# US 2013/0153228 A1 · System and method for producing oil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153228 A1 - Document ID: US20130153228A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/714,071 - Filed: 2012-12-13 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14 - Assignees: Shell Oil Company - Inventors: Carolus Petrus Adrianus BLOM; Paulus Maria BOERRIGTER; Ralf HEDDEN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153228A1 ## CPC - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - E21B 43/24: using heat, e.g. steam injection - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract The present invention provides a system and method for producing oil in which an ether-containing formulation is injected into a formation containing oil and an oil-immiscible formulation is injected into the formation, and oil is produced from the formation. The oil-immiscible formulation has a salt content of at most 5 wt. % and is comprised of water having a salt content of at most 5 wt. %. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for producing oil from an underground formation comprising: a first well above the formation; a mechanism to inject an ether-containing formulation comprising into the formation, where the ether-containing formulation comprises an ether containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms; a mechanism to inject an oil-immiscible formulation into the formation where the oil-immiscible formulation has a salt content of at most 5 wt. % and is comprised of water having at most 5 wt. % salt content; and a mechanism to produce oil from the formation, wherein at least one of the mechanism to inject the ether-containing formulation into the formation, the mechanism to inject an oil-immiscible formulation into the formation, or the mechanism to produce oil from the formation is located at the first well. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the ether-containing formulation comprises from 5-100 wt. % dimethyl ether. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the oil-immiscible formulation comprises at least 80 wt. % water having a salt content of at most 5 wt. %. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the oil-immiscible formulation is comprised of water having a salt content of at most 3 wt. %. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first well comprises an array of from 5 to 500 wells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a second well at a distance from the first well, wherein the mechanism to inject the ether-containing formulation into the formation is located at the first well and the mechanism to produce oil from the formation is located at the second well. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the second well comprises an array of from 5 to 500 wells. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the mechanism to inject the oil-immiscible formulation into the formation is located at the first well. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, further comprising a third well at a distance from the first well and at a distance from the second well wherein the mechanism to inject the ether-containing formulation into the formation is located at the first well and the mechanism to inject the oil-immiscible formulation into the formation is located at the third well. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the third well comprises an array of from 5 to 500 wells. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the mechanism for injecting the ether-containing formulation is located at the first well and further comprising a mechanism for producing the ether-containing formulation adjacent to the first well. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the mechanism for producing oil from the formation also produces the ether and water from the formation, where the system further comprises a mechanism for separating a mixture of ether and water from the oil produced by the mechanism for producing oil from the formation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the mechanism for injecting the oil-immiscible formulation into the formation is configured to inject the oil-immiscible formulation into the formation after the ether-containing formulation is initially injected into the formation by the mechanism for injecting the ether-containing formulation into the formation. ### Claim 14 A method for producing oil, comprising: injecting an ether-containing formulation into a formation containing oil, where the ether-containing formulation comprises an ether containing from 2 to 6 carbons; injecting an oil-immiscible formulation into the formation, where the oil-immiscible formulation comprises water having a salt content of less than 5 wt. %; and producing oil from the formation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: contacting the ether-containing formulation with oil in the formation to mobilize oil in the formation wherein mobilizing the oil leaves an oil residuum containing an ether in the formation; and contacting the oil-immiscible formulation with the oil residuum and separating a portion of the ether from the oil residuum into the oil-immiscible formulation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: producing the ether and water with the oil from the formation; and separating the ether and water from the produced oil, ether, and water and injecting at least a portion of the separated ether and water into the formation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the ether-containing formulation comprises from 5-100 wt. % dimethyl ether. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the oil-immiscible formulation comprises at least 80 wt. % water having a salt content of at most 5 wt. %. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the oil-immiscible formulation is comprised of water having a salt content of at most 3 wt. %. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the ether-containing formulation comprises one or more hydrocarbons other than the ether, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising heating the ether-containing formulation prior to injecting the ether-containing formulation into the formation or while within the formation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the ether-containing formulation is injected into the formation at a pressure of from 0 to 37,000 kilopascals above the formation pressure as determined immediately prior to injecting the ether-containing formulation into the formation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the ether-containing formulation comprises the ether and water, where the water in the ether-containing formulation has a salt content at least 1 wt. % greater than the salt content of the oil-immiscible formulation. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising contacting a sufficient amount of the ether-containing formulation with oil in the formation to increase the swelling factor of the oil in the formation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising contacting a sufficient amount of the ether-containing formulation with oil in the formation to reduce the viscosity of the oil in the formation. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising contacting a sufficient amount of the ether-containing formulation with oil in the formation to reduce the bubble point of the oil in the formation. ### Claim 27 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of converting the oil produced from the formation into a material selected from the group consisting of a transportation fuel, a heating fuel, a lubricant, a chemical, and a polymer. ### Claim 28 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the oil-immiscible formulation is injected into the formation after initially injecting the ether-containing formulation into the formation.