A control server, or similar central processor, manages the distribution of data (including audio and video), voice, and control signals among a plurality of devices connected via a wired and/or wireless communications network. The devices include audio/visual devices (such as, televisions, monitors, PDAs, notepads, notebooks, MP3, portable stereo, etc.) as well as household appliances (such as, lighting, ovens, alarm clocks, etc.). The control server supports video/audio serving, telephony, messaging, file sharing, internetworking, and security. A portable controller allows a user to access and control the network devices from any location within a controlled residential and/or non-residential environment, including its surrounding areas. The controllers are enhanced to support location-awareness and user-awareness functionality.

Method, system, and computer program product for managing controlled residential or non-residential environments

A combination of solid-state 13C NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and sulfur X-ray absorption near edge structure (S-XANES) techniques are used to characterize organic oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species and carbon chemical/structural features in kerogens. The kerogens studied represent a wide range of organic matter types and maturities. A van Krevelen plot based on elemental H/C data and XPS derived O/C data shows the well established pattern for type I, type II, and type III kerogens. The anticipated relationship between the Rock−Eval hydrogen index and H/C is independent of organic matter type. Carbon structural and lattice parameters are derived from solid-state 13C NMR analysis. As expected, the amount of aromatic carbon, measured by both 13C NMR and XPS, increases with decreasing H/C. The correlation between aromatic carbon and Rock−Eval Tmax, an indicator of maturity, is linear for types II and IIIC kerogens, but each organic matter type follows a different relationship. The average al...

Direct characterization of kerogen by x-ray and solid-state **13c nuclear magnetic resonance methods

Environmental monitoring has become essential in order to deal with environmental resources efficiently and safely in the realm of green technology. Environmental monitoring sensors are required for detection of environmental changes in industrial facilities under harsh conditions, (e.g. underground or subsea pipelines) in both the temporal and spatial domains. The utilization of optical fiber sensors is a promising scheme for environmental monitoring of this kind, owing to advantages including resistance to electromagnetic interference, durability under extreme temperatures and pressures, high transmission rate, light weight, small size, and flexibility. In this paper, the optical fiber sensors employed in environmental monitoring are summarized for understanding of their sensing principles and fabrication processes. Numerous specific applications in petroleum engineering, civil engineering, and agricultural engineering are explored, followed by discussion on the potentials of OFS in manufacturing.

A review on optical fiber sensors for environmental monitoring

Large sand bodies in the subsurface are shown to provide a unique laboratory for understanding both reservoirs and crude oils. Here, we treat the discovery by downhole fluid analysis of a gravitational concentration gradient of asphaltenes, the most dense component of crude oil, in a 2500-ft column of crude oil in the reservoir. The continuous trend of crude oil properties across the field implies flow connectivity of this giant sand body, addressing the single largest uncertainty in the development of deepwater oil fields todaydrainage area that can be achieved by each one of the extremely expensive wells. Consequently, downhole fluid analysis provides a new way to identify flow connectivity and to achieve significantly improved efficiency in oil production in high-cost arenas. In addition, detailed downhole and laboratory analyses of the asphaltene gravitational gradient show that asphaltenes are dispersed in crude oils of this weight as nanoaggregates. This observation agrees with the recently reported...

The Colloidal Structure of Crude Oil and the Structure of Oil Reservoirs

High-quality optical fibers can be produced now at a low cost and large quantity, and this has further promoted the development of fiber optic (chemical) sensors. After over 30 years of innovation, fiber optic sensing technology has become mature because of acceptable costs, compact instrumentation, high accuracy and the capability of performing measurements at inaccessible sites, over large distances, in strong (electro)magnetic fields and in harsh environment. The technology is still proceeding quickly in terms of innovation, and respective applications have been found in highly diversified fields. This review covers work published in the time period between October 2015 and October 2019. It is written in continuation of previous reviews.

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Biosensors (2015-2019).

Methods and apparatus for investigating a hydrocarbon bearing geological formation traversed by a borehole are disclosed. A borehole tool is used to acquire a sample of fluid in the formation. Compositional analysis of the fluid sample is conducted to provide a determination of the composition of the sample. The sample composition is then related to a model of the thermodynamic behavior of the fluid; i.e., the mass fractions of the fluid components are used as inputs to an equation of state (EOS) to predict the phase behavior of the fluid.

Methods and apparatus for the downhole characterization of formation fluids

Methods of analyzing formation fluids in an oilfield environment are near-infrared absorption spectroscopy. Indications of near-infrared absorptions are analyzed to determine the concentration of compounds in a formation fluid sample.

Methods and apparatus for determining chemical composition of reservoir fluids

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) methodology has been employed to quantify the different sulfur structures present in three Type I and three Type II kerogens. Kerogens from the Green River (3), Bakken (1), Woodford (1), and Indiana limestone (1) formations were studied. Both aliphatic (sulfide) and aromatic (thiophene) forms of sulfur exist in all these kerogen samples. Except for Woodford, all of the kerogens contain oxidized functional groups. Sulfur in Types I and II kerogens mimics the carbon chemistry in that the sulfur structures are more aromatic in Type II than in Type I. It was impossible to differentiate elemental sulfur from pyrite in these samples by using K-edge XANES.

Sulfur Speciation in Different Kerogens by XANES Spectroscopy

There is a large variety of sensing devices for the exploration of oil and gas. These sensors must operate in exceedingly challenging environments, such as high temperatures and high pressures. The majority of sensors are based on electronics because of the maturity of the technology, but optical sensors have been used successfully for specific measurements where no replacement technology exists. We introduce distributed optical sensing and downhole optical spectroscopy, and their unique measurements and value for the exploration of oil and gas are explained.

Optical Sensors for the Exploration of Oil and Gas

Methods and systems are provided for downhole analysis of formation fluids by deriving fluid properties and associated uncertainty in the predicted fluid properties based on downhole data, and generating answer products of interest based on differences in the fluid properties. Measured data are used to compute levels of contamination in downhole fluids using an oil-base mud contamination monitoring (OCM) algorithm. Fluid properties are predicted for the fluids and uncertainties in predicted fluid properties are derived. A statistical framework is provided for comparing the fluids to generate, in real-time, robust answer products relating to the formation fluids and reservoirs thereof. Systematic errors in measured data are reduced or eliminated by preferred sampling procedures.

Go Fujisawa

Papers

Methods and apparatus for the downhole characterization of formation fluids

Methods and apparatus for determining chemical composition of reservoir fluids

Sulfur Speciation in Different Kerogens by XANES Spectroscopy

Optical Sensors for the Exploration of Oil and Gas

System and methods of deriving fluid properties of downhole fluids and uncertainty thereof