Method of treating reservoirs containing very viscous crude oil or bitumen
AssigneeExxon Production Research Company
InventorBertram T. Willman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for treating a field containing viscous oil or bitumen for subsequent production is described. The steps central to the process are drilling a horizontal well within the oil-bearing stratum, and heating the oil in the vicinity of the horizontal well to produce a hot liquid corridor. The open borehole is filled and the oil in the heated corridor is displaced from one end to the other. The corridors may be connected in various configurations to effectively displace a high percentage of oil in a particular field.
Claims21
A method for treating a field having a reservoir containing viscous oil or bitumen comprising the steps of:
- providing at least two boreholes extending downward from the surface at least into the reservoir,
- providing at least one generally horizontal borehole within the reservoir connecting at least two boreholes extending from the surface,
- introducing a heated fluid into said horizontal borehole in an amount sufficient to at least soften said viscous oil or bitumen for a distance substantially along said at least one generally horizontal borehole within the reservoir,
- substantially plugging said at least one horizontal borehole within the reservoir,
- introducing a heated displacement fluid into at least one borehole extending downward from the surface within the reservoir at the juncture between the plugged borehole said downwardly extending borehole, and
- withdrawing said viscous oil or bitumen from a borehole extending downward from the surface at a point remote from the displacement fluid introduction point.
A method for producing viscous oil or bitumen from a reservoir containing same comprising the steps of:
- providing first, second, third and fourth boreholes extending down from the surface at least into the reservoir, spaced apart in a generally rectangular configuration so that the first borehole is on the corner adjacent the second and the fourth on the rectangle,
- providing two horizontal boreholes within the reservoir connecting first and second boreholes and third and fourth boreholes,
- providing a horizontal borehole connecting the horizontal boreholes between first and second boreholes and third and fourth boreholes approximately at the midpoints between first and second boreholes and third and fourth boreholes,
- introducing a heated fluid into each of the horizontal boreholes in an amount sufficient to at least soften said viscous oil or bitumen,
- substantially plugging each of said horizontal boreholes within the reservoir,
- introducing a heated displacement fluid into first and second boreholes at their junction with the plugged horizontal boreholes,
- withdrawing said viscous oil or bitumen from third or fourth boreholes.
A method for treating a field having a reservoir containing viscous oil or bitumen comprising the steps of:
- providing a number of generally horizontal boreholes within a reservoir each having an entry point into the reservoir and a termination point within the reservoir, and arranged in a grid-like array with the termination point of a majority of said boreholes each being in near proximity to the entry point of another horizontal borehole,
- introducing a heated fluid into each of said horizontal boreholes in an amount sufficient to at least soften said viscous oil or bitumen,
- substantially plugging each of said horizontal boreholes within the reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.