# US 8,464,789 B2 · Process for enhanced production of heavy oil using microwaves

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- Number: US 8,464,789 B2
- Document ID: US8464789B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/154,822
- Filed: 2011-06-07
- Published: 2011-10-20
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-26
- Assignees: ConocoPhillips Company
- Applicants: Dwijen K. Banerjee; John L. Stalder; Thomas J. Wheeler; Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr.
- Inventors: Dwijen K. Banerjee; John L. Stalder; Thomas J. Wheeler; Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464789B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/2406: {Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]}
- E21B 43/2408: {SAGD in combination with other methods}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A process for utilizing microwaves to heat H2O within a subterranean region wherein the heated H2O contacts heavy oil in the subterranean region to lower the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve production of the heavy oil.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process comprising:
(a) injecting H2O and an activator into a subterranean region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
(b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H2O and activator molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H2O and activator within the region to produce heated H2O and heated activator;
(c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated H2O and the heated activator to produce heated heavy oil; and
(d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region;
wherein a portion of the H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the steam condenses to a liquid state to form water as a result of its contact with the heavy oil and wherein the frequency excite the molecules of at least a portion of the water so that the water is heated and becomes steam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the frequencies are generated at the surface and introduced into the region through at least one waveguide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, wherein the frequency is less than or equal to 3000 MHz.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 wherein the frequencies are generated within the region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 wherein the frequencies are less than or equal to 3000 MHz.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising injecting at least a portion of the H2O as water and wherein the frequencies excite the molecules of at least a portion of the thus injected water so that the water is heated and becomes steam.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the thus injected water has a salt content of at least 10,000 ppm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the steam contacts at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9, wherein the activator comprises at least one of AlCl4−, FeCl4−, NiCl3− and ZnCl3−.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the steam condenses to a liquid state to form water as a result of its contact with the heavy oil and wherein the frequencies excite the molecules of at least a portion of the thus formed water so that the water is heated and becomes steam.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11 further comprising injecting at least a portion of the H2O as water in step (a).

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein the thus injected water has a salt content of at least 10,000 ppm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein the frequencies are generated at the surface and introduced into the region through at least one waveguide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the frequencies are less than or equal to 3000MHz.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein the frequencies are generated within the region.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16 wherein the frequencies are less than or equal to 3000 MHz.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the frequency is regulated to the range necessary to excite the activator.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein two or more frequencies are generated such that one range excites the activator and the other range excites existing constituents in the heavy oil.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the activator is a halide compound.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the activator is a metal containing compound.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the halide compound comprises a metal from period 3 or period 4 of the periodic table.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the frequency ranges from 0.1 MHz to 300 MHz.

### Claim 24

A process comprising:
(a) injecting liquid H2O and an activator into a region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
(b) introducing a frequency less than 3,000 MHz into a subterranean region at a frequency sufficient to excite the liquid H2O molecules and activator molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the liquid H2O and activator within the region to produce heated gaseous H2O and heated activator;
(c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated gaseous H2O and the heated activator to produce heated heavy oil; and
(d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region;
wherein a portion of the liquid H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore and
wherein a catalyst is injected into the region such that the catalyst contacts the heated heavy oil thereby producing an upgraded heavy oil.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the catalyst is a hydrogenation catalyst, a desulfurization catalyst or combination.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the upgrading of the heavy oil causes some of the molecules of the hydrocarbons to be converted into smaller molecules.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the catalyst is a liquid catalyst.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the catalyst is an organometallic complex.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein organometallic complex comprises a group 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 metal from the periodic table.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein the catalyst is a peroxide.

### Claim 31

A process comprising:
(a) injecting H2O and an activator into a subterranean region through an injection wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
(b) introducing a frequency less than 3,000 MHz into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H2O and activator molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H2O and activator within the region to produce heated H2O and heated activator;
(c) heating at least a portion of the bitumen to below 3000 cp in the region by contact with the heated H2O and the heated activator to produce a heated heavy oil and a imposed pressure differential between the injection wellbore and a production wellbore; and
(d) producing the heated heavy oil through the production wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region
wherein the injection wellbore and the production wellbore are from 3 meters to 7 meters apart and the injection wellbore is located higher than the production wellbore;
wherein the H2O is injected as steam and the steam contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore and
wherein a catalyst is injected into the region such that the catalyst contacts the heated heavy oil thereby producing an upgraded heavy oil.