An apparatus and method utilizes a plasma arc torch as a heat source for recovering useful fuel products from in situ deposits of coal, tar sands, oil shale, and the like. When applied to a coal deposit, the plasma torch is lowered in a shaft into the deposit and serves as a means for supplying heat to the coal and thereby stripping off the volatiles. The fixed carbon is gasified by reaction with steam that is sprayed into the devolatilized area and product gases are recovered through the shaft. When applied to tar sands and oil shale, the torch is lowered in a shaft into the deposit and serves as a heat source to allow the entrapped oil in the tar sand or the kerogen in the oil shale to flow to a reservoir for collection. When economically justified, the carbonaceous matter in the tar sands or oil shale deposits may be partially or completely pyrolyzed and recovered as gaseous fuel products. Monitoring means for continuously analyzing selected properties of the fuel products enable the operator to control the operating parameters within the shaft. Subsidence of the coal deposit overburdens can be avoided by leaving pillars for support.

Apparatus and method for the recovery of fuel products from subterranean deposits of carbonaceous matter using a plasma arc

Method and apparatus for optimizing the overall production efficiency of any pumping well based on accurate measurements of the time-averaged rate that fluid exists the wellhead. The improved apparatus includes temperature compensated, hermetically sealed electronic sensors that accurately measure the instantaneous rate of both pulsating and steady-state flow, and devices for processing measured flow-rate information to ascertain the performance of downhole equipment and fluid reservoirs. The apparatus is self-calibrating on any well, and automatically compensates for normal changes in both downhole equipment and reservoir performances that typically limit the operation of conventional well-control devices. The apparatus may be easily installed at ground level without major changes to existing wellhead equipment, and readily adapts to the efficient control of pumping equipment utilized with any other type of fluid reservoir.

Method and system for controlling a mechanical pump to monitor and optimize both reservoir and equipment performance

A pump-off controller checks for pump-off by examining the relative phase relationship between AC voltage and AC current supplied to an inductive, alternating current, electric motor driving a cyclically operated mechanical system having a walking beam for raising and lowering a subsurface pump by means of a string of sucker rods. When the phase angle between AC voltage supplied to the motor and AC current drawn by the motor exceeds a predetermined value at selected points or regions of the pumping stroke, the pumping system is shut down for a predetermined time.

Pump control responsive to voltage-current phase angle

A deep sea insulated pipeline comprises an inner pipe which is encased lengthwise by an insulating core. The insulating core comprises macrospheres surrounded by syntactic foam that includes a semi-rigid resin binder and microspheres. The semi-rigid resin binder reinforces the macrospheres to provide sufficient strength to withstand the hydrostatic pressure at depths in excess of several thousand feet of water, and is yet flexible enough to accommodate bending associated with deep sea pipe laying operations. The deep sea insulated pipeline may also include a protective outer casing. The inner pipe extends through and cooperates with the outer casing to define an annulus chamber containing the insulating core. The outer casing may be a plastic pipe. In a preferred embodiment the semi-rigid resin binder includes Bisphenol-A epoxy resin, an anhydride curing agent, and a flexibilizer.

Subsea pipeline insulation

An apparatus for monitoring the testing of a subterranean well by acquiring data from the well includes means for monitoring transducers positioned downhole, at the wellhead, at a separator or at other locations to obtain the values for a predetermined set of operating characteristics. The apparatus includes a microcomputer for calculating additional characteristics utilizing one or more of the transducer values and a visual display for onsite viewing of the values for the monitored and calculated characteristics. The apparatus further includes a printer and a tape recorder. The microcomputer controls the recording intervals of the printer and the tape recorder for recording the monitored and calculated values of the characteristics on a continuous basis. The values of the characteristics represent current production information for the well. The apparatus also includes means for monitoring the transducer power supply voltage and the microcomputer power supply voltage. If the microcomputer power supply fails, a backup battery is automatically connected to power a storage means for preserving the values of the operating characteristics for a predetermined time.

Apparatus for compiling and monitoring subterranean well-test data

A method for determining the liquid flow in a pipe having turbulent flow, for example, two-phase flow wherein the dynamic pressure fluctuations are measured, and converted to a useful signal The root mean square of the signal is obtained and integrated over a specific time interval to obtain the liquid flow in the pipe

Method for determining liquid production from a well

A method and apparatus for measuring the energy input to the rod string of a well pumping unit in real time wherein the load on the rod string is multiplied by the velocity of the rod string and the result integrated over at least a portion of the pump stroke. The change in the energy input to the well is used to determine when the well has pumped-off.

Method for pump-off detection

An insulation system is provided for subsea arctic pipelines which utilizes water blocks to prevent insulation failure. Water is blocked in both radial and longitudinal direction.

Pipeline insulation system

An improved method and apparatus for measuring gas flow from producing wells using a dynamic pressure transducer to monitor the dynamic pressure in the gas flow. The measured dynamic pressure signal is filtered to remove high frequency components and the resulting signal is converted to a RMS signal. The RMS signal is proportional to the density of the fluid and the square of the fluid velocity. Fluid flow can be calculated by measuring the temperature and static pressure of the fluid and combining these measurements with the measured dynamic pressure.

Gas flow monitor

A method and apparatus for measuring the motion of tall structures, particularly offshore platforms. The method comprises disposing a number of accelerometer packages in a tubular member attached to a vertical or near vertical member of the structure. Each package contains three accelerometers having their axes dipsosed in an orthogonal arrangement. The apparatus includes means for installing and removing a plurality of packages from tubular members or chutes that are permanently attached to the structure.

Maurice M. Patterson

Papers

Method for determining liquid production from a well

Method for pump-off detection

Pipeline insulation system

Gas flow monitor

Platform motion measuring system