Gas and oil production
AssigneeScotoil Group PLC
InventorsIan David Farquhar Davidson, Andrew George Yule
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for in situ gasification of mineral oil in a subterranean formation comprises running a tool having a controllable thermal device therein from a surface production facility down to the subterranean formation, bringing said tool into operational proximity with the mineral oil in said subterranean formation, and activating the tool to operate the thermal device within a predetermined temperature range to generate gases or oily vapours from said mineral oil, which permits either an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method with reduced water contamination, or a gas production process (GPP) which is useful in reducing environmental risks normally associated with transport of crude oil.
Claims10
A process for in situ gasification of mineral oil in a subterranean formation which comprises running a tool having a controllable thermal device therein from a surface production facility down to the subterranean formation, bringing said tool into operational proximity with the mineral oil in said subterranean formation, and activating the tool to operate the thermal device within a predetermined temperature range to generate gases or oily vapours from said mineral oil.
An apparatus for recovery of oil and/or gas by a process involving an in situ gasification of mineral oil in a subterranean formation which comprises a tool having a controllable thermal device, controllable means for launching (and optionally subsequently recovering the tool) from a surface production facility down to the subterranean formation, logging means for determining the location of the tool in relation to its operational proximity to the mineral oil in said subterranean formation, and at least one riser tubing for the selective recovery of mineral oil, or gaseous or vaporised products from said mineral oil.
A tool for use in gasification of mineral oil in situ in a subterranean formation, said tool comprising a thermal device selected from a spark igniter, an electrically heated coil, an electromagnetic heating device, a pyrotechnic charge with corresponding ignition device, an electrode arc ignition device, and a resistive heating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.