William Marsh Rice University

Vinegar Technologies LLC

Nalco Company

George J Hirasaki

Harold J Vinegar

Philip M Singer

Xinglin Wang

Clarence A Miller

Zeliang Chen

Eva Vinegar

James Mitchell Tour

Duy T Nguyen

Wei Lu

Michael K Poindexter

Michael Wong

Gedeng Ruan

Chih-Chau Hwang

Gautam Chandrakanth Kini

John Hera, Jr

Maura Puerto

Yunke Liu

Olina G Raney

Lu Wang

Amy Kan

Mason B Tomson

José Luis López Salinas

Duy Nguyen

John Hera Jr

A method for separating liquid-like (T) from solid-like (T)H NMR transverse relaxation times in porous media uses novel pulse sequences together with aH NMR spectrometer optimized for geological core samples. The method is applied to obtain 1D Tdistributions and 2D T-Tmaps in organic-rich chalks for quantification of liquid-like signal (micropore fluids, meso-macropore fluids, fluids dissolved in organic matter, and clay-bound water) and solid-like signal (kerogen, bitumen, and clay hydroxyls). The novel pulse sequences comprise a solid-echo, which detects more solid-like signal than an FID. The method is used for fluid typing in micro/meso-macro pores, clay mineral identification, determination of kerogen content, and quantification of solvent-extracted bitumen versus bitumen expelled from kerogen due to swelling from dissolved hydrocarbons. The method is used to quantify the asphaltene, resin, aromatic, and/or saturate content of bitumen in the rock.

Method of determining solid and liquid components in sedimentary rocks using NMR relaxation

This invention is useful for determining the permeability of a geological formation usingH NMR diffusion measurements acquired in the laboratory and using downholeH NMR well logging. The current technology for obtaining formation permeability downhole using NMR is not adequate for low-permeability, unconventional source rock formations with high organic content. This new method uses laboratoryH NMR diffusion measurements for creating continuous downhole well logs of the mobile-hydrocarbon permeability of the hydrocarbon-filled pore space of downhole geological formations.

Method of estimating permeability using NMR diffusion measurements

The following invention is used for determining the relative permeability of a fluid in a rock for three different phases: water, oil, and gas, in both conventional and unconventional formations. The permeability of a phase describes how much it can flow in porous media given a pressure gradient and is useful in evaluating reservoir quality and productivity. The following invention is a method to determine the three-phase relative permeabilities in both conventional and unconventional formations using NMR restricted diffusion measurements on core with NMR-active nuclei, combined with centrifugation of the core. In addition, the tortuosity, pore size (surface-to-volume ratio), fluid-filled porosity, and permeability is determined for each of the three phases in a rock.

Determination of fluid-phase-specific petrophysical properties of geological core for oil, water and gas phases

New methods for determining the volumetric composition and saturation of methane and NGLs (natural gas liquids: ethane, propane, butane, and pentane) in a petroleum reservoir combining NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) logging and NMR core analysis and for determining the mean pore-size and tortuosity of the light hydrocarbon-filled porosity in a petroleum reservoir using NMR core analysis.

Method for determining the composition of natural gas liquids, mean pore-size and tortuosity in a subsurface formation using NMR

In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to compositions for enhanced oil recovery. In some embodiments, such compositions include: (1) a first agent, wherein the first agent acts as a foam booster; (2) a second agent, wherein the second agent includes a sulfonated or sulfated anionic surfactant; a (3) a third agent, wherein the third agent includes an alkoxylated and anionic surfactant; and (4) a base liquid. In some embodiments, the compositions of the present disclosure further include a gas, such as nitrogen. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of formulating the aforementioned compositions for enhanced oil recovery. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of recovering oil from a reservoir by utilizing the aforementioned compositions.

Ultra-low-tension compositions and their use in enhanced oil recovery

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

A composition and method demulsify a produced emulsion from anionic surfactants and polymer (SP) and alkali, surfactants, and polymer (ASP). The produced emulsion is demulsified into oil and water. In one embodiment, the composition includes a surfactant. The surfactant comprises a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, or any combinations thereof.

Recovery and separation of crude oil and water from emulsions

Methods of reducing the water permeability of a water producing zone in a subterranean formation are provided. The methods basically comprise introducing a polymeric surfactant and an inert gas into the water producing zone to thereby form a water permeability reducing foam therein. The polymeric surfactant has the property of facilitating the formation of the foam and the additional property of stabilizing the foam in the presence of flowing formation water.

Subterranean formation water permeability reducing methods

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Bellaire, TX, United States of America

George J Hirasaki