Producer well plugging for in situ combustion processes
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsWayne Reid Dreher, JR., Wendell Peter Menard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus relate to controlling location of inflow into a production well during in situ combustion. The production well includes intervals closable to the inflow at identified times. Once a combustion front from the in situ combustion passes one of the intervals, a blockage conveyed from surface into the production well forms a barrier to the inflow at the interval that has been passed by the combustion front. An example of the blockage includes a cement plug delivered through coiled tubing into the production well, which may include production tubing that defines the intervals based on at least two consecutive alternating lengths of solid wall sections and slotted or perforated sections of the production tubing.
Claims20
A method of performing oil recovery with in situ combustion, comprising:
- injecting oxidant into an injection well to establish a combustion front of ignited oil within a geologic formation;
- flowing products through a production well having first and second portions that permit inflow of the products from the formation into the production well, wherein propagation of the combustion front through the formation facilitates obtaining the products;
- and
- obstructing the inflow through the first portion of the production well with a blockage conveyed from surface into the production well, wherein inflow of the products through the second portion occurs after obstructing the first portion.
A method of performing oil recovery with in situ combustion, comprising:
- conducting the in situ combustion in a geologic formation;
- recovering liquid hydrocarbons through a production well during the in situ combustion;
- and
- controlling breakthrough of oxidants for the in situ combustion into the production well at locations along the production well where a flow path for the oxidants bypasses a combustion front of the in situ combustion, wherein the liquid hydrocarbons are recovered through the production well before and after the controlling, which is provided by an operation performed during the in situ combustion and is independent of naturally occurring processes during the in situ combustion.
A method of performing oil recovery with in situ combustion, comprising:
- conducting the in situ combustion in a geologic formation;
- flowing products into a production well from the formation, wherein the products enter the production well along a first portion of the production well where inflow of the products is permitted;
- and
- operating a device disposed within the production well to create an obstruction to the inflow at the first portion while leaving a second portion of the production well open to the inflow of the products.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.