Solar power and ion transport-based enhanced oil recovery system and method
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsMohamed Abdel-Aziz Mostafa Habib, Esmail Mohamed Ali Mokheimer
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Abstract
The enhanced oil recovery (EOR) system includes a solar tower that heats air, which is fed to an ion transport membrane (ITM) unit. The ITM unit separates oxygen from the preheated air. The separated oxygen is injected into the oil well to burn part of the well's oil, thereby generating the heat required for thermally enhance oil recovery. Combustion of part of the well's oil reduces the viscosity of the remainder, enhancing extraction of oil from the well.
Claims15
An enhanced oil recovery system, comprising:
- a first compressor unit generating a flow of compressed atmospheric air;
- a solar tower having at least one solar collector, the solar tower receiving the flow of compressed atmospheric air from the first compressor unit and heating the compressed air;
- a gas turbine receiving the heated compressed air from the solar tower;
- an ion transport membrane unit receiving the heated compressed air from the gas turbine, the ion transport membrane unit having an ion transport membrane permeable to oxygen for separating oxygen from the heated compressed air, leaving a nitrogen-rich portion of the air;
- means for injecting the separated oxygen into an aged oil well for combustion with a portion of the oil in the well, heat from the combustion resulting in thermally enhanced oil recovery, the combustion producing carbon dioxide;
- a splitter disposed between said gas turbine and said ion transport membrane unit;
- and
- a storage tank connected to the splitter, the splitter splitting the heated compressed air from the gas turbine into a portion stored in the storage tank for night operations and a portion sent to said ion transport membrane unit for production of oxygen.
A method for enhancing oil recovery from an aged oil well, comprising the steps of:
- compressing atmospheric air;
- heating the compressed atmospheric air in a solar tower using solar energy;
- drawing the heated compressed air from the solar tower into a gas turbine to power the turbine;
- supplying a portion of the heated compressed air from the turbine to an ion transport membrane unit;
- storing a remainder of the heated compressed air from the turbine in a storage tank;
- separating oxygen from the heated compressed air in the ion transport membrane unit using an ion transport membrane;
- injecting the separated oxygen into the aged oil well;
- combusting the injected oxygen with fuel in the well, the oxygen-based combustion generating heat for thermally enhanced oil recovery;
- and
- transferring the remainder of the heated compressed air from the storage tank to the ion transport membrane unit at night time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.