Wells – Processes – Distinct – separate injection and producing wells
Patent
1998-05-15
2000-02-15
Neuder, William
Wells
Processes
Distinct, separate injection and producing wells
1662701, 166294, E21B 4322
Patent
active
060241675
ABSTRACT:
A method for improving the a real sweep efficiency of a waterflood process is described. Reservoir heterogeneity results in the waterflood being diverted to the thief zones, bypassing much of the in-place hydrocarbon fluids. Existing remedial options are sensitive to water chemistry and temperature and are mostly effective near the wellbore. The unique advantages of this process is that it is insensitive to the water phase, in-depth in its placement, and can be triggered by pressure change which no other existing process offers. The process works by dispersing a low viscosity gas like plugging solution in the injected water phase, the dispersed plugging solution phase being a combination of some solvent phase like carbon dioxide, or light hydrocarbons, or mixtures of the same, in which a very high viscosity solute like a polymer is dissolved the composition of the dispersed plugging solution phase can be adjusted so that it is essentially homogeneous when injected with the aqueous phase and offers no additional resistance to the injection or movement of the water phase through the reservoir. However, as the water phase with dispersed plugging solution penetrates the reservoir rock, increasing temperature or decreasing pressure, or a combination of the two causes the plugging solution phase to destabilize releasing a gas and leaving behind a liquid like phase of increasing viscosity. This dispersed phase of increasing viscosity can be expected to plug the pore throats of the reservoir rock through which the water phase is flowing, and this increased resistance to flow will cause the waterflood to bypass the plugged zones to access larger volumes of the reservoir rock.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2866507 (1958-12-01), Bond et al.
patent: 3082822 (1963-03-01), Holm et al.
patent: 3126952 (1964-03-01), Jones
patent: 3196944 (1965-07-01), Bernard et al.
patent: 3212575 (1965-10-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 3354953 (1967-11-01), Morse
patent: 3356138 (1967-12-01), Davis, Jr. et al.
patent: 3435898 (1969-04-01), Thompson
patent: 3570601 (1971-03-01), Dauben et al.
patent: 3616858 (1971-11-01), Raza
patent: 3847722 (1974-11-01), Kistner
patent: 4532052 (1985-07-01), Weaver et al.
patent: 4569393 (1986-02-01), Bruning et al.
patent: 4609043 (1986-09-01), Cullick
patent: 4629000 (1986-12-01), Hurd
patent: 4640361 (1987-02-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4643255 (1987-02-01), Sandiford et al.
patent: 4785883 (1988-11-01), Hoskin et al.
patent: 4828029 (1989-05-01), Irani
patent: 4844163 (1989-07-01), Hazlett et al.
patent: 4899817 (1990-02-01), Djabbarah
patent: 4903767 (1990-02-01), Shu et al.
patent: 4913235 (1990-04-01), Harris et al.
patent: 4921576 (1990-05-01), Hurd
patent: 4945989 (1990-08-01), Irani et al.
patent: 4945990 (1990-08-01), Irani et al.
patent: 4947933 (1990-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5095984 (1992-03-01), Irani
patent: 5413177 (1995-05-01), Horton
patent: 5421410 (1995-06-01), Irani
L.W. Holm, "The Mechanism of Gas and Liquid Flow Through Porous Media in the Presence of Foam" Presented to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Houston, Texas, Oct. 1-4, 1967.
J.P. Heller, et al, "Mobility Control for CO.sub.2 Floods A Literature Survey" New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico, Oct., 1980.
F.M. Orr Jr. et al, "CO.sub.2 As Solvent for Oil Recovery" Chemtech, Aug., 1983.
John P. Heller et al, "Development of Mobility Control Methods to Improve Oil Recovery by CO.sub.2 ", New Mexico Energy Research and Development Institute, Feb., 1984.
S.S. Marsden, "Foams in Porous Media--Supri TR-49", Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute, Stanford, California, Jul., 1986.
C.A. Irani et al, "Slim-Tube Investigation of CO.sub.2 Foams", Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Department of Energy, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Apr., 1986.
Cyrus A. Irani, SPE 27701 "Transporting Mobility Control Agents to Thief Zones" Presented to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Permian Basin Oil and Gas Recovery Conference, Midland, Texas, Mar. 16-18, 1994.
Irani Cyrus A.
Irani Rita M.
Neuder William
Walker Zakiya
LandOfFree
Transporting waterflood mobility control agents to high permeabi does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Transporting waterflood mobility control agents to high permeabi, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Transporting waterflood mobility control agents to high permeabi will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1898245