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US 2010/0139922 A1Published application
Process for producing heavy oil
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorEdward G. Latimer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for emulsifying and burning a portion of heavy oil extracted from an underground reservoir is disclosed, wherein the emulsified heavy oil is burned to generate steam and a caustic is used to aid in emulsifying the heavy oil.
Claims20
A process for producing heavy oil from a subterranean region comprising:
- withdrawing a heavy oil and water mixture from said subterranean region;
- heating said heavy oil and water mixture;
- separating at least a portion of the water from said heavy oil and water mixture to provide a first stream that contains a majority of the heavy oil from said heavy oil and water mixture and a second stream containing said portion of the water;
- introducing a water stream into a boiler;
- splitting said first stream into a third stream and a fourth stream;
- adding a caustic to said fourth stream and emulsifying the thus resulting mixture to produce an emulsified stream;
- introducing said emulsified stream as a fuel for said boiler to thus heat said water stream and to produce steam;
- and
- injecting the thus produced steam into said subterranean region.
6 more elements
A process for producing heavy oil from a subterranean region comprising:
- withdrawing a heavy oil and water mixture from said subterranean region;
- heating said heavy oil and water mixture;
- separating at least a portion of the water from the heavy oil and water mixture to provide a first stream that contains the majority of the heavy oil from said heavy oil and water mixture and a second stream containing said portion of the water;
- introducing a first portion of said second stream into a boiler;
- splitting said first stream into a third stream and a fourth stream, wherein said fourth stream has concentration of group IIA metal ions of less than 250 ppm;
- adding a caustic, a surfactant and a second portion of said second stream to said fourth stream and emulsifying the thus resulting mixture to produce an emulsified stream, wherein said caustic, said surfactant and said portion of said second stream are essentially the only compounds added to said fourth stream to produce said emulsified stream;
- introducing said emulsified stream as a fuel for said boiler to thus heat said first portion of second stream and to produce steam;
- and
- injecting said thus produced steam into said subterranean region.
6 more elements
A process for producing heavy oil from a subterranean region comprising:
- withdrawing a heavy oil and water mixture from said subterranean region;
- separating at least a portion of the water from said heavy oil and water mixture to provide a first stream that contains the majority of the heavy oil from said heavy oil and water mixture;
- emulsifying at least a portion of said first stream with a caustic and a surfactant to produce an emulsified stream;
- introducing said emulsified stream as a fuel for a boiler to heat water and produce steam;
- and
- injecting the thus produced steam into said subterranean region.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.