Baker Hughes, a Ge Compnay, LLC

Baker Hughes Corporation

Baker Hughes Holdings LLC

Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

William Marsh Rice University

Oleksandr V Kuznetsov

Valery Khabashesku

Radhika Suresh

Oleg Antonovych Mazyar

Devesh Kumar Agrawal

Gaurav Agrawal

Michael H Johnson

Soma Chakraborty

Sankaran Murugesan

Qusai Darugar

Valery N Khabashesku

David Peter Gerrard

John C Welch

Sayantan Roy

Zhiyue Xu

Anthony Albert DiGiovanni

D V Satyanarayana Gupta

Lirio Quintero

Guijun Deng

Henry Nguyen

Darryl Ventura

Deepak Kumar

Dv Satyanarayana Gupta

Christabel Tomla

Valery N Khabasheku

Rui Lobo

Scott J Silveira

A composition of matter includes a liquid and nanoparticles suspended in the liquid. The nanoparticles each include silica, alumina, and an organosilicon functional group having a molecular weight of at least 200. A method includes functionalizing a surface of nanoparticles with an organosilicon functional group and dispersing the nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension. The functional group has a molecular weight of at least 200. The nanoparticles each include silica and alumina at a surface thereof.

Methods including functionalizing nanoparticles and forming suspensions

Downhole hanger systems and methods for hanging a first structure from a second structure in downhole environments are described. The systems include a first structure and a second structure, with the first structure disposed within the second structure. A composite joint is arranged on an outer surface of the first structure. The composite joint is formed of a material configured to be fused to both the first structure and the second structure and form a hanger joint having a shear strength of at least 2 ksi when the material is fused to the outer surface of the first structure and an inner surface of the second structure.

Methods and systems for hanging structures in downhole environments

A method of recovering hydrocarbons comprises introducing a suspension comprising nanoparticles to a material and contacting surfaces of the material with the suspension. After introducing the suspension comprising the nanoparticles to the material, the method further includes introducing at least one charged surfactant to the material and removing hydrocarbons from the material. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the nanoparticles may be introduced to the material prior to introduction of the surfactant to the material. Related methods of recovering hydrocarbons from a material are also disclosed.

Methods of recovering a hydrocarbon material

A method of stabilizing one or more clays within a subterranean formation comprises forming at least one treatment fluid comprising anionic silica particles, cationic silica particles, and at least one base material. The at least one treatment fluid is provided into a subterranean formation containing clay particles to attach at least a portion of the anionic silica particles and the cationic silica particles to surfaces of the clay particles and form stabilized clay particles. A method of treating one or more clays contained within a subterranean formation, and a treatment fluid for a subterranean formation.

Treatment fluids for a subterranean formation

A method of providing an optimal surfactant blend to improve waterflood efficiency comprises selecting candidate surfactant blends based on one or more of the following: a reservoir condition; information of a crude oil; information of an injection fluid; or information of a formation fluid, each candidate surfactant blends comprising at least two surfactants, one surfactant having a higher relative affinity for the crude oil than for the injection fluid and at least one surfactant having a higher affinity for the injection fluid than for the crude oil; evaluating phase behavior of the candidate surfactant blends to select surfactant blends that form a Winsor III system with the crude oil and the injection fluid at a reservoir temperature; and evaluating the selected surfactant blends in a porous media to select an optimal surfactant blend which achieves at least an additional 10% crude oil recovery after waterflood.

Selection of optimal surfactant blends for waterflood enhancement

Compositions of matter comprising suspended nanoparticles and related methods

A method of removing fines and coarse particles from tailings comprises forming a slurry comprising water and oil sands and separating bitumen from tailings comprising fines and coarse particles. Functionalized nanoparticles each comprising a core of carbon nitride and functionalized with one or more exposed cationic groups are mixed with the tailings. The functionalized nanoparticles and the fines interact to form agglomerates comprising the functionalized nanoparticles and the fines attached to the one or more exposed cationic groups. The agglomerates are removed from the tailings to form an aqueous solution having suspended therein fewer fines and coarse particles than are suspended within the tailings.

