Enhanced oil recovery methods
AssigneeTerralog Technologies Inc.
InventorRoman Bilak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for enhanced oil recovery from an extraction operation comprises the steps of selection of an appropriate hydrocarbon bearing stratum; providing at least one production well and one injection well; and injecting into the target stratum a slurry formed from sand, viscous liquids or oily sludge, which is delivered at or near formation fracture pressures. Monitoring of bottom hole pressure is carried out, to permit delivery of the slurried wastes in a series of injection episodes, in which the length of the episodes and interinjection periods is determined by maintaining the bottom hole pressure within a preselected range. The position and spread of the slurried wastes within the target stratum may be monitored through the use of additional monitoring steps.
Claims20
A process for enhanced oil recovery from within a target stratum comprising the steps of:
- selection of a target stratum having the following characteristics:
- permeable, porous, unconsolidated, laterally continuous sandstones or other hydrocarbon bearing strata;
- and
- providing at least one oil production well entering into said target stratum;
- providing at least one injection well in the region of said production well;
- providing a supply of slurried wastes comprising sand or viscous liquids or oily sludge in slurried form;
- delivering said slurried wastes into the target stratum with sufficient pressure to induce fracturing within said target stratum;
- monitoring on a continuous basis bottom hole pressure (“bhp”) of the slurried wastes and delivering the slurried wastes into the injection well in a series of injection episodes separated by interinjection episodes, whereby each of said injection episodes terminates approximately upon determining an increase in the bhp above a first selected level, and the interinjection episode terminates approximately upon determining a drop in bhp below a second selected level, thereby maintaining a generally constant bottom hole pressure between the first and second levels throughout the injection process thereby achieving a generally continuous long term waste disposal;
- and
- recovering desirable hydrocarbons through the production well or wells.
A process for enhanced oil recovery from within a target stratum comprising the steps of:
- selection of a target stratum comprising permeable, porous, unconsolidated and laterally continuous hydrocarbon bearing sandstones;
- providing at least one oil production well entering into said target stratum;
- providing at least one injection well separate from said production well in the region of said production well;
- providing a supply of slurried wastes comprising oily sludge and one or both of sand or viscous liquids;
- delivering said slurried wastes into the target stratum through said injection well at formation fracture pressure in a series of discreet injection episodes separated by interinjection episodes;
- monitoring on a continuous basis bottom hole pressure (“bhp”) of the injection well and terminating said injection episodes upon determining an increase in the bhp above a first selected level and initiating said injection episodes upon determining a drop in bhp below a second select level;
- and
- recovering desirable hydrocarbons through said production well or wells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.