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US3367419A - Oil recovery by steam injection and pressure reduction - Google Patents

Oil recovery by steam injection and pressure reduction Download PDF

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Publication number
US3367419A
US3367419A US488578A US48857865A US3367419A US 3367419 A US3367419 A US 3367419A US 488578 A US488578 A US 488578A US 48857865 A US48857865 A US 48857865A US 3367419 A US3367419 A US 3367419A
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United States
Prior art keywords
formation
well
production
pressure
injection
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Expired - Lifetime
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US488578A
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English (en)
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Johannes Van Lookeren
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Shell USA Inc
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Shell Oil Co
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Publication date
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
    • E21B43/20—Displacing by water
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
    • E21B43/24—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons using heat, e.g. steam injection

Definitions

  • FIG. 1 A first figure.
  • ABSTRACT OF THE DISELOSURE A method of producing hydrocarbons from a permeable, hydrocarbon-bearing formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, into which formation hot fluid is injected through the injection well, and hydrocarbons are produced through the production well.
  • the pressure within the pores of the part of the formation contacted by the hot fluid is reduced to a value lower than the pressure within the pores of the rest of the formation subsequent to the breakthrough of the hot fluid into the production well by decreasing the resistance to flow in the part of the formation surrounding the production well.
  • the present invention relates to a method of producing hydrocarbons from a permeable, hydrocarbon-bearing formation, into which at least one injection well and at least one production well penetrate.
  • the present invention relates to a method of producing hydrocarbons from a permeable, hydrocarhon-bearing formation, in which hot fluid is injected into the said formation through an injection well penetrating the formation and hydrocarbons are produced from said formation through a spaced production well penetrating the same formation. Part of the heat of the hot fluid is transferred to the formation and the hydrocarbons therein, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the hydrocarbons which aids oil production and this method is an improved method of increasing the efficiency of such hot-fluid drives.
  • a method for producing hydrocarbons from a permeable, hydrocarbon-bearing formation which is penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, a hot fluid is injected through the injection Well into the formation and hydrocarbons are produced from the formation through the production well and after the hot fluid has broken through in the production well the pressure is reduced within the pores of the part of the formation contacted by the hot fluid to a value lower than the value of the pressure within the pores of the rest of the formation.
  • hot fluid is to be understood to mean a fluid having a temperature which is higher than the temperature of the formation into which it has to be injected. It could be a heated gas or liquid such as steam or hot water and could contain surfactants.
  • the pressure of the injection fluid is higher than the original formation pressure and the hydrocarbons from the heated Zone of the formation are often driven past the production well(-s) during the drive and are not recovered.
  • the pressure within the part of the formation which is heated is reduced, subsequent to breakthrough of the hot fluid, to a pressure lower than the pressure prevailing within the rest of the formation.
  • the hot fluid used in the present process is in the form of steam, either wet, dry or superheated.
  • the steam may be mixed with gases or liquids, such as water, to increase its recovery efliciency.
  • the pressure within the pores of the part of the formation contacted by the hot fluid may be reduced after the breakthrough of the hot fluid into the production well, by decreasing the resistance to flow in the part of the formation surrounding the production well, and/ or by decreasing the resistance to flow at the outlet of the production well, and/or by increasing the pumping rate of a pump provided in the production Well.
  • the pressure within the pores of the part of the formation contacted by the hot fluid may also be reduced by decreasing the rate of injection into the injection well while maintaining a constant output at the production well. If desired, any of these measures may be carried out simultaneously.
  • FIGURE 1 shows schematically a section of a permeable, hydrocarbon-bearing formation penetrated by an injection Well and a production well;
  • FIGURE 2 shows schematically a pattern of injection and production wells suitable for practicing the present invention
  • FIGURE 3 shows schematically another pattern of wells which may be used in a formation for carrying out the present process.
  • FIGURE 4 shows a section of a permeable, hydrocarbon-bearing formation containing an impermeable layer or 11streak and pener-tated by injection and production we s.
  • the hydrocarbon-bearing formation 1 is bounded at the top by a substantially impermeable strata 2, and at the bottom by a substantially impermeable strata 3.
  • An injection well 4 penetrates through the strata 2 and into the formation 1.
  • a second well which is designed to be used as a production well 5.
  • Both wells 4 and 5 are provided with casing, tubing, liners and other equipment suitable for hot fluid drives between spaced wells. The usual techniques (such as heat treatments or fracturing methods) may be carried out in the surrounding formation to increase the productivity of the formation. All equipment, as well as the cementing layers, securing the casing strings in the formation, have been omitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity.
  • the production Well 5 may extend through the formation 2 and into strata 3 and have the production tubing located in the well in such a way that its suction openings are located below the bottom of the formation 1. This allows a liquid seal to be formed between the formation pore space and the interior of the production tubing, which limits the escape of hot fluids to the surface.
  • the well head of the injection well 4 communicates with a conduit 6 provided with a valve 7.
