Abstract:
Methods and systems produce petroleum products with multiple horizontal wells through which injection processes precondition and displace the hydrocarbons in a formation. The wells extend through the formation spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction. Before fluid communication is established between the wells, cyclic injections and production of resulting backflow initiates conditioning of immobile products. Alternating between injection and production at adjacent wells may then facilitate establishing the fluid communication. After the fluid communication is established, a displacement procedure sweeps the hydrocarbons from one of the wells used for injection toward an adjacent one of the wells used for production.
Abstract:
Methods and processing in the field of seismic data, particularly to more accurately predict petrophysical property variables at unsampled locations beyond and between wells.
Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for enhancing heavy oil recovery using fixed-bed chemical looping combustion processes that incorporate carbon dioxide capture and/or sequestration. A fixed-bed chemical looping combustion process is provided for generating heat and carbon dioxide. The heat thus generated may be employed in thermal recovery techniques such as SAGD to enhance recovery of heavy oils. Additionally or alternatively, the carbon dioxide produced by the process may be sequestered, captured, employed as a tertiary recovery technique, or any combination thereof. Advantages of certain embodiments include one or more of the following advantages: lower cost, relatively high conversion rates, and high theoretical efficiency of carbon dioxide capture.
Abstract:
A semi-closed loop system for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) that combines certain advantages of closed-loop systems with certain advantages of open-loop systems to provide a more efficient and effective hybrid system. In the semi-closed loop system, the final methane refrigeration cycle provides significant cooling of the natural gas stream via indirect heat transfer, as opposed to expansion-type cooling. A minor portion of the LNG product from the methane refrigeration cycle is used as make-up refrigerant in the methane refrigeration cycle. A pressurized portion of the refrigerant from the methane refrigeration cycle is employed as fuel gas. Excess refrigerant from the methane refrigeration cycle can be recombined with the processed natural gas stream, rather than flared.
Abstract:
The invention is an electric sweep type seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power for all systems on the source such as driving a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion along with driving the source from location to location through a survey area. The seismic source further includes an active isolation system that provides for significant weight on the ground through the rods of the linear electric motors, but protects the vehicle body and the remainder of the systems on the seismic source to be insulated from the harshest vibration related to the acoustic energy being applied to the ground. The active isolation system may include reactive elements such as pneumatic and hydraulic shock absorbers, but also includes active elements such as linear motors operated to counteract the impulsive forces from conveying through the frame of the seismic source.
Abstract:
The invention is an electric sweep type seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power for all systems on the source such as driving a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion along with driving the source from location to location through a survey area. Preferably a foot is arranged on the bottom end of the rod or piston for contact with the ground and by engaging the grid of motors to push down against the ground in a rapid progression, acoustic energy is created and delivered into the ground for geophones to sense and record. However, the rapid progression of pulses or sweep of seismic energy is delivered in a distinctive fashion as compared to a conventional upsweep or downsweep and the distinctiveness is also achieved by creating a designed cadence or timing such that each pulse in a series of pulses is not delivered in a regular timing. Several similar seismic sources may be employed where each is provided with its own distinctive series of pulses such that each may be identified within the data record and source separation from a number of seismic sources may be accomplished.
Abstract:
The invention is an electric sweep type seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power to drive a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion. Preferably, a foot is arranged on the bottom end of the rod or piston for contact with the ground and by engaging the grid of motors to push down against the ground in a rapid progression, acoustic energy is created and delivered into the ground for geophones to sense and record.
Abstract:
The invention is an electric powered mechanism for lifting and lowering at the wheels for an electric sweep type seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power for all systems on the source such as driving a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion along with driving the source from location to location through a survey area. Preferably a foot is arranged on the bottom end of the rod or piston for contact with the ground and by engaging the grid of motors to push down against the ground in a rapid progression, acoustic energy is created and delivered into the ground for geophones to sense and record. The electric powered wheel mechanism may be utilized to bring the foot of the rod or piston in contact with the ground or in closer proximity to the ground or level the source prior to emitting the seismic energy or to adjust weight on the acoustic energy delivery system while seismic energy is being delivered.
Abstract:
The invention is an improved technique for measuring near surface attributes of the ground while conducting a seismic survey. The improved technique is enabled by an electric vibe using a number of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion. By applying constant force on the rods of the linear electric motors against the ground, the penetration into the ground may be measured for both rate and overall deformation. This information provides an accurate indication of viscosity and stiffness. In addition shear velocity and compression velocity may be measured and in some conditions, even the type of prominent shear wave may be identified for the area.
Abstract:
The present invention provides for a method of processing mode converted seismic data. The method comprises acquiring seismic data and determining a P-wave velocity model for the seismic data. An S-wave velocity model is determined from the P-wave velocity model. The mode converted seismic data are depth migrated forming CIP mode converted seismic data gathers. Corrected S-wave velocities are determined from near-offset data of the CIP gathers which corrects the depth migrated mode converted seismic data to the P-wave velocity model depth. A correction factor is provided and the iterating with the method quickly converges to a solution. This invention provides an efficient method of updating the shear wave velocity model for prestack depth migration of mode-converted data.