Patents by Inventor Jeffrey H. Sawchuk

Jeffrey H. Sawchuk 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: 7678349
    Abstract: An improved system and method for providing reduced acid gas/dewatered light hydrocarbon gas to a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process wherein a plurality of light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction trains are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Jr., Patrick B. Ward
  • Patent number: 7637121
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for liquefying natural gas wherein an available methane-rich feed, i.e., natural gas, at an excess pressure is initially expanded to provide expansion work which may be utilized in a number of novel ways, such as to provide refrigeration in a refrigerant cycle used to cool the feed or in one or more refrigerant cycles used in a liquefaction zone to liquefy the feed, or to generate electrical power for use in the liquefaction process or for export. In one embodiment, the expansion work is obtained by use of an expander/compressor device (turboexpander) which expands the feed to (1) drive the compressor of the device and thereby provide compression for a closed loop propane refrigeration cycle to pre-cool the natural gas stream, and (2) produce an expanded, chilled natural gas feed for a liquefaction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Oliver Owen, Guy Richard Jones, Jr., Jeffrey H. Sawchuk
  • Patent number: 7251956
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for efficiently and economically designing, constructing, or operating a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process for the liquefaction of selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas. The method includes a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train to liquefy an initial amount of light hydrocarbon gas and one or more optional subsequent modular expansion phases to said light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction train to liquefy additional selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas up to a selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas for the process. The methods employ shared use facilities, such as light hydrocarbon feed gas pretreatment facilities, refrigerant compression facilities, cryogenic heat exchange facilities, access services, other liquefaction equipment, and liquefied product storage and shipping facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Jr., Patrick B. Ward
  • Patent number: 7168265
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing LNG and GTL products is provided, wherein a CO2-containing natural gas feed to an LNG production zone is first pre-treated to separate at least a portion of the CO2 therefrom, and the resulting CO2 stream obtained thereby is then directed to a GTL production zone and utilized to make GTL products that include methanol and/or methanol derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Briscoe, Theo H. Fleisch, Michael J. Gradassi, Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Pedro Ernesto Fischer-Calderon
  • Patent number: 7074322
    Abstract: An improved system and method for providing reduced acid gas/dewatered light hydrocarbon gas to a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process wherein a plurality of light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction trains are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Jr., Patrick B. Ward
  • Patent number: 7047764
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for efficiently and economically designing, constructing, or operating a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process for the liquefaction of selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas. The method includes a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train to liquefy an initial amount of light hydrocarbon gas and one or more optional subsequent modular expansion phases to said light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction train to liquefy additional selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas up to a selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas for the process. The methods employ shared use facilities, such as light hydrocarbon feed gas pre-treeatment facilities, refrigerant compression facilities, cryogenic heat exchange facilities, access services, other liquefaction equipment, and liquefied product storage and shipping facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Jr., Patrick B. Ward
  • Publication number: 20040248999
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing LNG and GTL products is provided, wherein a CO2-containing natural gas feed to an LNG production zone is first pre-treated to separate at least a portion of the CO2 therefrom, and the resulting CO2 stream obtained thereby is then directed to a GTL production zone and utilized to make GTL products that include methanol and/or methanol derivatives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Michael D. Briscoe, Theo H. Fleisch, Michael J. Gradassi, Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Pedro Ernesto Fischer-Calderon
  • Publication number: 20040118153
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for efficiently and economically designing, constructing, or operating a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process for the liquefaction of selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas. The method includes a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train to liquefy an initial amount of light hydrocarbon gas and one or more optional subsequent modular expansion phases to said light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction train to liquefy additional selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas up to a selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas for the process. The methods employ shared use facilities, such as light hydrocarbon feed gas pretreatment facilities, refrigerant compression facilities, cryogenic heat exchange facilities, access services, other liquefaction equipment, and liquefied product storage and shipping facilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Patrick B. Ward
  • Publication number: 20040109803
    Abstract: An improved system and method for providing reduced acid gas/dewatered light hydrocarbon gas to a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process wherein a plurality of light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction trains are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Sawchuk, Richard Jones, Patrick B. Ward
  • Patent number: 6743829
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing LNG and GTL products is provided comprising cooling natural gas in at least one cooling step so as to provide a cooled natural gas stream; processing the cooled natural gas stream in at least two expansion/separation cycles, each expansion/separation cycle comprising the Substeps of (a) isentropically or isenthalpically expanding at least a portion of the cooled natural gas steam for producing a natural gas vapor component and a LNG component, (b) separating at least a portion of the natural gas vapor component from the LNG component, and (c) repeating substeps (a) through (b) wherein at least a portion of the LNG component from the previous expansion/separation cycle is directed to each successive Substep (a) and wherein the final LNG product is the LNG component after the final separating step and is substantially liquid at substantially atmospheric pressure; and converting at least a portion of one or more of the expansion/separation cycle natural gas vapor components in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Ernesto Fischer-Calderon, Michael D. Briscoe, Michael J. Gradassi, Jeffrey H. Sawchuk
  • Publication number: 20030136146
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing LNG and GTL products is provided comprising cooling natural gas in at least one cooling step so as to provide a cooled natural gas stream; processing the cooled natural gas stream in at least two expansion/separation cycles, each expansion/separation cycle comprising the Substeps of (a) isentropically or isenthalpically expanding at least a portion of the cooled natural gas steam for producing a natural gas vapor component and a LNG component, (b) separating at least a portion of the natural gas vapor component from the LNG component, and (c) repeating substeps (a) through (b) wherein at least a portion of the LNG component from the previous expansion/separation cycle is directed to each successive Substep (a) and wherein the final LNG product is the LNG component after the final separating step and is substantially liquid at substantially atmospheric pressure; and converting at least a portion of one or more of the expansion/separation cycle natural gas vapor components in
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Ernesto Fischer-Calderon, Michael D. Briscoe, Michael J. Gradassi, Jeffrey H. Sawchuk