Patents by Inventor Michael COMMER

Michael COMMER 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: 11150377
    Abstract: A method is described for subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir characterization including receiving a time-lapse electromagnetic (EM) dataset and a flow dataset; inverting the time-lapse EM dataset using a parametric inversion that models steel well casings to determine a volume of fluid-changed reservoir; inverting the time-lapse EM dataset and the flow dataset using a joint inversion that honors the volume of the fluid-changed reservoir to determine relative permeability and capillary pressure; and characterizing flow characteristics in the volume of the fluid-changed reservoir. The method may be executed by a computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Gary Michael Hoversten, Michael Commer
  • Publication number: 20210018647
    Abstract: A method is described for subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir characterization including receiving a time-lapse electromagnetic (EM) dataset and a flow dataset; inverting the time-lapse EM dataset using a parametric inversion that models steel well casings to determine a volume of fluid-changed reservoir; inverting the time-lapse EM dataset and the flow dataset using a joint inversion that honors the volume of the fluid-changed reservoir to determine relative permeability and capillary pressure; and characterizing flow characteristics in the volume of the fluid-changed reservoir. The method may be executed by a computer system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Michael HOVERSTEN, Michael COMMER
  • Patent number: 9938818
    Abstract: A method and system for characterizing subsurface hydraulic fractures, specifically the effective permeability thereof, are disclosed. One method includes transmitting electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic source toward a subsurface hydraulic fracture location, capturing electromagnetic signal measurements of a subsurface hydraulic fracture on the Earth's surface above the subsurface hydraulic fracture location at a plurality of electromagnetic receivers, and associating characteristic hydraulic flow parameters with the electromagnetic signal measurements to determine one or more fracture zones. The method further includes determining an effective permeability of the one or more fracture zones, thereby determining an effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing in the subsurface hydraulic fracture location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Michael Hoversten, Michael Commer
  • Publication number: 20160201447
    Abstract: A method and system for characterizing subsurface hydraulic fractures, specifically the effective permeability thereof, are disclosed. One method includes transmitting electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic source toward a subsurface hydraulic fracture location, capturing electromagnetic signal measurements of a subsurface hydraulic fracture on the Earth's surface above the subsurface hydraulic fracture location at a plurality of electromagnetic receivers, and associating characteristic hydraulic flow parameters with the electromagnetic signal measurements to determine one or more fracture zones. The method further includes determining an effective permeability of the one or more fracture zones, thereby determining an effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing in the subsurface hydraulic fracture location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Michael HOVERSTEN, Michael COMMER