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US 2012/0073810 A1Published application
Situ hydrocarbon upgrading with fluid generated to provide steam and hydrogen
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsScott Macadam, James P. Seaba, Wayne Reid Dreher, JR., Joe D. Allison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus relate to recovery of in situ upgraded hydrocarbons by injecting steam and hydrogen into a reservoir containing the hydrocarbons. A mixture output generated as water is vaporized by direct contact with flow from fuel-rich combustion provides the steam and hydrogen. The steam heats the hydrocarbons facilitating flow of the hydrocarbons and reaction of the hydrogen with the hydrocarbons to enable hydroprocessing prior to recovery of the hydrocarbons to surface.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- generating a hydrogen and steam containing injection stream by vaporization of water contacted with flow from combustion of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with an oxidant and at an oxygen:fuel equivalence ratio less than 1;
- introducing the injection stream into a formation to contact, heat and hydroprocess hydrocarbons in the formation;
- recovering to surface the hydrocarbons that have been upgraded.
A system, comprising:
- a hydrogen and steam generator having an output of an injection stream produced by vaporization of water contacted with flow from combustion of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with an oxidant and at an oxygen:fuel equivalence ratio less than 1;
- an injector configured to convey the injection stream into a formation to contact, heat and hydroprocess hydrocarbons in the formation, and
- a recovery assembly that produces to surface the hydrocarbons that are upgraded.
A method, comprising:
- injecting hydrogen and steam into a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage well pair, wherein the steam and hydrogen are generated by operation of a direct steam generator under fuel-rich conditions;
- and
- recovering upgraded hydrocarbons to surface through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage well pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.