Patents by Inventor Michael Anthony Reynolds

Michael Anthony Reynolds 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).

  • Publication number: 20110174686
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product. The catalyst is prepared by mixing a first salt and a second salt in an aqueous mixture under anaerobic conditions at a temperature of from 15° C. to 150° C., where the first salt comprises a cationic component in any non-zero oxidation state selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ag, Co, Mn, Ru, La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Ni, Zn, Bi, Sn, Pb, and Sb, and where the second salt comprises an anionic component selected from the group consisting of MoS42?, WS42?, SnS44?, and SbS43.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110174691
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Michael Anthony REYNOLDS, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110178346
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon composition is provided containing: at least 0.05 grams of hydrocarbons having boiling point in the range from an initial boiling point of the composition up to 204° C. (400° F.) per gram of the composition; at least 0.1 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 204° C. up to 260° C. (500° F.) per gram of the composition; at least 0.25 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 260° C. up to 343° C. per gram of the composition; at least 0.3 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 343° C. to 538° C. per gram of the composition; and at most 0.03 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. per gram of the composition; at least 0.0005 gram of sulfur per gram of the composition, wherein at least 40 wt. % of the sulfur is contained in hydrocarbon compounds having a carbon number of 17 or less as determined by GC-GC sulfur chemiluminescence, where at least 60 wt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Stanley Nemee Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110177336
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a composition comprising a solid material comprised of a first metal/metalloid comprised of a metal or metalloid selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ag, Co, Mn, Zr, Zn, Sn, Re, Rh, Ru, Pd, Ir, Pt, B, Al, Ce, La, Pb, Cd, Sb, Ge, Ga, In, Bi, and Au; and a second metal selected from molybdenum, tungsten, or vanadium, where the first metal/metalloid and the second metal form a bimetallic tetrathiometallate or a bimetallic tetraselenometallate with sulfur or with selenium. The solid material is comprised of particles and has a particle size distribution, where the mean particle size of the particle size distribution is from about 50 nm to about 5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Charles Roy Donaho, Michael Anthony Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20110174681
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon composition is provided containing: at least 5 wt. % of hydrocarbons having boiling point in the range from an initial boiling point of the composition up to 204° C.; at least 10 wt. % of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 204° C. up to 260° C.; at least 25 wt. % of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 260° C. up to 343° C.; at least 30 wt. % gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 343° C. to 538° C.; and at most 3 wt. % of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C.; wherein the composition contains aromatic hydrocarbons including mono-aromatic hydrocarbons, di-aromatic hydrocarbons, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, where the combined mono-aromatic hydrocarbon compounds and di-aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are present in a weight ratio relative to the polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds of at least 1.5:1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110174688
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and a metal-containing catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product. The hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, the catalyst(s), the hydrogen sulfide, and the hydrogen are provided to a mixing zone and blended in the mixing zone at a temperature of from 375° C. to 500° C. and a total pressure of from 6.9 MPa to 27.5 MPa, where hydrogen sulfide is provided at a mole ratio of hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen of at least 0.5:9.5 and the combined hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen partial pressures provide at least 60% of the total pressure. A vapor comprised of hydrocarbons that are vaporizable at the temperature and pressure within the mixing zone is separated from the mixing zone, and, apart from the mixing zone, the vapor may be condensed to produce a liquid hydrocarbon-containing product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Stanley Nemec MILAM, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110174685
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Publication number: 20110174689
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and at least one metal-containing catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product. The hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, the catalyst(s), and the hydrogen are provided to a mixing zone and blended in the mixing zone at a temperature of from 375° C. to 500° C. and a total pressure of from 6.9 MPa to 27.5 MPa. A vapor comprised of hydrocarbons that are vaporizable at the temperature and pressure within the mixing zone is separated from the mixing zone. Any metal-containing catalyst provided to the mixing zone has an acidity as measured by ammonia chemisorption of at most 200 ?mol ammonia per gram of catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec MILAM, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Patent number: 7841407
