Patents by Inventor Matthias Appel

Matthias Appel 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: 8212557
    Abstract: A method for determining individual component flow-rates in a multi-phase fluid flowing in a pipe comprises the steps of: a) flowing the fluid through a magnetic resonance based apparatus comprising a magnetic resonance module and at least one pre-polarization module through which the fluid phases flow before entering the magnetic resonance module, wherein said pre-polarization module comprises a plurality of cylindrical segments that can be selectively combined so as to modify the effective length of the pre-polarization module, b) selectively using the prepolarization module to polarize a component in a volume of the fluid, c) applying a selective excitation to said fluid volume, d) using a signal resulting from said excitation to obtain a velocity measurement for said component, and e) repeating steps b)-d) until velocity measurements for a desired number of components have been obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Daniel Pusiol, Mariela Carpinella, Gabriela Albert, Tristán Martin Osán, Juan Manuel Ollé, John Justin Freeman, Matthias Appel, Irene Silvina Espejo Lopez Gamundi
  • Publication number: 20110109308
    Abstract: A method for determining individual component flow-rates in a multi-phase fluid flowing in a pipe comprises the steps of: a) flowing the fluid through a magnetic resonance based apparatus comprising a magnetic resonance module and at least one pre-polarization module through which the fluid phases flow before entering the magnetic resonance module, wherein said pre-polarization module comprises a plurality of cylindrical segments that can be selectively combined so as to modify the effective length of the pre-polarization module, b) selectively using the prepolarization module to polarize a component in a volume of the fluid, c) applying a selective excitation to said fluid volume, d) using a signal resulting from said excitation to obtain a velocity measurement for said component, and e) repeating steps b)-d) until velocity measurements for a desired number of components have been obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Daniel PUSIOL, Mariela Carpinella, Gabriela Albert, Tristán Martin Osán, Juan Manuel Ollé, John Justin Freeman, Matthias Appel, Irene Silvina Espejo Lopez Gamundi
  • Patent number: 7872474
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method is provided based on the Magnetic Resonance techniques to analyze and measure a uni- and/or a bi-directional flow regime of multiphase fluids in a transport and production conduct, in real time and flow-rates, based on a magnetic resonance analytical module, two magnetic prepolarization modules of variable effective length and a control computer of data acquisition and transfer, all associated to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Daniel Pusiol, Mariela Carpinella, Gabriela Albert, Tristan Osan, Juan Manuel Olle, John Justin Freeman, Matthias Appel, Irene Silvina Lopez Gamundi Espejo
  • Publication number: 20090296086
    Abstract: Method and apparatus of analyzing a fluid from an earth formation using a downhole tool. In the method, the downhole tool is conveyed down a borehole in the earth formation, and a fluid drawn into a measurement portion of the downhole tool, where a spectroscopic measurement of the fluid is made in a terahertz radiation domain. The method may be part of a method of producing a mineral hydrocarbon material from an earth formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Matthias Appel, Dennis Edward Dria, Willem J.M. Epping, Jeremiah Glen Pearce
  • Publication number: 20080174309
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method is provided based on the Magnetic Resonance techniques to analyze and measure a uni- and/or a bi-directional flow regime of multiphase fluids in a transport and production conduct, in real time and flow-rates, based on a magnetic resonance analytical module, two magnetic prepolarization modules of variable effective length and a control computer of data acquisition and transfer, all associated to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicants: SPINLOCK SRL, SIEP INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Pusiol, Mariela Carpinella, Gabriela Albert, Tristan Martin Osan, Juan Manuel Olle, John Justin Freeman, Matthias Appel, Irene Silvina Espejo Lopez Gamundi
  • Patent number: 6897652
    Abstract: A method for measuring in situ formation fluid flow utilizing an NMR logging while drilling tool is disposed in the borehole, a modified saturation recovery or time of flight angiography pulse sequence is utilized to tag spins in the formation, at least two measurements are made of the tagged spins as they propagate toward the borehole in the under-balanced environment, allowing a determination of fluid velocity, from which permeability may be determined. Techniques are disclosed to perform the method in both an over-balanced and under-balanced environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Matthias Appel, Martin Alfred Kraaijveld
  • Patent number: 6856132
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring a property relating to fluid flow in an earth formation, more specifically to directly measuring formation permeability and other fluid characteristics. The present invention provides a method for determining the permeability of a hydrocarbon bearing earth formation, which method comprises the steps of: locating a tool at a selected position in a borehole penetrating the earth formation; inducing a flow of fluid within the earth formation to said tool; creating at least two MRI images of said fluid while flowing within the earth formation to said tool, said at least two images being created at different times; determining displacement of said fluid within the earth formation between said different times, using the at least two MRI images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Matthias Appel, John Justin Freeman, Mario Winkler, Bernhard Peter Jakob Blumich
  • Publication number: 20040257074
    Abstract: A method for measuring in situ formation fluid flow utilizing an NMR logging while drilling tool is disposed in the borehole, a modified saturation recovery or time of flight angiography pulse sequence is utilized to tag spins in the formation, at least two measurements are made of the tagged spins as they propagate toward the borehole in the under-balanced environment, allowing a determination of fluid velocity, from which permeability may be determined. Techniques are disclosed to perform the method in both an over-balanced and under-balanced environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Matthias Appel, Martin Alfred Kraaijveld
  • Publication number: 20040090230
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring a property relating to fluid flow in an earth formation, more specifically to directly measuring formation permeability and other fluid characteristics. The present invention provides a method for determining the permeability of a hydrocarbon bearing earth formation, which method comprises the steps of: locating a tool at a selected position in a borehole penetrating the earth formation; inducing a flow of fluid within the earth formation to said tool; creating at least two MRI images of said fluid while flowing within the earth formation to said tool, said at least two images being created at different times; determining displacement of said fluid within the earth formation between said different times, using the at least two MRI images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Matthias Appel, John Justin Freeman, Mario Winkler, Bernhard Peter Jakob Blumich