Patents by Inventor Ronald P. MacDonald

Ronald P. MacDonald 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: 10905996
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas while removing hydrogen sulfide from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to remove hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including hydrogen sulfide removal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, plant processing efficiency is improved for processing of high temperature associated gas streams by using membranes while integrating heat from other existing process streams. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, plant processing efficiency is improved for processing of high temperature associated gas streams by using high temperature tolerant polymer membranes. Oil and/or gas production is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Patent number: 10843129
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for processing gas produced from oil and gas reservoirs while removing mercaptans from the gas. Mercaptan-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing mercaptans from bottlenecked plant process steps including LPG fractionation and mercaptan sweetening. Hydrogen sulfide can be simultaneously removed by the membranes. Production of on specification LPG and sales gases can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Patent number: 10391444
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas while removing hydrogen sulfide from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs and injecting a sour gas stream containing the hydrogen sulfide into an underground formation. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including sour gas compression, hydrogen sulfide removal and sour gas injection. Pressure ratio across the membranes can also be manipulated to provide further debottlenecking. Gas-gas eductors are also disclosed for use in leveraging relatively high-pressure streams to boost the pressure of low pressure streams. Oil production is thus increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Chinn, Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Patent number: 10363518
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for increasing oil production in an integrated oil and gas production plant including hydrogen sulfide removal and sour-gas injection into an underground formation. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including sour gas compression, hydrogen sulfide removal and sour gas injection. A method of retrofitting an integrated plant includes adding a hydrogen sulfide-selective membrane upstream of an amine unit to remove hydrogen sulfide from an associated gas stream and form a permeate stream enriched in hydrogen sulfide and a retentate stream depleted in hydrogen sulfide and enriched in hydrocarbon gases. Less hydrogen sulfide is sent to the amine unit and oil production is higher than in the integrated plant without the hydrogen sulfide-selective membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Chinn, Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Patent number: 10363517
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas in a plant while removing hydrogen sulfide and water from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs and injecting a sour gas stream containing the hydrogen sulfide into an underground formation. Water-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing water from bottlenecked sections of the plant including pretreatment of a sour gas feed to one or more gas processing plants. In other aspects, water-selective membranes are used to debottleneck the pretreatment of an acid gas feed to a Claus unit to convert hydrogen sulfide to sulfur in a gas processing plant. The water-selective membranes pretreat the acid gas feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Publication number: 20190105603
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for processing gas produced from oil and gas reservoirs while removing mercaptans from the gas. Mercaptan-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing mercaptans from bottlenecked plant process steps including LPG fractionation and mercaptan sweetening. Hydrogen sulfide can be simultaneously removed by the membranes. Production of on specification LPG and sales gases can be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Publication number: 20190105599
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas in a plant while removing hydrogen sulfide and water from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs and injecting a sour gas stream containing the hydrogen sulfide into an underground formation. Water-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing water from bottlenecked sections of the plant including pretreatment of a sour gas feed to one or more gas processing plants. In other aspects, water-selective membranes are used to debottleneck the pretreatment of an acid gas feed to a Claus unit to convert hydrogen sulfide to sulfur in a gas processing plant. The water-selective membranes pretreat the acid gas feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Publication number: 20190105600
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for increasing oil production in an integrated oil and gas production plant including hydrogen sulfide removal and sour-gas injection into an underground formation. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including sour gas compression, hydrogen sulfide removal and sour gas injection. A method of retrofitting an integrated plant includes adding a hydrogen sulfide-selective membrane upstream of an amine unit to remove hydrogen sulfide from an associated gas stream and form a permeate stream enriched in hydrogen sulfide and a retentate stream depleted in hydrogen sulfide and enriched in hydrocarbon gases. Less hydrogen sulfide is sent to the amine unit and oil production is higher than in the integrated plant without the hydrogen sulfide-selective membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel Chinn, Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Publication number: 20190105601
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas while removing hydrogen sulfide from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs and injecting a sour gas stream containing the hydrogen sulfide into an underground formation. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to debottleneck known systems and methods by removing hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including sour gas compression, hydrogen sulfide removal and sour gas injection. Pressure ratio across the membranes can also be manipulated to provide further debottlenecking. Gas-gas eductors are also disclosed for use in leveraging relatively high-pressure streams to boost the pressure of low pressure streams. Oil production is thus increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel Chinn, Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das
  • Publication number: 20190105602
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for producing oil and gas while removing hydrogen sulfide from fluids produced from oil and gas reservoirs. Hydrogen sulfide-selective membranes are used to remove hydrogen sulfide from bottlenecked plant process steps including hydrogen sulfide removal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, plant processing efficiency is improved for processing of high temperature associated gas streams by using membranes while integrating heat from other existing process streams. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, plant processing efficiency is improved for processing of high temperature associated gas streams by using high temperature tolerant polymer membranes. Oil and/or gas production is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Nitesh Bhuwania, Shabbir Husain, Daniel Chinn, Ronald P. MacDonald, Tapan K. Das