Reducing solvent retention in es-sagd
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsArelys Y. SALAZAR, Tawfik N. NASR
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hydrocarbons in a subterranean reservoir are recovered using Expanding Solvent-Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (ES-SAGD), including recovering hydrocarbons while reducing the solvent retention in the reservoir. Reducing solvent retention improves process economics.
Claims17
A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation that has at least one injection well and at least one producing well that can communicate with at least a portion of said formation, and said injection well being in fluid communication with said production well, the method comprising:
- a) co-injecting a fluid comprising steam and solvent into said injection well, wherein said solvent comprises at least 40 v % of C5+ hydrocarbon;
- and,
- b) producing said hydrocarbons from said production well.
A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir having one or more injections wells and one or more production wells in fluid communication with said reservoir, the method comprising:
- a) co-injecting a fluid comprising steam and solvent into said one or more injection wells for a time sufficient to mobilize hydrocarbons;
- and,
- b) producing said mobilized hydrocarbons from said one or more production wells, wherein said fluid concentration comprises at least 10 v % liquid of said solvent.
An improved method of ES-SAGD said method comprising co-injecting steam and solvent into an injection well and producing oil at a production well, the improvement comprising co-injecting about 75 v % steam and about 25 v % solvent, wherein solvent retention is reduced as compared with using lesser amounts of solvent.
An improved method of ES-SAGD said method comprising co-injecting steam and solvent into an injection well and producing oil at a production well, the improvement comprising co-injecting about steam and a solvent comprising at least 40 v % C5+, wherein accumulative oil production is increased as compared with using lesser amounts of C5+ solvent.
An improved method of ES-SAGD, said method comprising co-injecting steam and solvent into an injection well and producing oil at a production well, the improvement comprising co-injecting about 80 v % steam and about 20 v % solvent, wherein said solvent is at least 60 v % C5+ hydrocarbons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.