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US 2011/0253370 A1Published application
Process for enhanced production of heavy oil using microwaves
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsDwijen K. Banerjee, John L. Stalder, Daniel R. Sultenfuss, Wayne Reid Dreher, JR., Thomas J. Wheeler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for utilizing microwaves to heat H2O within a subterranean region wherein the heated H2O contacts heavy oil in the subterranean region to lower the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve production of the heavy oil.
Claims26
A process comprising:
- (a) injecting H2O into a subterranean region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- (b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H2O molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H2O within the region to produce heated H2O
- (c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated H2O to produce heated heavy oil;
- and
- (d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region;
- wherein a portion of the H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore;
- wherein the lateral wells of the steam assisted gravity drainage operations are extended with a frequency heating device along the lateral well.
5 more elements
A process comprising:
- (a) injecting liquid H2O into a region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- (b) introducing microwaves into a subterranean region at a frequency sufficient to excite the liquid H2O molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the liquid H2O within the region to produce heated gaseous H2O
- (c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated gaseous H2O to produce heated heavy oil;
- and
- (d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from a the subterranean region;
- wherein a portion of the liquid H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore
- wherein the lateral wells of the steam assisted gravity drainage operations are extended with a frequency heating device along the lateral well.
5 more elements
A process comprising:
- (a) injecting H2O into a subterranean region through an injection wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- (b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H2O molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H2O within the region to produce heated H2O
- (c) heating at least a portion of the bitumen to below 3000 cp in the region by contact with the heated H2O to produce a heated heavy oil and an imposed pressure differential between the injection wellbore and a production wellbore;
- and
- (c) producing the heated heavy oil through the production wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
- thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region
- wherein the injection wellbore and the production wellbore are from 3 meters to 7 meters apart and the injection wellbore is located higher than the production wellbore;
- wherein the H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore
- wherein the lateral wells of the steam assisted gravity drainage operations are extended with a frequency heating device along the lateral well.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.