  • Conduit 6 communicates with a source of hot fluid (not shown), such as a boiler or furnace for generating steam and/ or hot water.
  • the hot fluids controlled by valve 7 can be fed from the source through conduit 6 and into formation 1 via injection well 4.
  • the wellhead of the production well 5 communicates via a conduit 8 with a tank (not shown) for the storage of the produced hydrocarbons.
  • Conduit 8' has a shut-off valve 9 and pumping equipment (not shown) between 3 the valve 9 and the tank.
  • Well 5 may also have downhole pumps.
  • the steam may be superheated, dry or wet. Since the devices for generating such steam are well known, they are not described herein.
  • the steam may be mixed with other fluids either gaseous such as air, or liquid such as water, or both.
  • the method according to the invention is, in the arrangement of wells as shown in FIGURE 1, carried out as follows:
  • valve 9 is fully opened so as to reduce the resistance to flow as much as possible out of production well 5.
  • the production rate may be further increased by pumping the hydrocarbons out of the well 5 by any one of the known methods.
  • the rate at which the hydrocarbons are displaced out of the formation by the action of a pump arranged in the production well 5 influences the pressure within the formation 1.
  • the desired decrease of pressure within the formation pore space that has been contacted by the hot fluid can be accomplished by a decrease in the injection rate of the hot fluid (e.g., by throttling valve 7), and/or from a decrease in the resistance to flow in the formation surrounding the production well 5 by fracturing the formation part around well 5 wherein a horizontal fracture is arranged at a low level in the formation, and/ or through the well 5 by further opening the valve 9 or increasing the pumping rate in the production well 5.
  • the valve 7 is gradually throttled and the valve 9 is gradually opened while the pumping rate is increased until the pressure reduction within the hot zone of the formation has been attained.
  • the injection of steam into the formation 1 may be stopped after steam breakthrough occurs, allowing the pore pressure in the hot zone of the formation to decrease by keeping the valve 9 open, or even further opening this valve or increasing the pumping rate.
  • steam injection is restarted via the injection well 4 at a restricted rate so that the pressure within the hot formation zone remains lower than the pore pressure in the rest of the formation.
  • the rate of flow depends on the amount of heat which is transferred from the hotter zone to the cooler zone and the boundary between the steam zone and the zone in the formation pore space which is for the greater part filled with hydrocarbon will find an equilibrium position, say at line 16'.
  • the removal of hydrocarbons from the formation 1 via the production well 5 may be accomplished by any one of the known methods. Communication between the Well 5 and the pore space of the formation 1 may take place, e.g., via a liner arranged at the lower end of a casing provided in the well, or via perforations shot in the casing.
  • the lifting of the hydrocarbons to the surface may be effected by pumping or gas lifting if natural forces and/or the forces generated by the hot fluid are insu cient for that purpose.
  • the production well 5 is preferably drilled through the said streak and is open at a level below the said streak, and if desired, above it also.
  • the present method may be applied with the same effect for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground formation in which more than one injection well and/or more than one production well penetrate.
  • a complex row well pattern may be used in which the injection wells 4 arranged in a row 17, and the production Wells 5 are aligned in one or two rows (row 18 and/ or row 19) which run substantially parallel to the row 17 of the injection wells 4 but spaced therefrom.
  • the production wells 5, as shown in FIG- URE 3, can be located around a central injection Well 4.
  • the extent to which the hydrocarbons have been removed from the formation in a lateral direction after the process has been applied, is schematically indicated by way of example in FIGURE 3 as well as in FIGURE 2 by the line 16.
  • the patterns which have been shown by way of example may be duplicated or even multiplied in the same field for the production of hydrocarbons from a single hydrocarbon-containing formation. If desired, these patterns are arranged in such a way that the ultimate boundaries 16 to be reached by the processes carried out in the various patterns, do not intersect.
  • the flow of oil from the zone outside the boundary 16 to the production well(s) may, if desired, be supported by injecting drive fluids into injection wells which are located in the zone outside the boundary 16'.
  • These fluids such as hot or cold water, air, or steam increase the pressure in the said zone which promotes the flow of oil to the production well(s).
  • the advantage of the method according to the present invention resides in the fact that hydrocarbons are induced to flow to the production wells out of the formation as a result of the low pressure prevailing Within the hot fluid zone. This is just the reverse of what happens in the known hot fluid recovery processes, wherein a horizontal flow of hot fluids between injection and production wells is established at a pressure higher than the formation pressure which causes part of the hydrocarbons present between and around the production wells to be left unrecovered in the formation.
  • the new process has an area which can be treated, with a reduced number of wells and with a corresponding reduction of drilling costs.
  • a method of producing hydrocarbons as claimed in claim 2 wherein a plurality of injection wells and a plurality of production wells are arranged in substantially parallel rows.
  • a method of producing hydrocarbons as claimed in claim 2 including the step of simultaneously decreasing the resistance to flow at the outlet of the production well.
  • a method of producing hydrocarbons as claimed in claim 5 including the step of simultaneously increasing the pumping rate of the production well.
  • a method of producing hydrocarbons as claimed in claim 6 including the step of simultaneously decreasing the rate of injection into the injection well while maintaining a substantially constant output at the production well.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
US488578A 1964-09-28 1965-09-20 Oil recovery by steam injection and pressure reduction Expired - Lifetime US3367419A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB39511/64A GB1009828A (en) 1964-09-28 1964-09-28 A method of producing hydrocarbons

