Patents by Inventor Nicole Doerler

Nicole Doerler 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: 6325147
    Abstract: Process intended for enhanced recovery of a petroleum fluid by combined injection of an aqueous phase saturated with acid gases. The process esentially consists in continuously injecting, into the oil reservoir, a mixture of an aqueous phase and of a gas at least partially soluble in the aqueous phase and at least partially miscible with the petroleum fluid, by controlling the ratio of the flow rates of the aqueous phase and of the gas so that the latter is always in a state of saturation or oversaturation at the bottom of the injection well(s). The aqueous phase saturated or oversaturated with gas comes into contact with the petroleum fluid present in the reservoir. The gas dissolved in the aqueous phase is at least partially transferred to the liquid hydrocarbon phase, thus causing swelling and viscosity reduction of this phase, which favors migration of the petroleum fluid towards a production zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Nicole Doerler, GĂ©rard Renard, Alexandre Rojey
  • Patent number: 6016667
    Abstract: Described is a process for degasolining by refrigeration of a gas containing condensable hydrocarbons, which is effected in the presence of methanol to avoid the formation of hydrates, said process making it possible to at least partially recover the methanol entrained in the gas, by washing same by means of a liquid hydrocarbon fraction. The process described thus makes it possible to avoid having to compensate for the loss of methanol by a continuous make-up, as is the case with conventional processes. It accordingly enjoys enhanced levels of performance and economy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Nicole Doerler, Alexandre Rojey, Etienne Lebas
  • Patent number: 6004380
    Abstract: A process for dehydrating a natural gas or refinery gas containing water and BTEX using a liquid desiccant (glycol) and including regeneration provides the following steps:(a) absorption of the water and the BTEX by contacting the gas with the liquid desiccant which has been regenerated in step (c), producing a dry gaseous effluent and the liquid desiccant charged with water and BTEX;(b) separating the charged liquid desiccant into a vapor containing a portion of the BTEX and a liquid phase containing mainly desiccant charged with water and BTEX;(c) regenerating the liquid desiccant in a distillation zone from which a vapor containing water and BTEX and regenerated liquid desiccant are extracted, the latter being sent to absorption step (a);(d) condensing the vapor from the distillation zone and separating it into three phases: a gaseous effluent containing BTEX, a liquid hydrocarbon phase containing BTEX, and an aqueous liquid phase; and(e) washing the gaseous effluent by absorbing the BTEX in a fraction of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignees: Nouvelles Applications Technologiques, Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Benoit Landreau, Jean-Claude Amande, Nicole Doerler, Alenxandre Bojey
  • Patent number: 5868004
    Abstract: A process for treating a gas containing methane, at least one higher hydrocarbon and water to eliminate the water and/or extract the higher hydrocarbon(s) comprises dividing the gas to be treated into at least two fractions each of which undergo at least one cooling step, and bringing an aqueous phase fraction obtained after cooling into contact with the gas to be treated. The treatment process uses units with reduced floor space and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Alexandre Rojey, Nicole Doerler, Joseph Larue, Etienne Lebas
  • Patent number: 5868005
    Abstract: A process for treating a gas containing methane, at least one higher hydrocarbon and water to eliminate the water and extract the higher hydrocarbon(s) comprises:a) separating the gas to be treated into two streams (1) and (2);b) bringing at least stream (2) into contact with a recycled liquid phase comprising water and a solvent, to obtain an aqueous liquid phase which is depleted in solvent and a gas phase which is charged with solvent;c) separating the aqueous phase which is depleted in solvent and the gas phase which is charged with solvent;d) bringing said aqueous phase which is depleted in solvent into contact with one of the solvent-free gas streams defined at (a), the solvent being extracted from the depleted aqueous phase by the gas, and recovering a gas phase which is rich in solvent and a regenerated aqueous liquid phase;e) mixing the gas phase with either the gas phase from step (b) or the stream (2) upstream of contact step (b);f) cooling the gas phase from the mixing step so as to partially cond
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Joseph Larue, Nicole Doerler, Etienne Lebas, Alexandre Rojey