Oil recovery process
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHarold J. Vinegar, Eric P. DeRouffignac, Carlos A. Glandt, Thomas Mikus, Mark A. Beckemeier
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Abstract
A process to recover oil is provided wherein an oil containing subterranean formation is heated by conductive heat transfer from heat injectors operating at temperatures above 900.degree. C. The high temperature levels of this process result in high recoveries of initial oil in place, and recovery of the oil within a short time period. This process is particularly applicable to diatomite formations that have low permeabilities.
Claims18
A process comprising the steps of:
- providing heat injection means extending essentially through a hydrocarbon containing subterranean formation having a permeability less than about 20 darcy, the heat injection means effective to provide heat in at least one plane, the plane being essentially perpendicular to the direction of the minimum principal stress, and the heat injection means capable of injecting heat at a temperature level of about above 900.degree. C.;
- providing a plurality of production wells extending into the hydrocarbon containing subterranean formation;
- fracturing the formation from the production wells;
- injecting heat into the formation from the heat injection means at a temperature level above about 900.degree. C. thereby driving hydrocarbons away from the heat injection means and toward the production wells;
- and
- producing from the production wells hydrocarbons that have been driven away from the heat injection means wherein the heat injection means comprise a plurality of heat injection wellbores provided along a plane perpendicular to the minimum formation stress, and the plurality of oil production wells are provided on each side of the plane which contains the heat injection wellbores.
An apparatus to recover hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation comprising:
- a) a heat injection wellbore extending from a surface wellhead to within the subterranean formation;
- b) a gas fired burner within the heat injection wellbore capable of heating the subterranean formation adjacent to the wellbore to a temperature greater than about 900.degree. C. wherein combustion is distributed over the length of the heat injection wellbore within the subterranean formation;
- c) a means to provide a gas composition for combustion within the gas fired burner that does not form carbon deposits when heated to 900.degree. C.;
- and
- d) a hydrocarbon production well, wherein the burner comprises a conduit within the wellbore for directing a flow of combustion air to a lower portion of the wellbore;
- a conduit within the wellbore for directing a fuel gas to a plurality of release points where a portion of the fuel gas mixes with combustion gas rising from the lower portion of the wellbore;
- and a conduit within the wellbore for direct combustion gases from the lower portion of the wellbore to the surface wellhead that is in communication with the combustion air conduit in the lower portion of the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.