US 2026/0226819 A1Published application

Method and apparatus for thermal assisted oil-water separation and energy recovery in oil production wells

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorsAli A. Bakry, Abiola S. Onikoyi

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Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for separating oil and water include a tubular member, an insulating material disposed within the tubular member, at least one heating element disposed within an inner axial area of the tubular member and within the insulating material, at least one sensor in electrical communication with the at least one heating element configured to measure a temperature of a downhole fluid, and a control system coupled to the at least one heating element and the at least one sensor. Methods include disposing an apparatus for separating oil and water inside a wellbore, where an uphole side of the apparatus is fluidly connected to a production well at a surface of a well, measuring, using a sensor, a first measured temperature of a downhole fluid, receiving, with a control system, the first measured temperature, and adjusting the first measured temperature to the surface temperature.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating oil and water comprising:

a tubular member having an inner flow passage formed axially therethrough, wherein the tubular member is disposed in at least a portion of a wellbore;
an insulating material comprising magnesium oxide and disposed within an inner axial area of the tubular member;
at least-one heating element disposed within the inner axial area of the tubular member and within the insulating material;
at least two sensors, wherein:
a first sensor of the at least two sensors is disposed proximate the surface of the earth and configured to measure a surface temperature of a downhole fluid and the first sensor is in electrical communication with the at least one heating element, and
a second sensor of the at least two sensors is disposed at a lower end of the wellbore and configured to measure a temperature of the downhole fluid at a total well length;
and
a control system coupled to the at least one heating element and the at least two sensors configured to:
receive a measured surface temperature of the downhole fluid located proximate the surface from the first sensor and a measured downhole temperature of the downhole fluid at the lower end of the wellbore from the second sensor;
determine, based on the measured surface temperature, the measured downhole temperature, and the total well length, an operating surface temperature;
and
adjust the measured surface temperature to the operating surface temperature such that the downhole fluid located proximate the surface is maintained at a temperature of about 100° C.

9 more elements

A system for separating oil and water, comprising:

an apparatus for separating oil and water disposed in a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:
a tubular member having an inner flow passage formed axially therethrough,
an insulating material disposed within an inner axial area of the tubular member,
at least one heating element disposed within the inner axial area of the tubular member and within the insulating material, and
at least one sensor in electrical communication with the at least one heating element configured to measure a temperature of a downhole fluid;
a production well located on a surface of the wellbore, wherein an uphole side of the apparatus is fluidly connected to the production well;
a two phase fluid separator, fluidly connected to a downstream side of the production well;
a gas line comprising a gas stream fluidly connected to and exiting the two phase fluid separator;
a liquid flow line comprising a liquid stream fluidly connected to exiting the two phase fluid separator;
a control system, coupled to the at least one heating element and the at least one sensor;
and
at least one power source:
electrically connected to and configured to provide power to the apparatus, and
comprising a natural gas generator fluidly connected to a downstream side of the two phase fluid separator via the gas line, wherein the natural gas generator comprises an exhaust gas line.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.