent number: 4159037
    Abstract: The conformance of an enhanced oil recovery process, including waterflood, surfactant or other chemicalized water flood process, in a formation containing at least two strata or zones of varying permeability, the permeability of one zone being at least 50 percent greater than the permeability of the other zone, is improved by flooding until the higher permeability zone has been depleted, after which an aqueous fluid is injected into the high permeability zone, said fluid having relatively low viscosity at the time of injection and containing a blend of surface active agents which promote the formation of a coarse viscous emulsion in the flow channels of the formation which reduces the permeability of the high permeability zone. After the permeability of the first zone has been reduced substantially, flooding may then be accomplished in the second zone which was originally not invaded by the injected oil recovery fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Varnon, Mohan V. Kudchadker, Alfred Brown, Lawrence E. Whittington