Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8006758 | Waste material processing for oil recovery An enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus for thermal processing of polymer-based waste to produce organic and inorganic processed materials. The organic and inorganic processed materials are injected as an injection stream into the ground to liberate ground oil... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7703519 | Combined hydrogen production and unconventional heavy oil extraction A method of producing hydrogen and extracting heavy oil from underground reserves is provided. This method includes providing a carbon monoxide source stream and a water vapor stream to a first reactor, wherein the first reactor comprises a water shift reactor and a... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7559368 | Solution mining systems and methods for treating hydrocarbon containing formations A method for treating an oil shale formation comprising nahcolite is disclosed. The method includes providing a first fluid to a portion of the formation through at least two injection wells. A second fluid is produced from the portion through at least one injection... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7426960 | Biogenic fuel gas generation in geologic hydrocarbon deposits A method to stimulate the biogenic production of a metabolite with enhanced hydrogen content that includes forming an opening in a geologic formation to provide access to a consortium of microorganisms, and injecting water into the opening to disperse at least a por... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7343971 | Method for natural gas production A method and system for dissociating methane hydrate deposits in-situ is provided wherein an oxidizer fluid and a supply of fuel, both at a pressure higher than that of the methane hydrate deposit, are supplied and delivered to the methane hydrate deposit. The fuel ... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7093655 | Method for the recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrates A method for recovering hydrocarbon trapped in a hydrate formation, comprising the steps of (a) contacting the hydrate formation with an aqueous solution comprising from 10% to 75% by weight of a salt such as potassium formate or acetate salt to liberate hydrocarbon... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7077199 | In situ thermal processing of an oil reservoir formation An in situ process for treating an oil containing formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formati... | 07/18/2006 |
| 6994168 | In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation with a selected hydrogen to carbon ratio A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion o... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6973968 | Method of natural gas production A method and system for dissociating methane hydrate deposits in-situ is provided wherein an oxidizer fluid and a supply of fuel, both at a pressure higher than that of the methane hydrate deposit, are supplied and delivered to the methane hydrate deposit. The fuel ... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6951248 | Method of separating oil from geological formations A method for separating oil from geological formations by application of an aqueous oxidant. The oxidant breaks the interfacial attraction between the oil phase and the geological formation and also produces ketone moieties which assist in separating the oil phase f... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6912354 | Concentric electrode DC arc systems and their use in processing waste materials An electrode assembly comprising concentric tubular electrodes is provided for high temperature processing of materials. The electrode assembly is connected with a power supply that includes switching means for alternatively operating the electrode assembly in a tra... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6531516 | Integrated bitumen production and gas conversion An integrated gas conversion and bitumen production process utilizes steam and light hydrocarbons produced from a natural gas fed gas conversion process, to stimulate the bitumen production and dilute it for transportation by pipeline. Hydrogen for hydroc... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6026902 | Method and apparatus for enhancing oil recovery An apparatus and method for enhancing recovery of oil from producing and dormant wells. The invention is embodied in an apparatus in which brine is mixed with a small amount of oil, and then passed through an alternating current flowing between a pair of ... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5950728 | Method and apparatus for enhancing oil recovery An apparatus and method for enhancing recovery of oil from producing and dormant wells. The invention is embodied in an apparatus in which brine is mixed with a small amount of oil, and then passed through an alternating current flowing between a pair of ... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5411086 | Oil recovery by enhanced imbitition in low permeability reservoirs A method for enhanced oil recovery from a low permeability diatomaceous reservoir by imbibition is described. In this method, oil is displaced from a single injection well, or series of injection wells into a single producer or series of producing wells b... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5350014 | Control of flow and production of water and oil or bitumen from porous underground formations It has been discovered that the production or recovery of oil or bitumen produced or recovered in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion form a porous water containing oil or bitumen producing formation is maintained and improved by maintaining the temperat... | 09/27/1994 |
| 5123485 | Method of flowing viscous hydrocarbons in a single well injection/production system A method of heating produced fluid in a wellbore having multiple tubing strings. In the portion of the wellbore above the dual-string packer a portion of hot injection fluid is selectively flowed from the injection tubing string into the casing annulus wh... | 06/23/1992 |
| 4884635 | Enhanced oil recovery with a mixture of water and aromatic hydrocarbons The invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons from underground hydrocarbon formations penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises injecting into the formation a mixture of hot water and about 0.1% to ... | 12/05/1989 |
