Method and system for identifying and sampling hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829602-B2
Application number	US-201514752030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Method and system is described to exploration and development hydrocarbon resources. The method involves operations for exploring and developing hydrocarbons with one or more unmanned vehicles. The unmanned vehicles are used to obtain one or more samples that may be used to identify hydrocarbon systems, such as hydrocarbon seeps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for identifying hydrocarbons comprising:
transporting a sampling assembly comprising a plurality of individual sample containers on an unmanned vehicle to a potential location of waterborne liquid hydrocarbons in a body of water, wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and wherein each of the sample containers has a sampling material disposed around a spool within the sampling container;
dispensing the sampling material from the spool of one or more of the sample containers and contacting the sampling material with the waterborne liquid hydrocarbons;
retrieving the sampling material having adhered waterborne liquid hydrocarbons as an obtained sample into the one or more sample containers on the unmanned vehicle;
storing the obtained sample in the sample container; and
maintaining the temperature within one or more of the sampling containers in the sampling assembly in the range of between about −10° C. and about 10° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is maintained within the range between about −5° C. and about 10° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing live microbes from the obtained samples prior to determining whether the obtained samples is associated with a hydrocarbon system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons in the body of water from the potential location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons comprises:
performing a large pattern search from the potential location, wherein the large pattern search comprises detecting hydrocarbons;
if hydrocarbons are detected, performing a sampling pattern search to obtain the sample; and
if hydrocarbons are not detected, determining whether to continue the large pattern search.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons comprises analyzing the surface of the body of water to detect certain wavelengths to identify hydrocarbons.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons comprises:
deploying a balloon above the unmanned vehicle, wherein the balloon comprises infrared and visible light detection components;
obtaining infrared and visible light images; and
analyzing the infrared and visible light images to identify hydrocarbons.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons comprises:
deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle above the unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises visible and infrared light cameras;
obtaining infrared and visible light images with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
analyzing the infrared and visible light images to identify hydrocarbons.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein searching for waterborne liquid hydrocarbons comprises:
deploying a unmarried aerial vehicle above the unmanned vehicle;
generating an ultraviolet light;
obtaining images with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
analyzing the ultraviolet images to identify hydrocarbons.

10. A hydrocarbon identification system comprising:
an unmanned vehicle having a propulsion component, a communication component, and a sample measurement component, wherein the propulsion component is configured to maneuver the unmanned vehicle, the sample measurement component is configured to obtain one or more samples of a waterborne liquid hydrocarbons, and the communication component is configured to communicate signals associated with the obtained samples;
wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned surface vehicle (USV);
wherein the sample measurement component comprises a sample assembly having a plurality of individual sampling containers and wherein each of the sampling containers has a sampling material disposed around a spool within the sampling container; and
wherein the unmanned vehicle has a heating and cooling component configured to maintain the temperature within each of the sampling containers within the range of between about −10° C. and about 10° C.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is configured to be controlled via a remote control communications.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is configured to be autonomously operated.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the sampling containers has buoyant weight coupled to the sampling material.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein each of the sampling containers has a guide member disposed between the spool and buoyant weight.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sampling assembly has between 50 and 100 sampling containers.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sampling material is TFE-fluorocarbon polymer screening fabric.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the unmanned vehicle has a hydrocarbon detection component configured to identify hydrocarbons.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the hydrocarbon detection component comprises a receiver configured to receive images from the surface of the body of water, and analyze the images to identify certain wavelengths associated with hydrocarbons.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the hydrocarbon detection component comprises a balloon having an infrared and visible camera and configured to:
obtain infrared and visible light images from the surface of the body of water; and
an analyzer configured to determine hydrocarbons from the infrared and visible light images.

20. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a deployment unmanned vehicle having a deployment propulsion component, a deployment communication component, a sample deployment component, and a deployment measurement component, wherein the deployment propulsion component is configured to maneuver the deployment unmanned vehicle, the deployment measurement component is configured to identify waterborne liquid hydrocarbons, the sample deployment component is configured to deploy a sample container into the identified waterborne liquid hydrocarbons, and the deployment communication component is configured to communicate signals associated with the operation of the deployment unmanned vehicle.

Assignees

• Bond William E
• Pottorf Robert J
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Bond William E
• Pottorf Robert J

Classifications

• G01N33/241

  for hydrocarbon content · CPC title

• G01N33/1833

  Oil in water · CPC title

• G01V8/02 Primary

  Prospecting · CPC title

• G01V9/007 Primary

  by detecting gases or particles representative of underground layers at or near the surface (analysing earth materials G01N33/24; analysing gases per se G01N) · CPC title