Patents by Inventor Martin E. Poitzsch

Martin E. Poitzsch 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: 12331632
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon flow into multi-lateral wells is analyzed by controlled release of tracers from the surface. Hydrocarbons flow into a lateral formed from a wellbore into a subterranean zone. A wellbore production tubing is installed within the wellbore and extends toward the lateral. The wellbore production tubing defines an annulus between an outer surface of the tubing and an inner wall of the wellbore. Hydrocarbons flowing from the lateral into the annulus flow within an internal volume defined by a body attached to the outer surface of the tubing. The hydrocarbons mix with tracers residing within the internal volume. A mixture of the hydrocarbons with the tracers flow out of the internal volume and towards the surface. At the surface, a concentration of the tracers in the mixture flowed to the surface is analyzed. Based on a result of the analyzing, properties of hydrocarbon flow into the lateral are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Gawain Thomas, Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20250116647
    Abstract: A method of assessing a caprock for caprock defects comprises drilling a first well into a geologic sequence, the geologic sequence comprising a first subsurface formation, the caprock positioned above the first subsurface formation, and a second subsurface formation positioned above the caprock; sampling subsurface fluids of the geologic sequence for helium concentration within the second subsurface formation, within the caprock, and within the first subsurface formation; drilling a second well into the geologic sequence a pre-determined distance away from the first well; sampling the subsurface fluids for the helium concentration within the second subsurface formation, within the caprock, and within the first subsurface formation through the second well; determining whether a deviation exists between the helium concentration at the first well and at the second well, the deviation indicating the caprock defect is present; and halting further drilling into the geologic sequence upon determining the caprock de
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Martin E. Poitzsch, Rajesh Goteti
  • Patent number: 12222464
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining electrical characteristics of a subsurface formation are disclosed. The method may include installing a first electrically insulating spacer between well liners in the well to form an on-demand electromagnetic source electrode and installing a second electrically insulating spacer between well liners in the well to form an on-demand electromagnetic receiver electrode. The method may further include performing an electrical survey using the on-demand electromagnetic source and receiver electrodes, determining a map of the at least one electrical characteristic in a subsurface region surrounding on-demand electromagnetic source and receiver electrodes based on the electrical survey, determining a map of at least one formation property based on the map of the electrical characteristic, and updating a hydrocarbon reservoir production plan based on the map of at least one formation property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20250043681
    Abstract: A method for constructing a high fidelity logging while drilling (LWD) log that includes obtaining a temporal well depth log and a plurality of temporal LWD logs from a drilling operation. The method further includes obtaining a temporal record of operational drilling parameters from the drilling operation. The method further includes determining, using a first machine-learning model, a temporal history of the drilling operation and constructing, using the temporal well depth log and the plurality of temporal LWD logs, a plurality of temporal property logs at each depth in the plurality of depths. The method further includes processing the plurality of temporal property logs with, at least, a second machine-learning model to form a plurality of corrected temporal property logs and aggregating the plurality of corrected temporal property logs to form a plurality of high fidelity LWD logs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Martin E. Poitzsch, Chicheng Xu, Shouxiang Ma
  • Patent number: 12203362
    Abstract: A method and a system for injecting multiple tracer tag fluids into the wellbore are described. The method includes determining multiple injection concentrations of multiple respective tracer tag fluids, determining an injection sequence of the tracer tag fluids into a wellbore, and injecting the tracer tag fluids into the wellbore according to the injection concentrations and the injection sequence. The tracer tag fluids include synthesized polymeric nanoparticles suspended in a solution. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured bind to a wellbore cutting. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured to undergo a thermal de-polymerization at a respective temperature and generate a unique mass spectra. The injection sequence includes an injection duration determined by a depth interval of the wellbore to be tagged by the synthesized polymeric nanoparticles and an injection pause to prevent mixing the multiple tracer tag fluids in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Martin E. Poitzsch, Karim Ismail, Gawain Thomas
  • Patent number: 12195840
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a method of growing crystals on a QCM sensor may include treating a crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor with a coupling agent, applying a cation stream to the crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor, and applying an anion stream to the crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor. The crystals forming a crystal layer may have an average thickness greater than 5 nanometers. According to one or more embodiments, a QCM sensor may include a crystal layer on a crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor, where the crystal layer is formed by a process including treating the crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor with a coupling agent, applying a cation stream to the crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor, and applying an anion stream to the crystal growth surface of the QCM sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ayrat Gizzatov, Mohammed R. Kawelah, Martin E. Poitzsch, Wei Wang, Amr I. Abdel-Fattah