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. The methods include providing a stream that includes water to a plurality of wellbores. Fuel and oxidant is provided to one or more flameless distributed combustors positioned in at least one of the wellbores. The fuel and oxidant is mixed to form a fuel/oxidant mixture. At least a portion of the mixture is flamelessly combusted in at least one of the flameless distributed combustors to generate heat. The fuel includes at least 0.1% hydrogen sulfide by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Jingyu Cui, Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20090260812
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treatment of a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Methods include providing water through one or more wellbores to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation and combusting at least a portion of a fuel stream comprising hydrogen sulfide in the presence of an oxygen source in one or more heaters positioned in one of the wellbores to produce a combustion by-products stream. Heat from the combustion is transferred to a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation. The combustion by-products stream includes one or more sulfur oxides. Heat of solution is released by contacting at least a portion of the combustion by-products stream with a portion of the water and/or a portion of water in the hydrocarbon containing formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Michael Anthony REYNOLDS, Jingyu Cui, Scott Lee Wellington, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Stanley Nemec Milam
  • Publication number: 20090260825
    Abstract: Methods for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. A comprising hydrogen sulfide is combusted in one or more surface facilities exterior to the hydrocarbon containing formation to produce a sulfur oxides stream. At least a portion of the sulfur oxides stream is provided to a hydrocarbon containing formation. Steam may be provided to the hydrocarbon containing formation. Mixing of the steam and/or water in the formation with the sulfur oxides generates heat of solution in the hydrocarbon containing formation for mobilizing formation fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Stanley Nemec MILAM, Scott Lee WELLINGTON, Mahendra Ladharam JOSHI, Jingyu CUI, Michael Anthony REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20090260808
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. The methods include providing a stream that includes water to a plurality of wellbores. Fuel and oxidant is provided to one or more flameless distributed combustors positioned in at least one of the wellbores. The fuel and oxidant is mixed to form a fuel/oxidant mixture. At least a portion of the mixture is flamelessly combusted in at least one of the flameless distributed combustors to generate heat. The fuel includes at least 0.1% hydrogen sulfide by volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Jingyu Cui, Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20090260811
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treatment of a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Steam is provided to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of substantially horizontal steam injection wells. A mixture comprising hydrogen sulfide and an oxidant is combusted in one or more flameless distributed combustors positioned in one or more substantially vertical wellbores to generate heat. At least one of the substantially vertical wellbores is within ten meters of an end of at least one of the substantially horizontal steam injection wells, and at least a portion of the generated heat is transferred to a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation located between at least one of the substantially horizontal steam injection wells and at least one of the substantially vertical heater wells to mobilize formation fluids for recovery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Jingyu CUI, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Scott Lee Wellington, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam
  • Publication number: 20090260810
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treatment of a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Methods include providing steam to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of locations in a wellbore. The steam is hotter than a temperature of the portion. The steam is heated in the wellbore by combusting a stream comprising hydrogen sulfide in the wellbore. Heat from the combustion transfers to the steam. The steam provided the portion at a first location in the wellbore is hotter than steam provided at a second location in the wellbore along the length of the wellbore, where the first location is further from a surface of the formation than the second location along the length of the wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Michael Anthony REYNOLDS, Jingyu Cui, Scott Lee Wellington, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Stanley Nemec Milam
  • Publication number: 20090260809
    Abstract: Methods of generating subsurface heat for treatment of a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Methods include providing steam to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of locations in a wellbore. The steam is hotter than a temperature of the portion. The steam is heated in the wellbore by combusting a stream comprising hydrogen sulfide in the wellbore. Heat from the combustion transfers to the steam. The steam provided the portion at a first location in the wellbore is hotter than steam provided at a second location in the wellbore along the length of the wellbore, where the first location is further from a surface of the formation than the second location along the length of the wellbore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Scott Lee WELLINGTON, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Jingyu Cui, Stanly Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds