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:
May. 30, 2017
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2010
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);
Pacific Northwest Division Batelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA (US);
Abstract
In one embodiment, the invention provides a system including at least one computing device for enhancing the recovery of heavy oil in an underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment by performing a method comprising sampling and identifying microbial species (bacteria and/or fungi) that reside in the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment; collecting rock and fluid property data from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment; collecting nutrient data from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment; identifying a preferred microbial species from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment that can transform the heavy oil into a lighter oil; identifying a nutrient from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment that promotes a proliferation of the preferred microbial species; and introducing the nutrient into the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment.