Treating tar sands formations with dolomite
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHarold J. Vinegar, John Michael Karanikas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for treating a karsted formation containing heavy hydrocarbons and dolomite includes providing heat to at least part of one or more karsted layers in the formation from one or more heaters located in the karsted layers. A temperature in at least one of the karsted layers is allowed to reach a decomposition temperature of dolomite in the formation. The dolomite is allowed to decompose and at least some hydrocarbons are produced from at least one of the karsted layers of the formation.
Claims20
A method for treating a karsted formation containing heavy hydrocarbons and dolomite, comprising:
- providing heat to at least part of one or more karsted layers in the formation from one or more heaters located in the karsted layers;
- allowing a temperature in at least one of the karsted layers to reach a decomposition temperature of dolomite in the formation;
- allowing the dolomite to decompose;
- and
- producing at least some hydrocarbons from at least one of the karsted layers of the formation.
A method for treating a karsted formation containing heavy hydrocarbons and dolomite, comprising:
- providing heat to one or more karsted layers in the formation from one or more heaters located in the karsted layers to increase a temperature in at least one of the karsted layers to a decomposition temperature of dolomite in the formation;
- maintaining the temperature at the decomposition temperature of dolomite to decompose at least some of the dolomite;
- and
- producing at least some hydrocarbons from at least one of the karsted layers of the formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.