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US3367419A true US3367419A (en) 1968-02-06

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DE (1) DE1231192B (de)
GB (1) GB1009828A (de)
NL (1) NL6512476A (de)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3420298A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-01-07 Phillips Petroleum Co Avoiding casing damage during direct steam drive oil production
US3794113A (en) * 1972-11-13 1974-02-26 Mobil Oil Corp Combination in situ combustion displacement and steam stimulation of producing wells
US3796262A (en) * 1971-12-09 1974-03-12 Texaco Inc Method for recovering oil from subterranean reservoirs
US3847219A (en) * 1973-10-03 1974-11-12 Shell Canada Ltd Producing oil from tar sand
US4086964A (en) * 1977-05-27 1978-05-02 Shell Oil Company Steam-channel-expanding steam foam drive
US4121661A (en) * 1977-09-28 1978-10-24 Texas Exploration Canada, Ltd. Viscous oil recovery method
US4127170A (en) * 1977-09-28 1978-11-28 Texaco Exploration Canada Ltd. Viscous oil recovery method
US4458758A (en) * 1982-03-08 1984-07-10 Mobil Oil Corporation Selected well completion for improving vertical conformance of steam drive process
US4612989A (en) * 1985-06-03 1986-09-23 Exxon Production Research Co. Combined replacement drive process for oil recovery
US5005645A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-04-09 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for enhancing heavy oil production using hydraulic fracturing
US5036917A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for providing solids-free production from heavy oil reservoirs
US5036918A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for improving sustained solids-free production from heavy oil reservoirs
US5042581A (en) * 1990-02-09 1991-08-27 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for improving steam stimulation in heavy oil reservoirs
US20100170672A1 (en) * 2008-07-14 2010-07-08 Schwoebel Jeffrey J Method of and system for hydrocarbon recovery

