In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process

Details In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process

2007-07-19

2011-11-15

Suchfield, George (Department: 3676)

Wells

Processes

With indicating, testing, measuring or locating

C166S050000, C166S052000, C166S250010, C166S252100, C166S256000, C166S263000, C166S272100, C166S272300, C166S272700, C166S384000

Reexamination Certificate

active

08056624

ABSTRACT:
The present invention is directed to an in situ reservoir recovery process that uses a horizontal well located near the top of a reservoir and an inclined production well to extract bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir. In a first stage, the top well is used for cold production of reservoir fluids to the surface, in which, reservoir fluids are pumped to the surface in the absence of stimulation by steam or other thermal and/or solvent injection. A lower production well is drilled into the formation below the top well. The top well is converted to an injection well or, if no cold production then a top well is drilled as an injector well. A portion of the bottom well is inclined so that one end of the incline is closer to the injector well than the other end of the incline. In the process, steam circulation creates a heated zone at the point of the two wells that are closest together in the reservoir.

REFERENCES:
patent: 1660187 (1928-02-01), Adolf
patent: 3692110 (1972-09-01), Grady
patent: 4022279 (1977-05-01), Driver
patent: 4099783 (1978-07-01), Verty et al.
patent: 4248302 (1981-02-01), Churchman
patent: 4344485 (1982-08-01), Butler
patent: 4646836 (1987-03-01), Goodhart
patent: 4942926 (1990-07-01), Lessi
patent: 4945994 (1990-08-01), Stagg
patent: 5016709 (1991-05-01), Combe et al.
patent: 5215146 (1993-06-01), Sanchez
patent: 5318124 (1994-06-01), Ong et al.
patent: 5462118 (1995-10-01), Jennings et al.
patent: 5511616 (1996-04-01), Bert
patent: 6050335 (2000-04-01), Parsons
patent: 6167966 (2001-01-01), Ayasse et al.
patent: 6257334 (2001-07-01), Cyr et al.
patent: 6708759 (2004-03-01), Leaute et al.
patent: 2002/0020533 (2002-02-01), Tubel
patent: 2005/0087340 (2005-04-01), Zupanick et al.
patent: 2005/0211434 (2005-09-01), Gates et al.
patent: 2006/0042794 (2006-03-01), Pfefferle
Butler et al., “Natural and gas-lift in SAGD production wells,”Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 39(1):18-29, 2000.
Donnelly, “The best process for Cold Lake CSS versus SAGD,” Paper 99-26, presented at the 1999 CSPG and Petroleum Society Convention, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jun. 14-18, 1999.
Gates et al., “Optimization of steam-assisted gravity drainage in McMurray Reservoir,” Paper 2005-193 presented at Canadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jun. 7-9, 2005.
Gates et al., “Steam injection strategy and energetics of steam-assisted gravity drainage,” Paper SPE 97742 presented at the 2005 SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil symposium, held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Nov. 103, 2005.
Head et al., “Biological activity in the deep subsurface and the origin of heavy oil,”Nature, 426(6964):344-352, 2003.
Huang et al., “A dynamic biodegradation model suggested by petroleum compositional gradients within reservoir columns from the Liaohe basin, NE China,”Organic Chemistry, 35:299-316, 2004.
Komery et al., “Pilot testing of post-steam bitumen recovery from mature SAGD wells in Canada,”Seventh UNITAR International Conference, Paper No. 1998.214, Beijing, China, 1998.
Koopmans et al., “Biodegradation and mixing of crude oils in Eocene Es3 reservoirs of the Liaohe basin, northeastern China,”AAG Bulletin, 86(10):1833-1843, 2002.
Larter et al., “The controls on the composition of biodegraded oils in the deep subsurface—part 1: biodegradation rates in petroleum reservoirs,”Organic Geochemistry, 34:601-613, 2003.
Larter et al., “The origin, prediction and impact of oil viscosity heterogeneity on the production characteristics of tar sand and heavy oil reservoirs,” Paper 2006-134 presented at the Petroleum Society's 7thCanadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jun. 13-15, 2006.
Saltukaroglu et al., “Mobil's SAGD experience at Celtic, Saskatchewan,”The Petroleum Society, Paper 99-25, 1999.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and In Situ heavy oil and bitumen recovery process will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4294415