  • Publication number: 20240402380
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining electrical characteristics of a subsurface formation are disclosed. The method may include installing a first electrically insulating spacer between well liners in the well to form an on-demand electromagnetic source electrode and installing a second electrically insulating spacer between well liners in the well to form an on-demand electromagnetic receiver electrode. The method may further include performing an electrical survey using the on-demand electromagnetic source and receiver electrodes, determining a map of the at least one electrical characteristic in a subsurface region surrounding on-demand electromagnetic source and receiver electrodes based on the electrical survey, determining a map of at least one formation property based on the map of the electrical characteristic, and updating a hydrocarbon reservoir production plan based on the map of at least one formation property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20240384648
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon flow into multi-lateral wells is analyzed by controlled release of tracers from the surface. Hydrocarbons flow into a lateral formed from a wellbore into a subterranean zone. A wellbore production tubing is installed within the wellbore and extends toward the lateral. The wellbore production tubing defines an annulus between an outer surface of the tubing and an inner wall of the wellbore. Hydrocarbons flowing from the lateral into the annulus flow within an internal volume defined by a body attached to the outer surface of the tubing. The hydrocarbons mix with tracers residing within the internal volume. A mixture of the hydrocarbons with the tracers flow out of the internal volume and towards the surface. At the surface, a concentration of the tracers in the mixture flowed to the surface is analyzed. Based on a result of the analyzing, properties of hydrocarbon flow into the lateral are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventors: Gawain Thomas, Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20240255674
    Abstract: A method for monitoring waterfront movement in a subsurface formation involves performing forward modeling of at least one deep electromagnetic survey of the waterfront movement, and determining locations for installing an electrically insulating spacer between well liners to form an on-demand electromagnetic source electrode. Based on the forward modeling, repeat survey time intervals are predicted. The method involves, during well completion, installing the electrically insulating spacer between the well liners in a reservoir to form at least one on-demand electromagnetic source electrode, and installing the electrically insulating spacer between the plurality of well liners in a reservoir to form an on-demand electromagnetic receiver electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Applicant: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Patent number: 12000278
    Abstract: A wellbore that supplies production fluid from a first production zone and a second production zone is produced. Production fluids from the first and second production zone are comingled within a same production tubular. A first tracer is pulsed into the first production zone. A second tracer is pulsed into the second production zone. The first tracer and the second tracer are barcoded such that the first tracer and the second tracer can be differentiated from one another. A first tracer decay is measured at a topside facility. A second tracer decay is measured at the topside facility. A water cut of the first production zone and the second production zone is determined based upon the first tracer decay and the second tracer decay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch, Hooisweng Ow, Ivan Cetkovic
  • Patent number: 11994020
    Abstract: A method for mapping inter-well porosity includes injecting a Type 1 tracer into a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir via an injector well, wherein the Type 1 tracer is a passive tracer, injecting a Type 2 tracer into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir via the injector well, wherein the Type 2 tracer is a porosity-sensitive tracer, detecting a breakthrough of the Type 1 tracer and a breakthrough of the Type 2 tracer in produced fluid at a producer well, and comparing the breakthrough of the Type 1 tracer with the breakthrough of the Type 2 tracer to provide a map of inter-well porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch, Hooisweng Ow
  • Patent number: 11988793
    Abstract: A method for monitoring waterfront movement in a subsurface formation involves performing forward modeling of at least one deep electromagnetic survey of the waterfront movement, and determining locations for installing an electrically insulating spacer between well liners to form an on-demand electromagnetic source electrode. Based on the forward modeling, repeat survey time intervals are predicted. The method involves, during well completion, installing the electrically insulating spacer between the well liners in a reservoir to form at least one on-demand electromagnetic source electrode, and installing the electrically insulating spacer between the plurality of well liners in a reservoir to form an on-demand electromagnetic receiver electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20240093598