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4037658A (en) * 1975-10-30 1977-07-26 Chevron Research Company Method of recovering viscous petroleum from an underground formation

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB511768A (en) * 1937-11-19 1939-08-24 Mark Benson Improvements in or relating to extraction of petroleum
US2813583A (en) * 1954-12-06 1957-11-19 Phillips Petroleum Co Process for recovery of petroleum from sands and shale
US2910123A (en) * 1956-08-20 1959-10-27 Pan American Petroleum Corp Method of recovering petroleum
US3136359A (en) * 1961-08-11 1964-06-09 Thomas T Graham Method of treating oil wells
US3253652A (en) * 1963-06-24 1966-05-31 Socony Mobil Oil Co Inc Recovery method for petroleum oil
US3273652A (en) * 1966-09-20 Fire extinguisher

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3182721A (en) * 1962-11-02 1965-05-11 Sun Oil Co Method of petroleum production by forward in situ combustion

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3273652A (en) * 1966-09-20 Fire extinguisher
GB511768A (en) * 1937-11-19 1939-08-24 Mark Benson Improvements in or relating to extraction of petroleum
US2813583A (en) * 1954-12-06 1957-11-19 Phillips Petroleum Co Process for recovery of petroleum from sands and shale
US2910123A (en) * 1956-08-20 1959-10-27 Pan American Petroleum Corp Method of recovering petroleum
US3136359A (en) * 1961-08-11 1964-06-09 Thomas T Graham Method of treating oil wells
US3253652A (en) * 1963-06-24 1966-05-31 Socony Mobil Oil Co Inc Recovery method for petroleum oil

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3420298A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-01-07 Phillips Petroleum Co Avoiding casing damage during direct steam drive oil production
US3796262A (en) * 1971-12-09 1974-03-12 Texaco Inc Method for recovering oil from subterranean reservoirs
US3794113A (en) * 1972-11-13 1974-02-26 Mobil Oil Corp Combination in situ combustion displacement and steam stimulation of producing wells
US3847219A (en) * 1973-10-03 1974-11-12 Shell Canada Ltd Producing oil from tar sand
US4086964A (en) * 1977-05-27 1978-05-02 Shell Oil Company Steam-channel-expanding steam foam drive
DE2823000A1 (de) * 1977-05-27 1978-12-07 Shell Int Research Verfahren zum gewinnen von oel aus einer unterirdischen lagerstaette
US4127170A (en) * 1977-09-28 1978-11-28 Texaco Exploration Canada Ltd. Viscous oil recovery method
US4121661A (en) * 1977-09-28 1978-10-24 Texas Exploration Canada, Ltd. Viscous oil recovery method
US4458758A (en) * 1982-03-08 1984-07-10 Mobil Oil Corporation Selected well completion for improving vertical conformance of steam drive process
US4612989A (en) * 1985-06-03 1986-09-23 Exxon Production Research Co. Combined replacement drive process for oil recovery
US5005645A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-04-09 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for enhancing heavy oil production using hydraulic fracturing
US5036917A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for providing solids-free production from heavy oil reservoirs
US5036918A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for improving sustained solids-free production from heavy oil reservoirs
US5042581A (en) * 1990-02-09 1991-08-27 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for improving steam stimulation in heavy oil reservoirs
US20100170672A1 (en) * 2008-07-14 2010-07-08 Schwoebel Jeffrey J Method of and system for hydrocarbon recovery

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1231192B (de) 1966-12-29
GB1009828A (en) 1965-11-10
NL6512476A (de) 1966-03-29

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