Wells – Processes – Distinct – separate injection and producing wells
Patent
1975-12-24
1978-05-09
Purser, Ernest R.
Wells
Processes
Distinct, separate injection and producing wells
166303, E21B 4324
Patent
active
040881881
ABSTRACT:
Viscous oil recovery methods employing well-to-well throughput steam injection are frequently less successful than anticipated because the process experiences poor vertical conformance, meaning that only a portion of the full vertical thickness of the oil saturated reservoir is contacted by the injected steam. Because the specific gravity of the vapor phase portion of saturated steam is substantially less than the specific gravity of formation petroleum fluids, the vapor phase steam channels across the upper portion of the formation and only contacts and displaces petroleum present in said upper portion of the formation, bypassing substantial amounts of petroleum in the lower portion of the formation. By separating saturated steam into two components, one predominantly liquid phase and one predominantly gaseous phase, and injecting the hot liquid into the upper portion of the formation and the vapor into the lower portion of the formation, substantially greater amounts of formation petroleum are contacted and recovered by steam. Steam may be separated into liquid and vapor phase components on the surface and injected by a separate flow path into separately completed intervals, or the separation may be accomplished in a downhole separator. The process may be applied using steam alone, or other gaseous and/or liquid phase additives to steam may be injected in the same manner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2994375 (1961-08-01), Hurley
patent: 3221810 (1965-12-01), Marx
patent: 3289758 (1966-12-01), Martin et al.
patent: 3323590 (1967-06-01), Gilchrist et al.
patent: 3410344 (1968-11-01), Cornelius
patent: 3412794 (1968-11-01), Craighead
patent: 3421583 (1969-01-01), Koons
patent: 3455384 (1969-07-01), Gilchrist et al.
patent: 3565175 (1971-02-01), Wilson
Park Jack H.
Purser Ernest R.
Ries Carl G.
Texaco Inc.
Whaley Thomas H.
LandOfFree
High vertical conformance steam injection petroleum recovery met does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with High vertical conformance steam injection petroleum recovery met, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High vertical conformance steam injection petroleum recovery met will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2352614