Patents
US 9574429 B2: Hydrocarbon mobility and recovery through in-situ combustion with the addition of ammonia
- Granted
- 2017-02-21
- Filed
- 2012-09-21 application 14241390
- Type
- Utility · 9 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Air and ammonia gas are introduced into a subterranean formation during the in-situ combustion to increase the mobility of hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation and facilitate recovery of the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation. The air supports in-situ combustion of a portion of the hydrocarbon within the subterranean formation to form water and establish a combustion front. The ammonia gas contacts the hydrocarbons ahead of the combustion front and reacts in-situ with naphthenic acid in the hydrocarbon to form a surfactant. The hydrocarbons, water and surfactant then form an oil-in-water emulsion that drains more freely through the formation. A production well, in fluid communication with the hydrocarbons ahead of the combustion front, may be used to remove the oil-in-water emulsion from the subterranean formation.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg170221.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nalco Company LLC 271 patents | US company or organization | Naperville, IL | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Hart | Fresno, TX | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| E21B | Earth or rock drilling; obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells | E21B43/168 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| C09K | Materials for miscellaneous applications, not provided for elsewhere | C09K8/592 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-17 | Release of security interest Release of security interest in patents | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. signed 2025-07-16 | CHAMPIONX LLC THE WOODLANDS, TX APERGY ESP SYSTEMS, LLC THE WOODLANDS, TX APERGY BMCS ACQUISITION CORP THE WOODLANDS, TX HARBISON-FISCHER, INC. THE WOODLANDS, TX NORRIS RODS, INC., THE WOODLANDS, TX NORRIS RODS, INC., THE WOODLANDS, TX NORRISEAL-WELLMARK, INC. THE WOODLANDS, TX PCS FERGUSON, INC. THE WOODLANDS, TX QUARTZDYNE, INC. THE WOODLANDS, TX US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION THE WOODLANDS, TX | 72004/19 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2022-06-07 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. signed 2022-06-07 | CHAMPIONX USA INC. SUGAR LAND, TX | 60304/267 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2020-09-22 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | ECOLAB USA INC. signed 2020-06-03 | CHAMPIONX USA INC. SUGAR LAND, TX | 53849/537 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2020-06-05 | Security interest Security interest Security interest | CHAMPIONX USA INC. signed 2020-06-03 | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. BROOKLYN, NY | 53250/1 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2020-06-05 | Security interest Security interest Security interest | CHAMPIONX USA INC. signed 2020-06-03 | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. CHARLOTTE, NC | 52848/368 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2020-06-01 | Name change Change of name | NALCO COMPANY LLC signed 2020-02-01 | CHAMPIONX LLC SUGAR LAND, TX | 52800/358 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2020-05-30 | Name change Change of name | NALCO COMPANY signed 2015-12-31 | NALCO COMPANY LLC NAPERVILLE, IL | 52797/794 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2016-10-05 | Merger Merger | CHAMPION TECHNOLOGIES, INC. signed 2013-12-23 | NALCO COMPANY NAPERVILLE, IL | 40232/752 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2014-04-22 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | HART, PAUL R. signed 2014-04-08 | NALCO COMPANY NAPERVILLE, IL | 32724/875 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.