| 4867238 | Recovery of viscous oil from geological reservoirs using hydrogen peroxide Viscous oil in a geological formation is recovered by producing hydrogen peroxide near the formation, injecting hydrogen peroxide into the formation to effect its decomposition and reaction of oxygen with resident hydrocarbon, and recovering oil in respon... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4848460 | Contained recovery of oily waste A method is provided for recovering oily waste from oily waste accumulations underground comprising sweeping the oily waste accumulation with hot water to recover said oily waste, wherein said area treated is isolated from surrounding groundwater hydrauli... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4815790 | Nahcolite solution mining process Nahcolite solution mining process comprising drilling at least one well into a Nahcolite bed, circulating hot barren aqueous liquor in a cavity in said Nahcolite bed for a time sufficient to produce a pregnant liquor having an increase in the concentratio... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4753293 | Process for recovering petroleum from formations containing viscous crude or tar A process for recovering petroleum from relatively impermeable formations. A permeable structure is formed to extend radially outward from the well bore and vapor, including solvent vapor, is introduced in a manner to condense primarily adjacent petroleum... | 06/28/1988 |
| 4697642 | Gravity stabilized thermal miscible displacement process In a gravity stabilized thermal miscible displacement process for recovery of normally immobile high viscosity hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation, a steam and solvent vapor mixture is injected into the top of the formation, thereby establishing a va... | 10/06/1987 |
| 4688637 | Method for induced flow recovery of shallow crude oil deposits A method to enhance oil production from producing formations using a pressure differential created by evacuating a recovery hole cased through the overburden into the producing formation, and directionally injecting under pressure, into an injection hole ... | 08/25/1987 |
| 4667026 | Defined heat treatment, under acidic conditions, of solutions of polysaccharide biopolymers Aqueous solutions of polysaccharide biopolymers, e.g., Xanthomonas/carbohydrate fermentation worts, are heat treated for more than 5, but less than 60 minutes, at a pH ranging from 3.5 to 6.2, to improve the viscosifying, filterability and injectability p... | 05/19/1987 |
| 4646833 | Flooding to recover oil from subterranean formations and employing injection of hot, low-viscosity polymer solution that becomes more viscous than the oil out in the formation An improvement in a method of recovering oil by injecting a viscous aqueous solution comprising injecting the viscous aqueous solution through a thermally stimulated zone near the injection well so as to obviate loss of production of oil because of decrea... | 03/03/1987 |
| 4641710 | Enhanced recovery of subterranean deposits by thermal stimulation Methods and apparatus for enhanced recovery of subterranean deposits employ a heated fluid driven into the subterranean formation. A heating fluid is heated at the surface of the earth remote from the subterranean formation to a heated state providing a t... | 02/10/1987 |
| 4620592 | Progressive sequence for viscous oil recovery A subterranean viscous oil bearing formation is progressively produced in a preselected direction by a combination of steps conducted in sets of wells spaced from each other in the preselected direction. A first set of wells is used to both apply electric... | 11/04/1986 |
| 4513819 | Cyclic solvent assisted steam injection process for recovery of viscous oil A method for recovering oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation employing a cyclical injection-production program in which first a mixture of steam and solvent are injected after which fluids including oil are produced until the water cu... | 04/30/1985 |
| 4503910 | Viscous oil recovery method A subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation not greater than 2500 feet in depth is penetrated by at least one injection well extending into the lower portion thereof. A horizontal fracture is formed in the lower portion of the formation through the i... | 03/12/1985 |
| 4489783 | Viscous oil recovery method A subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation is penetrated by at least one injection well extending to the lower portion thereof. A cavity not greater than 0.10 pore volume is formed in the lower portion of the formation through the injection well. At... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4450913 | Superheated solvent method for recovering viscous petroleum The disclosed invention is a method for efficiently recovering viscous petroleum from hydrocarbon formations, particularly consolidated tar sand formations. A superheated paraffinic solvent under elevated pressure and temperature is injected into the form... | 05/29/1984 |
| 4450911 | Viscous oil recovery method In a thermal method for the recovery of oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation, steam in an amount ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 pore volume and an injection rate within the range of 4.0 to 7.0 bbl/day/ac.-ft. is injected into the formation v... | 05/29/1984 |
| 4418752 | Thermal oil recovery with solvent recirculation A process for the production of heavy oil from a subterranean oil reservoir by the injection of a hot aqueous fluid into the reservoir and the injection of a diluent solvent down the production well to produce a blend of solvent and oil having a decreased... | 12/06/1983 |
| 4368781 | Method of recovering viscous petroleum employing heated subsurface perforated casing containing a movable diverter A method is disclosed for recovering viscous petroleum from subsurface formation, such as tar sands, wherein a substantially horizontal, perforated casing is positioned in the formation and a movable diverter is positioned to direct a hot drive fluid out ... | 01/18/1983 |
| 4265310 | Fracture preheat oil recovery process A zone of increased heat and enhanced fluid mobility is established between an injection well and a production well vertically traversing a heavy oil (bitumen, tar) reservoir by (a) first horizontally hydraulically fracturing between the wells, and (b) th... | 05/05/1981 |
| 4249604 | Recovery method for high viscosity petroleum High viscosity petroleum, such as heavy oils and tar, is recovered by first drilling a number of production wells in a conventional pattern, then drilling a plurality directionally drilled injection wells extending radially inward toward each producing we... | 02/10/1981 |
| 4223730 | Method for the tertiary recovery of petroleum by flooding with hot water and an aqueous alkaline solution A method for the recovery of crude petroleum from mineral oil deposits, utilizing hot water flooding or alkali containing hot water flooding is described.... | 09/23/1980 |
| 4223731 | Method for enhanced recovery of petroleum An enhanced oil recovery method comprising injecting an aqueous solution of ammonium salts selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfite, ammonium bisulfite, and mixtures thereof into a petroleum-bearing earth formation, heating said injected aqu... | 09/23/1980 |
| 4222439 | Enhanced recovery of petroleum An Enhanced Oil recovery method comprising injecting an aqueous ammonium bisulfite (NH4 HSO3) solution into a petroleum-bearing earth formation, heating said injected aqueous solution to a temperature in the range of about 120°-300Â... | 09/16/1980 |
