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US 2006/0037746 A1Published application
Downhole oil and water separator and method
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsAdam Wright, Roger Schultz, Syed Hamid, Harry Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A downhole oil and water separator for an oil well includes a water-selective membrane disposed in a production flowpath of the well. The water-selective membrane is operable to selectively pass water from the production flowpath to a disposal zone to increase the concentration of oil in the production flowpath at the surface.
Claims26
A well, comprising:
- a filter element disposed in a production flowpath of a well at a level of a disposal zone;
- and
- the filter element operable to pass from the production flowpath water preferably over oil into the disposal zone.
A well, comprising:
- a filter element disposed in a production flowpath of a well;
- a filter element operable to pass from the production flowpath water preferably over oil into the disposal zone without mechanical pumping of the water.
A downhole oil and water separator, comprising:
- a plurality of perforated collector tubes each disposed laterally in a production flowpath;
- a water-selective membrane covering perforation of the collector tubes;
- the water-selective membrane operable to selectively pass water from the production flowpath to a disposal zone;
- and
- whereby the concentration of oil in the production flowpath is increased.
2 more elements
A well, comprising:
- a production zone producing oil and water;
- a disposal zone;
- a production flowpath extending from the production zone to the disposal zone and to a well surface;
- a downhole oil and water separator system disposed in the production flowpath, the separator system including a first stage separator and a second stage separator operable to separate oil and water in the production flowpath;
- and
- at least one of the first and second stage separators comprising a water-selective membrane operable to selectively pass water in the production flowpath to the disposal zone.
3 more elements
A method for separating of oil and water downhole in a well, comprising:
- providing downhole in a well an oil and water separator system including a water-selective membrane;
- filtering with the oil and water separator system and without mechanical pumping formation fluid in a production flowpath into an oil stream comprising a higher concentration of oil than the formation fluid and a water stream comprising a higher concentration of water than the formation fluid;
- and
- producing the oil stream to the surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.