James Bush

US Patent:

7922893, Apr 12, 2011

Filed:

Feb 8, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/350206

Inventors:

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

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

B01J 29/70
C12Q 1/68

US Classification:

208 46, 435 6

Abstract:

A system and method for enhancing the recovery of heavy oil in an oil extraction environment by feeding nutrients to a preferred microbial species (bacteria and/or fungi). A method is described that includes the steps of: sampling and identifying microbial species that reside in the oil extraction environment; collecting fluid property data from the oil extraction environment; collecting nutrient data from the oil extraction environment; identifying a preferred microbial species from the oil extraction environment that can transform the heavy oil into a lighter oil; identifying a nutrient from the oil extraction environment that promotes a proliferation of the preferred microbial species; and introducing the nutrient into the oil extraction environment.

US Patent:

20110083843, Apr 14, 2011

Filed:

Dec 20, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/973766

Inventors:

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

Assignee:

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION - Armonk NY

International Classification:

E21B 43/22
G06G 7/50
G06G 7/58
E21B 47/00
E21B 43/16

US Classification:

16625001, 703 10

Abstract:

In one embodiment, the invention provides an analytical processing system for enhancing the recovery of heavy oil in an underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment, comprising: a data collection engine configured for receiving data relating to the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment, wherein the data includes in situ microbial species data, oil properties data and in situ nutrient information that are identified as being germane to the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment; a data warehouse for storing data collected from the data collection engine; and a data modeling system for analyzing data stored in the data warehouse and facilitating an identity of a preferred microbial species from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment that can transform the heavy oil into a lighter oil.

US Patent:

20120158306, Jun 21, 2012

Filed:

Feb 22, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/402504

Inventors:

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

Assignee:

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 17/18
E21B 47/00

US Classification:

702 6

Abstract:

In one embodiment, the invention provides an analytical processing system for enhancing the recovery of heavy oil in an underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment, comprising: a data collection engine configured for receiving data relating to the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment, wherein the data includes in situ microbial species data, oil properties data and in situ nutrient information that are identified as being germane to the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment; a data warehouse for storing data collected from the data collection engine; and a data modeling system for analyzing data stored in the data warehouse and facilitating an identity of a preferred microbial species from the underground, near-surface crude oil extraction environment that can transform the heavy oil into a lighter oil.