William Marsh Rice University

Shell Oil Comapny

Gautam Chandrakanth Kini

Michael Wong

James Mitchell Tour

Wei Lu

Robert P Adamski

Gedeng Ruan

George J Hirasaki

Chih-Chau Hwang

Clarence A Miller

Santhosh Kumar Shankar

Gregory Kent Bethke

Mason B Tomson

Amy Kan

Lu Wang

Hitesh Ghanshyam Bagaria

Wen Yin Lynn Ko

Low-water content organic phases can be difficult to achieve at high fluxes when water is present in an emulsified form, such as in a water-in-oil emulsion. Processes for de-emulsifying a fluid stream containing emulsified water, such as water-in-crude oil emulsions, include introduction of the fluid stream into a vessel that defines a coalescence zone. The vessel is configured to provide for simultaneous application of a centrifugal force and an electric field to the fluid stream within the coalescence zone. The simultaneous application of the centrifugal force and the electric field to the fluid stream provides for the coalescence of a portion of the emulsified water into a bulk aqueous phase. Continuous phases of the organic component and the bulk aqueous phase form in the coalescence zone and are separately removed from the vessel. The bulk aqueous phase is removed from the underside of the vessel.

Systems and processes for separating emulsified water from a fluid stream

Various embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to nanocomposites for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure. In some embodiments, the nanocomposites include: a core particle; a polymer associated with the core particle; a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer; and a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle, where the releasable probe molecule is releasable from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure by utilizing the nanocomposites of the present disclosure.

Nanocomposite oil sensors for downhole hydrocarbon detection

An improved process for converting an oil suspension of nanoparticles (NPs) into a water suspension of NPs, wherein water and surfactant and a non-surfactant salt is used instead of merely water and surfactant, leading to greatly improved NP aqueous suspensions.

Converting nanoparticles in oil to aqueous suspensions

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Gautam Chandrakanth Kini