US 5,083,613 AGranted

Process for producing bitumen

AssigneeCanadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.

InventorsArmand A. Gregoli, Andrew M. Olah, John A. Hamshar, Daniel P. Rimmer, Erdal Yildirim

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Abstract

A process for producing bitumen employing a borehole that has been drilled into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon. A void space is created at the bottom of the borehole. A bundle of spring-loaded guide tubes is inserted through the borehole and into the void space. Each guide tube is enclosed with a smaller diameter flexible tube that is connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and an emulsifying agent. The emulsifying agent comprises first and a second ethoxylated alkylphenol compounds wherein at least 1% by weight include more than 100 ethoxy groups. The emulsifying composition is released through the flexible tubes to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion in the reservoir. The oil-in-aqueous emulsion is removed from the reservoir.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An in-situ method for recovering oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

(a) drilling a borehole into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon;
(b) creating a void space near the bottom of the borehole;
(c) inserting through said borehole and into the void space a pipe system comprising a bundle of spring-loaded guide tubes, the bundle being retained in a closed position by an end cap, with each guide tube enclosing a smaller diameter flexible tube, the flexible tubes being connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent, wherein said emulsifying agent comprises a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
##STR41## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
and said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a disperity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
##STR42## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and weight a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 1% by weight of said emulsifying agent comprises said first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having said first general formula wherein y.sub.1 has a value greater than 100;
(d) releasing the end cap, thus allowing the distal ends of the guide tubes to move outwardly in a generally horizontal direction normal to the axis of the bundle;
(e) introducing said emulsifying composition through the inner flexible tubes such that the emulsifying composition contacts at least a portion of the hydrocarbon to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within said subterranean hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
and
(f) removing said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion from said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

12 more elements

An in-situ method for recovering oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

(a) drilling a borehole into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon;
(b) creating a void space near the bottom of the borehole;
(c) inserting through said borehole and into the void space a pipe system comprising a bundle of spring-loaded guide tubs, the bundle being retained in a closed position by an end cap, with each guide tube enclosing a smaller diameter flexible tube, the flexible tubes being connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent, wherein said emulsifying agent comprises a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
##STR43## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
and said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
##STR44## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from
(d) releasing the end cap, thus allowing the distal ends of the guide tubes to move outwardly in a generally horizontal direction normal to the axis of the bundle;
(e) introducing said emulsifying composition through the inner flexible tubes such that the emulsifying composition contacts at least a portion of the hydrocarbon to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir;
and said emulsifying composition is introduced into the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir at a temperature above about 210.degree. F. such that as the emulsifying composition cools below about 210.degree. F., the emulsifying composition forms the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion with the hydrocarbon having a greater stability than if the emulsifying composition was introduced into the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir at a temperature below about 210.degree. F.;
and
(f) removing said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion from said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

12 more elements

An in-situ method for recovering oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

(a) drilling a borehole into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon;
(b) creating a void space near the bottom of the borehole;
(c) inserting through said borehole and into the void space a pipe system comprising a bundle of spring-loaded guide tubes, the bundle being retained in a closed position by an end cap, with each guide tube enclosing a smaller diameter flexible tube, the flexible tubes being connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent, wherein said emulsifying agent comprises a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
##STR45## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
and said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
##STR46## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from
(d) releasing the end cap, thus allowing the distal ends of the guide tubes to move outwardly in a generally horizontal direction normal to the axis of the bundle;
(e) heating the emulsifying composition to a temperature above the phase inversion temperature for an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion which will be formed with the hydrocarbon in the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir;
(f) cooling the emulsifying composition to a temperature below the phase inversion temperature of the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion such that the emulsifying composition will form the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion with the hydrocarbon having a greater stability when compared with an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion formed with the emulsifying composition without having been initially heated to a temperature above the phase invention temperature for the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion and subsequently cooled to a temperature below the phase inversion temperature for the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion;
(g) introducing said emulsifying composition through the inner flexible tubes such that the emulsifying composition contacts at least a portion of the hydrocarbon to form the oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir;
and
(h) removing said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion from said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

13 more elements

An in-situ method for recovering oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

(a) drilling a borehole into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon;
(b) creating a void space near the bottom of the borehole;
(c) inserting through said borehole and into the void space a pipe system comprising a bundle of spring-loaded guide tubes, the bundle being retained in a closed position by an end cap, with each guide tube enclosing a smaller diameter flexible tube, the flexible tubes being connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent, wherein said emulsifying agent comprises a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
##STR47## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
and said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound gas a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
##STR48## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
and wherein at least about 1% by weight of said emulsifying agent comprises said second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having said second general formula wherein y.sub.2 has a value greater than 100;
(d) releasing the end cap, thus allowing the distal ends of the guide tubes to move outwardly in a generally horizontal direction normal to the axis of the bundle;
(e) introducing said emulsifying composition through the inner flexible tubes such that the emulsifying composition contacts at least a portion of the hydrocarbon to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir;
and
(f) removing said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion from said subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/341,772Filed 21 Apr 1989 · continuation
Priority: 24 Nov 1986
Granted: 28 Jan 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

C09K 8/584
Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids:…
B01F 23/4105
Emulsifying: methods of emulsifying
B01F 23/49
Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying: mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
B01J 19/2415
Stationary reactors without moving elements inside: tubular reactors

Family

Serial934,683Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Nov 1986
Serial114,204Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Oct 1987
Serial218,840Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Jul 1988
Serial311,133Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Feb 1989
US 5,000,872 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 4,978,365 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 4,725,287 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,083,613 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.