The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 2011
Filed:
Feb. 08, 2006
Frederick D. Busche, Highland Village, TX (US);
John B. Rollins, Southlake, TX (US);
Harold J. Noyes, Golden, CO (US);
James G. Bush, West Richland, WA (US);
Frederick D. Busche, Highland Village, TX (US);
John B. Rollins, Southlake, TX (US);
Harold J. Noyes, Golden, CO (US);
James G. Bush, West Richland, WA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A system and method for enhancing the recovery of heavy oil in an oil extraction environment by feeding nutrients to a preferred microbial species (bacteria and/or fungi). A method is described that includes the steps of: sampling and identifying microbial species that reside in the oil extraction environment; collecting fluid property data from the oil extraction environment; collecting nutrient data from the oil extraction environment; identifying a preferred microbial species from the oil extraction environment that can transform the heavy oil into a lighter oil; identifying a nutrient from the oil extraction environment that promotes a proliferation of the preferred microbial species; and introducing the nutrient into the oil extraction environment.