Producing hydrocarbons from well with underground reservoir

Wells – Processes – Producing the well

Reexamination Certificate

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C166S244100, C166S265000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06250391

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of extracting hydrocarbons from underground geological formations, and in particular, a method particularly suited to the extraction of liquid hydrocarbons in geological formations having generally reduced or low liquid hydrocarbon flow rates.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, liquid hydrocarbons (commonly referred to a crude oil) are extracted from natural underground hydrocarbon bearing geological formations through the drilling of a relatively small, and more or less constant, diameter wellbore (most often from approximately four inches to eight inches in diameter) from the surface of the ground downwardly through the geological formation that harbours the hydrocarbons. Most commonly, a down-hole pump is then inserted into the wellbore in order to pump the effluent produced from the geological zone of interest, including liquid hydrocarbons or crude oil, to the surface. Typically, such pumps are driven through use of sucker rods that extend from the downhole pump upwardly to the surface and are operated in a reciprocating manner by an electric or gas motor connected to the sucker rod by a series of gears and linkages. The above ground structure that is responsible for reciprocating the sucker rod is often referred to as a pump jack. In addition to the downhole pump, sucker rod and pump jack, traditional oil wells also contain a steel casing which is cemented in place and a production tubing running from the downhole pump to the surface through which the oil is pumped. The production tubing is usually secured to the bottom portion of the cased wellbore by a centralizing anchoring device and is usually subjected to wear and tear caused by the reciprocating sucker rod and through the transportation of effluent that typically has corrosive and scaling characteristics which foul and/or impair the pumping efficiency.
It will be appreciated that due to the nature of the pumping and production equipment required for a typical oil well, the equipment necessary to operate a single well represents a significant capital investment and significant ongoing operating expenses to maintain and operate such equipment continually. For wells that produce high volumes of crude oil, the capital and operating costs of the required equipment is usually more than offset by the revenue generated from the crude oil that is produced. However, low producing or low volume oil wells may, in many cases, not produce sufficient volumes of oil to offer sufficient cash flows during low crude oil price levels to justify the exploitation of the geological zone of interest and/or the on-going operation of such marginal oil wells.
There is therefore the need for a method of extracting liquid hydrocarbons from underground hydrocarbon bearing formations having reduced or low hydrocarbon flow rates which requires a less significant capital outlay and that has lower operating costs. Similarly, there is a need for a method that may be used to extract hydrocarbons from underground geological formations where traditional oil extraction methods have been utilized but, due to reduced hydrocarbon flow rates, are no longer financially practical to develop and exploit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides a method of extracting hydrocarbons from underground geological formations that addresses the limitations of the prior art through the utilization of a procedure that minimizes capital costs in terms of production equipment required, and that helps to minimize the ongoing operating and maintenance costs required to extract the hydrocarbons.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a method of extracting liquid hydrocarbons from geological formations having a reduced or low liquid hydrocarbon flow rates wherein conventional extraction methods that utilize a wellbore extending downwardly from the surface of the ground into the geological zone of interest that harbours liquid hydrocarbons have been previously employed, the method comprising the steps of creating at least one downhole reservoir through enlarging a portion of the existing wellbore, the downhole reservoir substantially larger than the existing wellbore and formed so as to hold a desired amount of effluent based upon approximated flow rates of effluent from the geological zone of interest, the effluent including liquid hydrocarbons; allowing effluent to accumulate in the downhole reservoir for a desired length of time until effluent in the reservoir reaches a desired level; and, thereafter evacuating accumulated effluent from the downhole reservoir through the use of a pump.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of extracting hydrocarbons from underground geological formations comprising the steps of forming a wellbore from the surface of the ground into the earth such that the wellbore intersects the geological zone of interest that harbours liquid hydrocarbons; calculating the approximate flow rate of effluent from the geological zone of interest, the effluent including liquid hydrocarbons; creating at least one downhole reservoir through enlarging a portion of the wellbore, the downhole reservoir substantially larger than the wellbore and formed so as to hold a desired amount of effluent from the geological zone of interest based upon said approximated flow rate; allowing effluent to accumulate in the downhole reservoir for a desired length of time until effluent in the downhole reservoir reaches a desired level; and, thereafter evacuating accumulated effluent from the downhole reservoir through the use of a pump.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.


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