Google Patents Update: What Happened To the Advanced Feature?

“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning” -- Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister during World War II, 1874-1965)

I am a Google Patents fan.  So I was worried one morning when I couldn’t find the Advanced search form.  Not to worry. Google has simply added a step to the search process.

In essence, Google requires you to do a simple keyword search first.  Then you can scroll to the bottom of your results page and click the Advanced search link.

The screenshots below illustrate the procedure.

Identifying LinkedIn Groups

“Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing.” -- Ralph Richardson (English Actor, 1902-1983)
The groups available to LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/)  members constitute one of the most valuable parts of the LinkedIn service. The only trouble is picking out the three or four that will work for you.

One way is to see what groups the people in your LinkedIn network subscribe to.

Another is to search the LinkedIn groups by keyword. For example …

Here are a few results from a search on “petroleum” …

By the way, I have not found a group specifically on “desulfurization” … maybe you should start one. If you do, please invite me to join it.

Catalog Your Desulfurization Collection with LibraryThing

“Only the man who crosses the river at night knows the value of the light of day” -- Chinese Proverb

Most research organizations of any size will employ a librarian to organize the information resources required to support innovative research. An online catalog of library resources is one of the ways that librarians add value to the books, journals, and databases an organization subscribes to.

For those organizations that choose not to employ a librarian, the next best thing is to use a free social cataloging service like LibraryThing.

One of the benefits of using LibraryThing is that you can easily add records of each book in your collection. Once added, the catalog can be viewed by your colleagues. Your colleagues can add their own records. The result of the collaborative effort will enable you to avoid buying a book that has already been purchased by someone else in the organization.

Visit my LibraryThing catalog to see an example of what you can do:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/jsteinha

Living on the Edge: Breakthrough technology and incremental innovation in Oil and Gas Industry

“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.” -- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (American Writer, b.1922)

I recommend “Breakthrough technology and incremental innovation in Oil and Gas Industry: The Edge of Innovation in Oil and Gas Industry. Level of R&D, Expenditure Vs Results in Energy Companies,” by Richa Chauhan, Claudio Cannas, and Ashish Kumar (2011)

The report examines R&D efforts of Chevron Texaco, Exxon Mobil, Shell, British Petroleum, Eni, China National Offshore Oil Company, and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd India in the following categories:

·         Carbon capture and storage

·         Gasification

·         Bio fuels

·         Automotive enhancements

·         Gas to Liquid Technologies

·         Renewable Energies

·         Unconventional resources

·         Seismic Mapping

·         Reservoir Management and Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques

·         Drilling Technologies

·         Deepwater Resources

·         Refinery and Downstream technologies

Here is an excerpt …

“Eni has established an integrated research programme called Sulphur and H2S Management in E&P Operations which aims at Hydrogen Sulphide Absorption by Condensates, Large-scale storage of sulphur with economic technologies and low environmental impact through Sulphur Box confinement technology; The permanent elimination of sulphur by re-injection through Sulphur slurry injection. At the Milazzo refinery a plant for the removal of H2S is already operating.”

Find the full text of the report at:

http://www.iaasm.net/%5CUserFiles%5Cattach%5C201122111451343Cannas%20Richa%20Kumar.pdf

Conference Alert (Thanks to George Boole)

“Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons” -- Aldous Huxley (English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963)
Here are a few upcoming conferences …

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SPE Heavy Oil Conference, 12 - 14 June 2012, Calgary, CanadaThe inaugural SPE Heavy Oil Conference -- Canada will provide international perspectives on best practices and technological advances in the exploration and production of heavy oil, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced in the process
source: http://www.spe.org/events/ihoc/2012/
Foster Wheeler 2012 Heavy Oil Conference, 14 - 16 May, 2012Join Foster Wheeler and key industry experts to discuss state of the art technologies in heavy oil processing while learning the advancements that address today's industry issues. Experts will discuss trends in heavy oil processing and a view of tomorrow's market
source: http://www.fwc.com/heavyoil2012/
Diesel Emissions Conference 2012, 30 May - 1 June, 2012, Düsseldorf. GermanyThe Diesel Emissions Conference 2012, now in its 8th year, is the flagship conference in Integer’s Diesel Emissions Conference Series. It is a meeting hub for leading on- and non-road OEMs and diesel emissions stakeholders from over 30 different countries, discussing progression towards the world’s most advanced diesel emissions legislation and technologies.
source: http://www.integer-research.com/conferences/dec-europe/
China Sulphur / Sulphuric Acid International Conference & Exhibition 2012, 20 - 22 June 2012, Shanghai, ChinaFollowing the huge success of the inaugural event in 2011, CRU and China Chemical Fiber Economic Information Network (CCFEI) will be hosting the 2nd China Sulphur / Sulphuric Acid International Conference & Exhibition from 20-22 June 2012 in Shanghai. The conference provides delegates with the opportunity to exchange ideas and acquire information on market dynamics and perspective for 2012, learn from sulphur suppliers, petrochemical manufacturers and industry experts from China and overseas, and establish cooperative relationships with Chinese and international players.
source: http://www.crugroup.com/events/chinasulphuracid/ ///////