    Abstract: A method for mapping inter-well porosity includes injecting a Type 1 tracer into a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir via an injector well, wherein the Type 1 tracer is a passive tracer, injecting a Type 2 tracer into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir via the injector well, wherein the Type 2 tracer is a porosity-sensitive tracer, detecting a breakthrough of the Type 1 tracer and a breakthrough of the Type 2 tracer in produced fluid at a producer well, and comparing the breakthrough of the Type 1 tracer with the breakthrough of the Type 2 tracer to provide a map of inter-well porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch, Hooisweng Ow
  • Patent number: 11911761
    Abstract: Spherical grains and sacrificial particles are mixed in a suspension. The sacrificial particles are larger than the spherical grains. The suspension is injected into a channel in a microfluidic chip, and the spherical grains form microporous structures in the channel. The microporous structures are sintered in the channel. A solvent is injected into the channel, and the solvent dissolves the sacrificial particles and forms macropores between at least some of the microporous structures, thereby forming a mixed-porosity microfluidic chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Sehoon Chang, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Patent number: 11873353
    Abstract: A system and method for flow synthesis of polymer nanoparticles in a continuous flow reactor having a channel. The polymer nanoparticles are synthesized from monomer in the presence of an initiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Marta Antoniv, Hooisweng Ow, S. Sherry Zhu, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20230392496
    Abstract: A method and a system for injecting multiple tracer tag fluids into the wellbore are described. The method includes determining multiple injection concentrations of multiple respective tracer tag fluids, determining an injection sequence of the tracer tag fluids into a wellbore, and injecting the tracer tag fluids into the wellbore according to the injection concentrations and the injection sequence. The tracer tag fluids include synthesized polymeric nanoparticles suspended in a solution. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured bind to a wellbore cutting. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured to undergo a thermal de-polymerization at a respective temperature and generate a unique mass spectra. The injection sequence includes an injection duration determined by a depth interval of the wellbore to be tagged by the synthesized polymeric nanoparticles and an injection pause to prevent mixing the multiple tracer tag fluids in the wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Martin E. Poitzsch, Karim Ismail, Gawain Thomas
  • Patent number: 11773715
    Abstract: A method and a system for injecting multiple tracer tag fluids into the wellbore are described. The method includes determining multiple injection concentrations of multiple respective tracer tag fluids, determining an injection sequence of the tracer tag fluids into a wellbore, and injecting the tracer tag fluids into the wellbore according to the injection concentrations and the injection sequence. The tracer tag fluids include synthesized polymeric nanoparticles suspended in a solution. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured bind to a wellbore cutting. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles are configured to undergo a thermal de-polymerization at a respective temperature and generate a unique mass spectra. The injection sequence includes an injection duration determined by a depth interval of the wellbore to be tagged by the synthesized polymeric nanoparticles and an injection pause to prevent mixing the multiple tracer tag fluids in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Martin E. Poitzsch, Karim Ismail, Gawain Thomas
  • Patent number: 11719092
    Abstract: A system for drilling a wellbore is disclosed. The injection pump releases the taggant into the mud stream traveling downhole. The taggant attaches to the rock cuttings and it is detected on the surface by the taggant detector. The taggant detector provides the data relating to the taggants detected in the drilling fluid. The data is analyzed by taggant analysis and control engine, which produces an injection profile. Based on the injection profile, the IoT Controller adapts the parameters of the taggant injection pump to achieve a real-time optimization of the taggant injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Klemens Katterbauer, Alberto Marsala, Nouf Jabri, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Publication number: 20230193755
    Abstract: A wellbore that supplies production fluid from a first production zone and a second production zone is produced. Production fluids from the first and second production zone are comingled within a same production tubular. A first tracer is pulsed into the first production zone. A second tracer is pulsed into the second production zone. The first tracer and the second tracer are barcoded such that the first tracer and the second tracer can be differentiated from one another. A first tracer decay is measured at a topside facility. A second tracer decay is measured at the topside facility. A water cut of the first production zone and the second production zone is determined based upon the first tracer decay and the second tracer decay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Hsieh Chen, Martin E. Poitzsch, Hooisweng Ow, Ivan Cetkovic
  • Patent number: 11660595
    Abstract: A blocking material is injected into a microfluidic chip that includes microscale-porosity microchannels etched in a substrate, filling at least a portion of the microchannels. Silicon dioxide spheres are injected into the microfluidic chip. The blocking material prevents the silicon dioxide spheres from entering the portion of the microchannels filled with the blocking material. The silicon dioxide spheres form a region of nanoscale porosity in a portion of the microchannels not filled with the blocking material. A solvent is injected into the microfluidic chip, the solvent operable to dissolve the blocking material and thereby providing a region of microscale porosity adjacent to the region of nanoscale porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Sehoon Chang, Martin E. Poitzsch