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US 2011/0253371 A1Published application
Diluent-enhanced in-situ combustion hydrocarbon recovery process
AssigneeArchon Technologies Ltd.
InventorConrad AYASSE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modified process for recovering oil from an underground reservoir using the an in situ combustion process. A diluent, namely a hydrocarbon condensate, is injected within a separate wellbore, or alternatively within said separate wellbore and via tubing in a horizontal wellbore portion, preferably proximate the toe, of a vertical-horizontal well pair, to increase mobility of oil.
Claims21
A method for extracting liquid hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing at least one oxidizing gas injection well for injecting an oxidizing gas into an upper part of an underground reservoir;
- (b) providing at least one other injection well for injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into a lower part of an underground reservoir;
- (c) providing at least one production well having a substantially horizontal leg and a substantially vertical production well connected thereto, the horizontal leg having a heel portion in the vicinity of its connection to the vertical production well and a toe portion at the opposite end of the horizontal leg;
- (d) injecting an oxidizing gas through the oxidizing injection well for in situ combustion, so that combustion gases are produced, wherein the combustion gases progressively advance laterally as a front, substantially perpendicular to the horizontal leg, and fluids drain into the horizontal leg;
- (e) injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said other injection well;
- and
- (f) recovering hydrocarbons in the horizontal leg of the production well from said production well.
4 more elements
A method for extracting liquid hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing at least one injection well for injecting an oxidizing gas into an upper part of an underground reservoir;
- (b) providing at least one other injection well for injecting steam, a non-oxidizing gas, water which is subsequently heated to steam, or a hydrocarbon condensate, into a lower part of an underground reservoir;
- (c) providing at least one production well having a substantially horizontal leg and a substantially vertical production well connected thereto, the horizontal leg having a heel portion in the vicinity of its connection to the vertical production well and a toe portion at the opposite end of the horizontal leg;
- (d) providing a tubing inside the production well within said vertical leg and at least a portion of said horizontal leg for the purpose of injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said horizontal leg portion of said production well;
- (e) injecting an oxidizing gas through the injection well for in situ combustion, so that combustion gases are produced, wherein the combustion gases progressively advance laterally as a front, substantially perpendicular to the horizontal leg, and fluids drain into the horizontal leg, and injecting said steam, a non-oxidizing gas, water which is subsequently heated to steam, or a hydrocarbon condensate, into said injection well and into a lower part of said underground reservoir;
- (f) injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said tubing;
- and
- (g) recovering hydrocarbons in the horizontal leg of the production well from said production well.
5 more elements
A method for extracting liquid hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing at least one injection well for injecting an oxidizing gas into an upper part of an underground reservoir;
- (b) providing at least one other injection well for injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into a lower part of said underground reservoir;
- (c) providing at least one production well having a substantially horizontal leg and a substantially vertical production well connected thereto, the horizontal leg having a heel portion in the vicinity of its connection to the vertical production well and a toe portion at the opposite end of the horizontal leg;
- (d) providing a tubing inside the production well within said vertical leg and at least a portion of said horizontal leg for the purpose of injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said horizontal leg portion of said production well;
- (e) injecting an oxidizing gas through the injection well for in situ combustion, so that combustion gases are produced, wherein the combustion gases progressively advance laterally as a front, substantially perpendicular to the horizontal leg, and fluids drain into the horizontal leg;
- (f) injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said other injection well and into said tubing;
- and
- (g) recovering hydrocarbons in the horizontal leg of the production well from said production well.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.