We found the conferences by Googling® the following search string …

conference AND 2012 AND "sulfur OR desulfurization OR heavy" –coal
Today’s tip: Go Boolean

If you are familiar with Boolean search operators, use them in your Google search box to focus your search results.

If you are not familiar with Boolean search operators, study the above search string and modify as needed to suit your purpose.

Opportunity Crudes Report

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” -- Charles R. Swindoll (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)
This looks interesting.  At $8500, it better be.  Here is the description …

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OPPORTUNITY CRUDES REPORT II: TECHNOLOGIES & STRATEGIES FOR MEETING EVOLVING MARKET & ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Publication date:June 2011
At a time of volatile oil prices and crude supply uncertainty, many refiners around the world are again turning their attention to relatively less expensive, unconventional or opportunity crudes (opcrudes). Opcrudes generally include heavy sour grades, oilsand/bitumen, extra heavy oil, high TAN crudes, and oil shale. Refineries without a capability of handling opcrudes will lose out to the competition in the long term.

Why? There are four major reasons.

Political upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa in early 2011 has sent a wake-up call to refiners that crude diversity is the key to business sustainability. Recently lofty oil prices caused by a threat of economic embargo against Iran confirms this call for securing and diversifying crude supplies.

Weak fuel demand compounded with rising oil prices since 2010 have devastated refining margins of many less sophisticated, crude-constrained refineries in the US and Western Europe resulting in plant sales or closures. On the other hand, coking refineries processing Maya heavy oil consistently outperform cracking refineries handling light sweet Brent crude, based on historical data.

Fossil fuels remain the predominant energy source as developing countries with growing population and expanding economies like Brazil, China, and India continue to drive up global demand despite increasing use of biofuels and higher vehicle fuel efficiency.

The world has significant opcrude deposits with a 5 to 1 reserve ratio of heavy crude oil and natural bitumen to conventional crude oil.

However, securing supply of opcrudes is not the end-game and cannot guarantee healthy margins as discussed in the published report. Fuel market dynamics have shifted and environmental regulations have been tightening since we published the first, authoritative opportunity crudes study in 2006.

We have identified critical drivers behind the success of processing opportunity crudes to 2030. This 1400+ page, comprehensive report is well researched and analyzed, providing details of the technologies and strategies refiners can deploy to improve profitability and sustain business goals when processing opcrudes. The study also includes a global survey of oil companies' perspectives.

Order today to receive a complimentary registration for the 3rd Opportunity Crudes conference in Houston, TX (US), May 6-8, 2012. For further questions, please contact us at mcreports@hydrocarbonpublishing.com or 610-408-0117.

Source: http://www.hydrocarbonpublishing.com/store10/product.php?productid=C01100&srchkey=

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The Modern Mariner

“The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well if it had been called The Old Sailor.” -- Samuel Butler (English novelist, essayist and critic, 1835-1902)
While relatively inexpensive, marine fuels contain so much sulfur that they cause big problems. A number of vendors produce additives to mitigate these problems. Unfortunately, many of these products don’t work.

Consequently, makers of fuel additives for marine fuels often have to pay for the testing of their product in order to persuade a potential client to buy it. These tests aren’t cheap.

An article called “Makers of fuel additives strive to demonstrate their benefits” in Professional Mariner (http://www.professionalmariner.com/), April 2012, quotes Cerion Energy (http://www.cerionenergy.com/home):
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“We will prove out these tests on our dime to show you they are working,” said Andre Jarreau, Cerion’s director of business development and communications. It can cost up to $50,000 to perform the test, he said.”///////
View the full text of the article at: http://www.cerionenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/4.1.12-Professional-Mariner.pdf