Wells – Processes – With indicating – testing – measuring or locating
Patent
1996-11-18
1999-02-02
Dang, Hoang C.
Wells
Processes
With indicating, testing, measuring or locating
166 53, 166 901, 166275, 1663051, E21B 4320
Patent
active
058652477
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to equipment and techniques for recovering oil from water invaded hydrocarbon fields, and more particularly, relates to improved water flooding techniques and equipment for increasing the efficiency of oil recovery operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Water flood is a standard technique used to increase oil recovery from hydrocarbon fields. In a typical application, a plurality of injection wells at spaced locations in an older, somewhat depleted oil field are used to enhance the production of oil from production wells also spaced about the field. Pressurized water flows from an injection well through the permeable formation toward the relatively low pressure production well, which recovers oil with some water as the water flows through the formation toward the producing well. Those skilled in the art have long appreciated that while water flowing through the formation inherently carries some oil to the recovery well, water also tends over time to flow along the same well-established flow channels, which decreases the efficiency of the oil recovery operation. As a result of water flowing along these established flow channels, the water thus tends to entrain a smaller proportion of oil, so that the "water cut" of the produced fluids eventually exceeds the cost of separating the produced oil/water mixture into an economic hydrocarbon-based product.
To improve the recovery of oil using water flooding techniques, those skilled in the art have recognized the benefit of blocking established water channels through the formation to force the injected water to find new channels and thereby entrain new oil which is recovered with the water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,563 discloses a technique for improving water flooding operations by injecting a course emulsion into flow channels in the formation, then washing the wellbore with alcohol to remove the emulsion formed adjacent the wellbore. U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,523 teaches a method of enhancing water flooding by using a hydroxyethyl cellulose to prevent fingering of water through existing flow channels in the formation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,768 teaches a technique for controlling the profile of an oil/water interface in a high permeability zone, with either water flooding or carbon dioxide stimulation being used as the driving process. A breakthrough is shut-in using a temperature activated mixture which forms a solid blocking gel.
Those skilled in the art of water flooding also appreciate that an oil/water emulsion may be used to plug or at least reduce flow in a highly porous zone, thereby preventing undesirable water fingering and improving the flow of hydrocarbons to a recovery well. U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,319 teaches a technique for mixing an oil-in-water emulsion with a minimum of shear energy. The mixture is injected into the formation as a low viscosity emulsion, so that the oil droplets swell in the formation to plug or partially plug existing water channels. U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,546 teaches using a blood/water mixture for a water flooding operation. While various products have been used for injection with the water to assist in the water flooding operation by blocking or partially blocking the established flow channels, cellulose is a preferred injection product for many water flooding applications. The use of cellulose as a mixing material with the injection water is according well known, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,848,673, 4,321,968, 4,451,389, 4,627,494, 4,629,575, and 5,100,567. The concentration of cellulose which is injected with the water into the formation may be varied. By optimising the fluid injection rates, the recovery of hydrocarbons can be increased during the secondary or tertiary recovery processes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,544 and European Publication 48 342 disclose techniques for optimising injection rates while also preventing fracturing of the formation, which may reduce the effectiveness of the oil recovery process.
Those skilled in the art of secondary and tertiary recovery of oil have g
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Iakovlev Serguey Anatolievitch
Lipert Anatoly Yossifovitch
Loppinet Alain Louis
Paterson Alexander J.
Takhaoutdinov Chafagat Fakhrazovitch
Dang Hoang C.
Tatolpetro
Thermo Instrument Systems Limited
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