Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Truva Corporation

University of Michigan

Howard Khan Schmidt

Jesus Manuel Felix Servin

Erika Shoemaker Ellis

Frode Hveding

Daniele Colombo

Ian F Akyildiz

Shih-Chun Lin

Abdallah Awadh Al-Shehri

Jason R Cox

Hooisweng Ow

Shannon Lee Eichmann

Abdullah Awadh Al-Shehri

Sunil Kokal

Yun Chang

Fawaz M Al-Otaibi

Mazen Kanj

Ersan Turkoglu

Yogesh B Gianchandani

Robert W Adams

Max Deffenbaugh

Kamal Sarabandi

Scott R Green

Jun Tang

Val Riachentsev

Jiangfeng Wu

Jesus Manuel Servin

Yogesh Gianchandani

Abbdullah Awadh Al-Shehri

The present device and technique relates to measuring geological formation permeability, such as by injection/withdrawal of conductivity-permeability doped fluid and measuring the magnetic permeability and/or conductivity of the surrounding formation. Before, during and/or after injection or withdrawal, pluralities of electromagnetic measurements of the radial distribution of magnetic permeability and/or conductivity of the surrounding formation may be made. The rate of change of the radial distribution of magnetic permeability and/or conductivity of the formation is generally directly proportional to the permeability of the surrounding formation. In implementations, magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity can be measured independently in time domain or frequency domain, such that the magnetic permeability mapping is not disturbed by other confounding electromagnetic parameters.

Determination of geologic permeability correlative with magnetic permeability measured in-situ

A variable-frequency light source is configured to emit a light beam and modulate a frequency of the light beam. A fiber optic cable is attached to the variable frequency light source. The fiber optic cable is configured to receive the light beam at an inlet and pass the light beam to an exit. Multiple optical detectors are attached to the fiber optic cable. Each of the optical detectors is configured to detect a specified frequency of light that is backscattered through the fiber optic cable. An actuation mechanism is attached to the fiber optic cable. The actuation mechanism is configured to deform the fiber optic cable in response to a stimulus.

Determining structural tomographic properties of a geologic formation

Coated nanoparticles include nanoparticles with a cationic coating, such that the nanoparticles have a net-positive charge. The cationic coatings may be selected from an amino acid, a polysaccharide, a polyamine, an acrylate polymer, a dendrimer, a copolymer, a histone, a protein, an ester, or combinations thereof. The coated nanoparticles may be incorporated into methods for improving an amount of oil recovered during enhanced oil recovery. The methods may include introducing an aqueous drilling fluid comprising coated nanoparticles to a carbonate reservoir and injecting drilling fluid comprising the coated nanoparticles into the carbonate reservoir to displace oil in the carbonate reservoir and thereby enhance the oil recovery.

Cationic coatings for improved nanoparticle transport in a carbonate reservoir

This invention generally relates to the field of oil recovery from reservoirs. More specifically, it relates to the recovery of oil from sandstone and carbonate reservoirs using a process for preparing a dispersion of capsules for use downhole including the steps of providing capsules containing a dense liquid, each capsule having a capsule wall defining an inner area, the capsule wall having an outer side. The capsules are functionalized by adding a carbon dioxide-philic compound to the outer side of the capsule wall. A dispersion is then prepared by adding the functionalized capsules to supercritical carbon dioxide such that a stable dispersion of capsules in supercritical carbon dioxide is achieved.

Densifying carbon dioxide with a dispersion of carbon dioxide-philic water capsules

Provided are systems and methods for monitoring water cresting in a subsurface formation. Embodiments include, for each of a plurality of locations along a length of a horizontal section of a wellbore extending into a hydrocarbon reservoir of a subsurface formation, advancing an omnidirectional electromagnetic logging tool (ODEMLT) to the location, operating the ODEMLT to transmit (into a portion of the subsurface formation below the horizontal section of the wellbore) an electromagnetic (EM) source signal comprising a multi-frequency waveform, operating the ODEMLT to sense an EM return signal comprising a reflection of the multi-frequency waveform from the subsurface formation, and generating a subset of saturation data for the location corresponding to the sensed EM return signal, and generating, based on the subsets of saturation data, a radargram including a two-dimensional mapping of water saturation within the portion of the subsurface formation.

Water crest monitoring using electromagnetic transmissions

Example computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems are described for providing communication protocol architecture or framework for magnetic induction (MI)-based communications in wireless underground sensor networks (WUSNs), for example, in underground oil reservoirs. In some aspects, environment information of an underground region that affects the transmission qualities of MI communications is evaluated. A protocol stack is identified. The protocol stack includes a number of layers for MI communications among a number of sensors in a WUSN in the underground region. A cross-layer framework and the distributed protocol are built to jointly optimize communication functionalities of the plurality of layers based on the evaluation.

Environment-aware cross-layer communication protocol in underground oil reservoirs

An example method includes introducing a solution into at least part of a reservoir. The solution includes a contrast agent and a fluid. The contrast agent includes a polymer having a dielectric constant that may be greater than a predefined value. The example method also includes using at least one EM transmitter antenna to direct a first electromagnetic (EM) signal into the reservoir. The first EM signal passes through the at least part of the reservoir into which the solution was introduced. The first EM signal is received using at least one EM receiver antenna following passage through the at least part of the reservoir. Data is determined that represents a difference between a first travel time of the first EM signal transmitted through the contrast agent in the reservoir and a second travel time of a second EM signal transmitted through water-saturated reservoir rock. Information about a physical feature of the at least part of the reservoir is generated based on the data.

Generating images of a reservoir based on introduction of a polymer-based contrast agent

A composition including a coated nanoparticle including a nanoparticle and a cross-linked carbohydrate-based coating and an ion selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and mixtures thereof; methods of making and using the composition; and systems including the composition.

Polysaccharide coated nanoparticle compositions comprising ions

Provide are compositions and methods for electromagnetic (EM) surveying of subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs using a giant dielectric material as a contrast agent. An injection fluid composition for EM surveying may include an aqueous fluid and giant dielectric nanoparticles having a dielectric constant of at least 10000 in the 1 Hz to 1 MHz frequency range. EM surveying of a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs may be performed by introducing an injection fluid having the giant dielectric nanoparticles into the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir and generating an image of the position of the injection fluid from a transit time of emitted EM energy that traveled through the reservoir.

Giant dielectric nanoparticles as high contrast agents for electromagnetic (EM) fluids imaging in an oil reservoir

An electromagnetic energy source for emitting pulses of electromagnetic energy includes a sonde assembly having a first section axially aligned with, and spaced from, a second section. An energy storage capacitor of the sonde assembly includes an electrode mounted in each of the first section and the second section of the sonde assembly and operable to generate an electric field, and a capacitive charge storage medium mounted in each of the first section and the second section of the sonde assembly and surrounding each electrode. The sonde assembly further includes a fast-closing switch located between the electrodes of the first and second sections of the sonde assembly.

EMU impulse antenna

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Howard Khan Schmidt