US4977319A
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Method for determining oil content of an underground formation
Assignee: Texaco Inc
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Filing: 1989-02-03
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Granted: 1990-12-11
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Expires: 2009-02-03
Abstract
Abstract The invention is a method of evaluating a sample of an underground formation to determine the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbons present in the formation. It involves the steps of solvating a known volume of a sample in a known volume of a solvent which will solvate hydrocarbons, quantitatively measuring with a fluorometer the emission fluorescence below about 400 nanometers of the solvated sample at an excitation wavelength at which most petroleum compounds fluorescence, and determining the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbon present in the sample by comparing the emission fluorescence of said solvated sample to previous correlations. The previous correlations are drawn between known hydrocarbon contents of samples and the emission fluorescence of the known samples in said solvent.
Inventors
- 👤 Irwin R. Supernaw
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 04:20
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/24; G01N33/241; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of evaluating a sample of an underground formation to determine the hydrocarbon content of the formation, which comprises: solvating a known volume of an underground formation sample in a known volume of a solvent which will solvate hydrocarbons; quantitatively measuring with a fluorometer the emission fluorescence of the solvated sample below about 400 nanometers at an excitation wavelength at which most petroleum compounds fluoresce; and determining the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbon present in the sample by comparing the emission fluorescence of said solvated sample to previous correlations, said previous correlations drawn between known hydrocarbon contents of samples and the emission fluorescence of the known samples in said solvent.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of evaluating a sample of an underground formation to determine the hydrocarbon content of the formation, which comprises: solvating a known volume of an underground formation sample in a known volume of a solvent which will solvate hydrocarbons; quantitatively measuring with a fluorometer the emission fluorescence of the solvated sample below about 400 nanometers at an excitation wavelength at which most petroleum compounds fluoresce; and determining the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbon present in the sample by comparing the emission fluorescence of said solvated sample to previous correlations, said previous correlations drawn between known hydrocarbon contents of samples and the emission fluorescence of the known samples in said solvent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent which will solvate hydrocarbons is hexane, heptane, or pentane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the samples are drill cuttings.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the emission fluorescence is measured between about 250 and about 400 nanometers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the solvated sample is excited between about 250 and about 310 nanometers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein oil concentration of a sample is determined.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising determining oil saturation from the oil concentration of the sample and the known weight, volume and porosity of the sample, and the volume of solvent.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of evaluating drill cuttings from an underground formation to determine the hydrocarbon content of the portion of the formation from which the cuttings came, which comprises: solvating a known volume of drill cuttings in a known volume of hexane; quantitatively measuring with a fluorometer the emission fluorescence of the solvated cuttings between about 250 and about 400 nanometers at a relatively narrow excitation wavelength band between about 250 and about 310 nanometers; determining the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbon present in the cuttings by comparing the emission fluorescence of said cuttings to previous correlations, said previous correlations drawn between known hydrocarbon contents of samples and the emission fluorescence of the known samples in hexane at said excitation wavelength band.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of evaluating drill cuttings from an underground formation to determine the hydrocarbon content of the portion of the formation from which the cuttings came, which comprises: solvating a known volume of drill cuttings in a known volume of hexane; quantitatively measuring with a fluorometer the emission fluorescence of the solvated cuttings between about 250 and about 400 nanometers at a relatively narrow excitation wavelength band between about 250 and about 310 nanometers; determining the hydrocarbon content of any hydrocarbon present in the cuttings by comparing the emission fluorescence of said cuttings to previous correlations, said previous correlations drawn between known hydrocarbon contents of samples and the emission fluorescence of the known samples in hexane at said excitation wavelength band.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-12-10 | 1994-06-11 | 1994-12-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-12-10 | 1998-06-11 | 1998-12-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-12-10 | 2002-06-11 | 2002-12-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |