Patents by Inventor John Thomas Balczewski
John Thomas Balczewski 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: 10386286Abstract: Methods and systems for determining whether conditions exist for presence of clathrates are disclosed. One method includes determining a thickness of a clathrate stability zone based, at least in part, on a depth at which a temperature reaches a three-phase equilibrium temperature of the clathrates. The method also includes calculating a temperature and a three-phase equilibrium temperature for a range of depths in the clathrate stability zone, and determining a minimum pore size at each of the depths in the range of depths, the minimum pore size permitting a predetermined saturation level of clathrates and based at least in part on the temperature and three-phase equilibrium temperature. The method further includes converting the minimum pore size at each of the depths to a minimum porosity.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2013Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Hugh Callahan Daigle, John Thomas Balczewski
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Patent number: 9371722Abstract: A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a natural gas hydrate reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventor: John Thomas Balczewski
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Patent number: 9243451Abstract: A method of drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir includes drilling a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir and dissociating at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole. After the dissociating, material within at least a portion of the region near the borehole in which the clathrate has been dissociated is compacted to form a compacted region at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir. After the compacting, well casing is placed into the borehole within the compacted region and the well casing is cemented into the borehole in the compacted area.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.Inventors: John Thomas Balczewski, Russell T. Ewy
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Patent number: 9222342Abstract: A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a clathrate reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventor: John Thomas Balczewski
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Publication number: 20140142890Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a maximum pore size in a distribution of varying-sized spherical particles are disclosed. One method includes distributing a plurality of particles within a volume, and, at each point unoccupied by a particle, inscribing a sphere and determining a size of the sphere. The method further includes determining a maximum size of a sphere from among the spheres inscribed at each unoccupied point, thereby locating a maximum pore size location within the volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Hugh Callahan Daigle, John Thomas Balczewski
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Publication number: 20140142853Abstract: Methods and systems for determining whether conditions exist for presence of clathrates are disclosed. One method includes determining a thickness of a clathrate stability zone based, at least in part, on a depth at which a temperature reaches a three-phase equilibrium temperature of the clathrates. The method also includes calculating a temperature and a three-phase equilibrium temperature for a range of depths in the clathrate stability zone, and determining a minimum pore size at each of the depths in the range of depths, the minimum pore size permitting a predetermined saturation level of clathrates and based at least in part on the temperature and three-phase equilibrium temperature. The method further includes converting the minimum pore size at each of the depths to a minimum porosity.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.Inventors: Hugh Callahan Daigle, John Thomas Balczewski
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Publication number: 20140041871Abstract: A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a clathrate reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2013Publication date: February 13, 2014Applicant: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.Inventor: John Thomas Balczewski
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Publication number: 20140041872Abstract: A method and system for initiating hydrocarbon production from a reservoir are provided. This method and system utilize thermosyphons. The system and method utilize one or more sealed, elongated, hollow tubular containers supported in earth in a geothermal heat zone below the reservoir and extending upwardly therefrom into the reservoir. The containers comprise (a) a bottom portion in the geothermal heat zone below the reservoir; (b) a top portion within the reservoir; and (c) being partially filled with a liquid that evaporates in the bottom portion forming a vapor and transferring heat via convective flow of the vapor to the top portion, the heat being dissipated at the top portion into the surrounding reservoir as the vapor condenses back into liquid and flows downward to the bottom portion. The reservoir can be a natural gas hydrate reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2013Publication date: February 13, 2014Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventor: John Thomas Balczewski
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Publication number: 20130206414Abstract: A method of drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir includes drilling a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir and dissociating at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole. After the dissociating, material within at least a portion of the region near the borehole in which the clathrate has been dissociated is compacted to form a compacted region at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir. After the compacting, well casing is placed into the borehole within the compacted region and the well casing is cemented into the borehole in the compacted area.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2012Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: John Thomas Balczewski, Russell T. Ewy
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Patent number: 8232438Abstract: A method, system, and method for developing the system, for producing hydrocarbons from a plurality of hydrocarbon containing reservoirs is described. The system includes at least one conventional hydrocarbon reservoir and at least one natural gas hydrate reservoir. The system also includes a production facility, including water separation apparatus, which is in fluid communication with the at least one hydrocarbon reservoir and the at least one natural gas hydrate reservoir. The production facility can separate hydrocarbons and water concurrently received from the first conventional hydrocarbon and the second natural gas hydrate reservoirs. The at least one hydrocarbon reservoir and the at least one hydrate reservoir can be concurrently developed. Or else, the at least one hydrate reservoir can be developed later in time and then fluidly connected to the production facility.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2008Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Emrys Heigh Jones, John Thomas Balczewski