In situ thermal recovery from a relatively permeable formation with quality control
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHarold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, John Michael Karanikas, Meliha Deniz Sumnu-Dindoruk, Scott Lee Wellington
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heat sources to a selected section of the formation. The transferred heat may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons within the selected section. A mixture may be produced from the selected section. A quality of the produced mixture may be controlled by varying a location for producing the mixture.
Claims37
A method for treating a relatively permeable formation in situ, comprising:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the relatively permeable formation;
- allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that the heat pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part of the formation;
- producing a mixture from the part of the formation when a partial pressure of hydrogen in the formation is at least about 0.5 bars absolute;
- and
- controlling a quality of the produced mixture by varying a location for producing the mixture.
A method for treating a relatively permeable formation in situ, comprising:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the relatively permeable formation;
- allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that the heat pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part of the formation;
- producing a mixture from the part of the formation;
- and
- controlling a quality of the produced mixture by varying a location for producing the mixture, wherein varying the location for producing the mixture comprises varying a production location within a production well in or proximate the part of the formation.
A method for treating a relatively permeable formation in situ, comprising:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the relatively permeable formation;
- allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that the heat pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part of the formation;
- producing a mixture from the part of the formation;
- and
- controlling a quality of the produced mixture by varying a location for producing the mixture, wherein varying the location for producing the mixture comprises varying the location along a length of a production wellbore placed in the formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.