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US 2022/0065084 A1Published application
Enhanced hydrocarbon recovery with electric current
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsAbdulaziz S. Al-Qasim, Subhash Ayirala, Ali Yousef
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Abstract
A method includes alternating between (a) applying an electric current to a subterranean formation and (b) flowing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) treatment fluid into a wellbore formed in the subterranean formation. The method includes flowing an aqueous salt solution into the wellbore to mobilize hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation after alternating between (a) and (b).
Claims13
A method comprising:
- alternating between:
- (a) applying an electric current to a subterranean formation;
- and
- (b) flowing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) treatment fluid into a wellbore formed in the subterranean formation, wherein a first iteration of flowing the EOR treatment into the wellbore occurs after a first iteration of applying the electric current to the subterranean formation, and the method comprises alternatingly repeating (a) and (b) a plurality of times;
- and
- after alternatingly repeating between applying the electric current and flowing the EOR treatment fluid, flowing an aqueous salt solution into the wellbore to mobilize hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation.
3 more elements
-5. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- applying an electric current to a subterranean formation for a time period in a range of from 1 week to 8 weeks;
- after applying the electric current to the subterranean formation, flowing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) treatment fluid into a first wellbore formed in the subterranean formation for a time period in a range of from 2 years to 3 years;
- after flowing the EOR treatment fluid into the subterranean formation, flowing an aqueous salt solution into the first wellbore to mobilize hydrocarbons in the subterranean formation toward a second wellbore formed in the subterranean formation;
- and
- producing hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation to a surface location from the second wellbore.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- alternating between:
- (a) applying an electric current to a subterranean formation;
- and
- (b) flowing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) treatment fluid into a wellbore formed in the subterranean formation, wherein a first iteration of flowing the EOR treatment into the wellbore occurs after a first iteration of applying the electric current to the subterranean formation, and the method comprises alternatingly repeating (a) and (b) at least 3 times and up to 12 times;
- and
- after alternatingly repeating (a) and (b), flowing an aqueous salt solution into the wellbore to mobilize hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.