Miscible oil recovery process using carbon dioxide and alcohol
AssigneeMobil Oil Corporation
InventorNizar F. Djabbarah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for modifying the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) of a drive fluid and hydrocarbonaceous fluid mixture by addition of alcohol to the drive fluid. Alcohols which can be utilized include methanol through octanol. The preferred drive fluid comprises carbon dioxide. Selection of the alcohol will depend on the water saturation in the reservoir and gravity of the crude oil. MMP modification results in an increased and more efficient recovery of reservoir oil.
Claims30
A method for modifying the minimum miscibility pressure of a displacing fluid utilized in the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous fluids from a reservoir comprising:
- (a) determining an existing minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) of a displacing fluid and a hydrocarbonaceous fluid mixture in a reservoir;
- (b) determining the extent to which it is desired to modify the minimum miscibility pressure of said mixture;
- and
- (c) adding alcohol to said displacing fluid in an amount sufficient to modify said pressure to the extent desired which alcohol is selected from the family comprising methanol through octanol and mixtures thereof.
A method for modifying the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) of a displacing fluid utilized in the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous fluids from a reservoir comprising:
- (a) injecting a displacing fluid into a reservoir and recovering the displacing fluid and hydrocarbonaceous fluid mixture until displacing fluid breakthrough occurs;
- (b) determining said mixture's existing minimum miscibility pressure;
- (c) determining the extent to which it is desired to modify the existing minimum miscibility pressure;
- and
- (d) adding alcohol to said displacing fluid in an amount sufficient to modify said pressure to the extent desired which alcohol is selected from the family comprising methanol through octanol and mixtures thereof.
A method for modifying the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) of a carbon dioxide displacing fluid utilized in the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous fluids from a reservoir comprising:
- (a) injecting a carbon dioxide displacing fluid into a reservoir so as to recover a carbon dioxide and hydrocarbonaceous fluid mixture until carbon dioxide breakthrough occurs;
- (b) determining said mixture's existing minimum miscibility pressure;
- (c) determining the extent to which it is desired to modify the existing minimum miscibility pressure;
- (d) adding alcohol into said displacing fluid in an amount sufficient to modify said pressure to the extent desired which alcohol is selected from the family comprising methanol through octanol and mixtures thereof;
- and
- (e) injecting said displacing fluid containing said alcohol into the reservoir until the desired MMP has been obtained.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.