Sheena Xina Xie

Title: Sheena Xina Xie: Innovations in Oil Recovery and Reservoir Diagnostics

Introduction

Sheena Xina Xie is an inventor based in Laramie, Wyoming, and affiliated with the University of Wyoming. Her work focuses on methods for improving oil recovery from reservoirs through oil reinjection, sequential waterflooding, and single-well diagnostics. She holds 2 patents related to these approaches.

Latest Patents

Xie’s patent, “Single-well diagnostics and increased oil recovery by oil injection and sequential waterflooding,” describes a method for recovering residual oil from reservoirs. Oil is injected into a previously waterflooded reservoir, or into a zone containing immobile oil, and waterflooding is then used to move the oil toward a producing well. The process can be repeated or adapted to create multiple oil banks, supporting both increased recovery and reservoir diagnostics.

Her patent, “Oil recovery by sequential waterflooding with oil reinjection and oil relocation,” presents another approach to enhancing recovery from previously waterflooded reservoirs. The method partially recharges pore spaces with oil, either through reinjection or by changing a well’s injection scheme, and then re-waterfloods the recharged zones. The process may be repeated and is intended to apply across a range of reservoir conditions, from dry-oil production to mature fields with high water-to-oil ratios.

Career Highlights

Xie’s patented methods address the challenge of recovering oil that remains trapped after conventional waterflooding. By combining oil recharge with subsequent water injection, her work offers techniques for mobilizing residual oil and potentially increasing ultimate recovery. The methods also connect production strategies with diagnostic applications.

Collaborations

Xie’s listed coworkers include Norman R. Morrow and Nina Loahardjo. Her work is associated with the University of Wyoming.

Conclusion

Sheena Xina Xie’s patents describe complementary strategies for reservoir diagnostics and enhanced oil recovery, centered on oil reinjection and sequential waterflooding.