Patents by Inventor W. Brett Wilson

W. Brett Wilson 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: 7958938
    Abstract: A system for supporting multiple-well-site, offshore, hydrocarbon-bearing fields, each well-site has one or more wells. In general, the system first comprises a floating vessel that is relocatable from a first subsea well-site to a second subsea well-site. The system also comprises two separate systems: (1) an operations control system for providing subsea well-site operations such as power and communications; and (2) an intervention system for conducting intervention services to an individual subsea well such as workover services and maintenance services. The operations system may provide control to wells and other subsea equipment at either the first well-site or the second well-site, regardless of the location of the floating vessel. The intervention system may provide workover and/or maintenance to subsea equipment or individual wells at the well-site at which it is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Calvin W. Crossley, Tracy A. Fowler, M. Sidney Glasscock, Matthew N. Greer, Roald T. Lokken, Dinesh R. Pejaver, W. Brett Wilson, David B. Yost
  • Patent number: 7836840
    Abstract: The current invention includes to systems and methods of transferring cryogenic fluids between two locations. More particularly, some embodiments of the invention are related to systems and methods of using cryogenic risers and rotatable connections for transferring cryogenic fluids, including liquefied natural gas, from an ocean going vessel to a second location. One embodiment of the invention includes a system for transporting a cryogenic fluid between a floating vessel and a second location. The system including a cryogenic riser, a submersible turret connector. The being riser adapted to allow the vertical position of the first end of the riser to be changed, the second end of the first riser located in a body of water and in fluid communication with the second location. The submersible turret connector connected to the first end of the first riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Mark E. Ehrhardt, William S. Mathews, Dawn Rymer, W. Brett Wilson
  • Publication number: 20100074692
    Abstract: Methods and systems for receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) and delivering vaporized natural gas to a pipeline in fluid communication with onshore equipment and methods for importing LNG. In one embodiment, an open-sea berth import terminal includes a platform, which is fixed to the sea floor and includes two or more sets of berthing structures. LNG carriers berth at the open-sea berth import terminal to transfer LNG to a storage vessel moored at one of the berthing structures. LNG vaporization facilities, either on the storage vessel or the platform, vaporize the LNG prior to delivery to the pipeline. The storage vessel may include a barge or another LNG carrier. In other embodiments, the open-sea berth import terminal may have no storage facilities, but two LNG carriers may berth at the berthing structures to concurrently perform offloading operations, with one transferring LNG and the other performing other offloading operations to enhance operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Mark E Ehrhardt, William S. Mathews, Dawn L. Rymer, Paul W. Sibal, Robert E. Sandstrom, W. Brett Wilson, Mark A. Danaczko, Robert D. Denton, Robert E. Foglesong
  • Patent number: 7470163
    Abstract: A combined riser, offloading and mooring system is provided for the offloading of hydrocarbons from a floating production vessel (FPV), onto a tanker. The system preferably includes an offloading buoy tethered to the mudline by at least one mooring line. The offloading buoy and the mooring line can be part of an offloading buoy system for supporting a production riser and fluid jumper lines. Additionally, the offloading buoy system can support an offloading jumper line from the FPV to a fluid connector on the offloading buoy system through which hydrocarbon fluid is loaded via an offloading hose onto a tanker. The combined riser, offloading and mooring system also preferably includes at least one set of FPV mooring lines for securing the floating production vessel to the offloading buoy system. The system further preferably includes a hawser line for connecting the tanker to the offloading buoy system. In this manner, the number of mooring lines for the floating production vessel may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Roald T. Lokken, W. Brett Wilson
  • Patent number: 7434624
    Abstract: This invention provides a production riser system that enables fluid communication in a deepwater drilling environment through the use of a variable buoyancy device supporting both a hybrid riser tower and an steel catenary riser (SCR) system. Fluid communication is enabled between a surface production facility or unloading buoy and local and remote subsea (or remote non-subsea) production and export systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: W. Brett Wilson
  • Publication number: 20080210432
    Abstract: A system for supporting multiple-well-site, offshore, hydrocarbon-bearing fields, each well-site has one or more wells. In general, the system first comprises a floating vessel that is relocatable from a first subsea well-site to a second subsea well-site. The system also comprises two separate systems: (1) an operations control system for providing subsea well-site operations such as power and communications; and (2) an intervention system for conducting intervention services to an individual subsea well such as workover services and maintenance services. The operations system may provide control to wells and other subsea equipment at either the first well-site or the second well-site, regardless of the location of the floating vessel. The intervention system may provide workover and/or maintenance to subsea equipment or individual wells at the well-site at which it is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Calvin W. Crossley, Tracy A. Fowler, M. Sidney Glasscock, Matthew N. Greer, Roald T. Lokken, Dinesh R. Pejaver, W. Brett Wilson, David B. Yost
  • Patent number: 6877454
    Abstract: Improved systems and methods for transporting fluids in containers are provided. Such improved systems and methods include floatable container vessels having one or more fluid containers and self-propelled marine transportation vessels that are adapted to be ballasted downwardly to permit the floatable container vessels to be floated onto or off of the marine transportation vessels, and are adapted to be deballasted so as to raise the floatable container vessels out of the water for transportation to another location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Ronald R. Bowen, Richard B. Harley, John A. Vermersch, W. Brett Wilson
  • Publication number: 20040129425
    Abstract: This invention provides a production riser system that enables fluid communication in a deepwater drilling environment through the use of a variable buoyancy device supporting both a hybrid riser tower and an steel catenary riser (SCR) system. Fluid communication is enabled between a surface production facility or unloading buoy and local and remote subsea (or remote non-subsea) production and export systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventor: W. Brett Wilson
  • Patent number: 6494271
    Abstract: A method of conducting operations to an offshore field from multiple separated drill centers using a floating vessel having a turret-mounted mooring element and a workstation separate from the mooring element in which the vessel is moored at a central mooring element location and operations are sequentially carried out at separate drill centers associated with the mooring element location by allowing the vessel to weathervane to a heading associated with a subsequent drill center once operations have been completed at a first drill center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: W. Brett Wilson
  • Publication number: 20020178988
    Abstract: Improved systems and methods for transporting fluids in containers are provided. Such improved systems and methods include floatable container vessels having one or more fluid containers and self-propelled marine transportation vessels that are adapted to be ballasted downwardly to permit the floatable container vessels to be floated onto or off of the marine transportation vessels, and are adapted to be deballasted so as to raise the floatable container vessels out of the water for transportation to another location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Ronald R. Bowen, Richard B. Harley, John A. Vermersch, W. Brett Wilson
  • Publication number: 20020157833
    Abstract: A method of conducting operations to an offshore field from multiple separated drill centers using a floating vessel having a turret-mounted mooring element and a workstation separate from the mooring element in which the vessel is moored at a central mooring element location and operations are sequentially carried out at separate drill centers associated with the mooring element location by allowing the vessel to weathervane to a heading associated with a subsequent drill center once operations have been completed at a first drill center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: W. Brett Wilson