Methods of removing fines and coarse particles from oil sand tailings, and related mixtures

A water extraction process for separating bitumen from tar sands comprises slurrying tar sands in water, mixing the aqueous slurry with a magnetic substance for a time sufficient to release bitumen from tar sands and to uniformly disperse the magnetic substance with the bitumen, and subjecting the resulting slurry to froth flotation for recovery of a bitumen product and production of sand tails. The magnetic substance may comprise a magnetic surfactant. Alternatively, the magnetic substance comprises a magnetic nanoparticle together with a frother having the characteristics of methyl-isobutyl-carbinol and can be mixed with the aqueous slurry by attrition scrubbing or by flotation cell mixing. The magnetic substance may be recovered for further reuse by applying a magnetic or electromagnetic field to the tailings. The process may suitably applied in both so-called hot water extraction processes as well in an 'ambient' temperature (from about freezing to 35&#xb0; C.) process.

Enhanced bitumen recovery, separation and water clarification process

A process for drying mature fine tailings is provided. A low molecular weight anionic organic polymer is contacted with a tailings stream to flocculate mature fine tailings and enhance dewatering. The tailings stream can contain, for example, water, sand, silt and fines clays produced from a bitumen extraction process for oil sands ore. The process can also involve rigidification of the suspension.

Treatment of mature fine tailings in produced water by flocculation and dewatering

A thermoelectric composite includes a plurality of particles comprising a crosslinked polymer having a heat deflection temperature greater than or equal to 200&#xb0; F. and a segregated network comprising a first filler material which is disposed between the particles to produce a thermoelectric response in response to application of a voltage difference or temperature difference across the thermoelectric composite. The first filler material includes a carbon material, a metal, a metal disposed on a carbon material, or a combination thereof. A process for preparing a thermoelectric article includes combining a first filler material and a plurality of particles comprising a polymer to form a composition and molding the composition to form a thermoelectric article, wherein the thermoelectric article is configured to produce a thermoelectric response in response to application of a voltage difference or temperature difference across the article.

Thermoelectric polymer composite, method of making and use of same

A method of determining a property within a subterranean formation comprises introducing silica nanoparticles into a well; obtaining a sample of a fluid produced from the well; and analyzing the sample for presence of the silica nanoparticles, wherein the silica nanoparticles comprise a core, a donor chromophore, an acceptor chromophore, and an outer silica shell; the donor chromophore and the acceptor chromophore being selected such that an emission spectrum of the donor chromophore overlaps with an absorption spectrum of the acceptor chromophore.

Multicolor fluorescent silica nanoparticles as tracers for production and well monitoring

A thermoelectric material includes a polymer matrix and a plurality of partially coated particles dispersed within the polymer matrix. Each particle of the plurality has a discontinuous coating of metal on a carbon-based material. A method includes dispersing functionalized particles comprising a carbon-based material in a solvent; providing a metal salt in the solvent; and forming a plurality of distinct metal volumes on a surface of the functionalized particles to form partially coated particles. The distinct metal volumes are thermally insulated from other volumes of the plurality. A composition of matter includes a discontinuous coating of metal on a surface of a carbon-based material. The carbon-based material is selected from the group consisting of graphene oxide and functionalized carbon nanotubes.

Thermoelectric materials and related compositions and methods

Various illustrative embodiments of a process for enhanced flocculation and clarification of produced water from oil and gas wells using nanoparticles are provided herein. Certain nanoparticles can increase the settling rate of solids in produced water when used alone or combined with certain conventional flocculents.

Enhanced flocculation and clarification of produced water using nanoparticles

A filter membrane includes carbon nanotubes and carbon nitride nanoparticles. Inter-particle atomic interactions between the carbon nanotubes and the carbon nitride nanoparticles bind the carbon nanotubes and the carbon nitride nanoparticles together. A filter cartridge includes such a filter membrane disposed within an outer housing between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet such that fluid passing through the outer housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet passes through the filter membrane. Such filter membranes may be formed by dispersing carbon nanotubes and carbon nitride nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension, and passing the suspension through a filter to deposit the nanotubes and nanoparticles on the filter. Liquid may be filtered by causing the liquid to pass through such a filter membrane.

Composite membranes comprising nanoparticles for liquid filtration

Nanoparticles for use in the treatment of a well have a magnetic core of iron, nickel or cobalt or an alloy thereof; a carbon shell encapsulating the magnetic core; at least one organic functional group on the surface of the carbon shell through covalent bonding; and a coating of amorphous carbon nitride encapsulating the functionalized carbon shell. The nanoparticles may be used to identify fluids produced from the reservoir, identify the zone within the reservoir from which recovered fluid is produced, in water flooding to determine water breakthrough in the production well and to identify those injection wells from which breakthrough water originates.

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Manvel, TX, United States of America

Oleksandr V Kuznetsov