Hydrocarbon production system and method of use

Abstract

The method of the present invention provides a means to intake hydrocarbon fluid from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir, including any accompanying ground water or earthen contaminants, into the subsurface lower end of a tubing system. Compressed gas is then used to purge the hydrocarbon fluid and earthen contaminants from within the tubing system to a hydrocarbon production fluid storage tank or other handling facility at surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The purpose of the method of the present invention is to provide an improved method and an improved apparatus to displace light, medium, heavy or viscose hydrocarbon fluid that may contain earthen contaminants from subterranean hydrocarbon reservoirs, to a hydrocarbon production fluid storage tank or other handling facilities on ground surface, by means of oil well production, wherein all currently used subsurface production pump systems are mechanically incapable of sustained or economic production. [0003] The method of the present invention provides a means to intake hydrocarbon fluid from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir, including any accompanying ground water or earthen contaminants, into the subsurface lower end of a tubing system. Compressed gas is then used to purge the hydrocarbon fluid and contaminants from within the tubing system to a hydrocarbon production fluid storage tank or other handling facility...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] As gas is compressed by the gas compressor in order to purge hydrocarbon fluid from the subsurface compressed gas conveyance tubing system to surface storage, much of the heat therein generated is carried by the compressed gas, into and through the subsurface compressed gas conveyance tubing system and may be used optionally to heat the hydrocarbon fluid contained therein, by means of close contact, conduction, or radiation between the heated subsurface compressed gas tubing string and the subsurface production tubing string. The heat transfer process may be readily understood by studying FIG. 2, and is very useful in making viscose hydrocarbon fluid less viscose, and subsequently reduces the required horsepower output of the gas compressor's prime mover and the gas compression required to purge the hydrocarbon fluid contained within the subsurface compressed gas conveyance tubing system to surface storage. The heat transfer method further serves to provide a saving in the amount of energy required to heat the hydrocarbon fluid within the surface hydrocarbon production fluid storage tank or other fluid handling facility.

[0032] A wellhead output gas valve may be added to close off the compressed gas and hydrocarbon fluid flow between the wellhead output and the surface flow line's input end, in order to build sufficient compressed gas pressure within the subsurface compressed gas feed tubing string, and upon opening the wellhead output gas valve, a hydrocarbon fluid column may be rapidly purged, at a considerable velocity, from and through the subsurface production tubing string, through the wellhead, surface flow line, and into the hydrocarbon storage tank. The method is advantageous when there is compressed gas loss due to bubble loss through the production tubing fluid column, or when difficult earthen particulates or rock fragments are to be entrained and carried to surface storage, or when improving heat transfer from compressed gas to hydrocarbon fluid, or when improving the fluid flow shear effect. A rapid fluid column rise to surface and a very gentle “top of fluid column” entry into and through the wellhead, and a gentle “bottom of fluid column” exiting out of the wellhead, may be achieved by calculating and providing the math governing the compression and decompression of gases, subsurface tubing volumes and lengths, fluid column weight and viscosity.

Problems solved by technology

Within some oil wells, subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir characteristics, hydrocarbon fluid characteristics, drilling problems or the well-bore design may present problems wherein continuous or more economical hydrocarbon production is difficult or not possible while employing current production systems including subsurface sucker rod driven plunger pumps, progressive cavity pumps or other types of subsurface production pumps.

If the hydrocarbon fluid contains considerable amounts of earthen particulates, the earthen particulates may accumulate and cause blockages within the subsurface production tubing and surface flow line.

When the accumulation of earthen particulates becomes too great, the sucker rods simply will not fall at an acceptable fall rate, through the column of hydrocarbon and earthen materials.

Production thereby fails, and well servicing is required.

The earthen particulates may also cause extreme abrasion of the sucker rods and production tubing and premature failure of each, which requires replacement of each.

Sucker rod and production tubing abrasion, mechanical wear and stress is greatly increased in oil wells that have deviations off the vertical line due to drilling problems, or in slant, whipstocked or horizontal well-bores.

These pumps inherit all the problems associated with sucker rod use, are quickly destroyed when the well-bore fluid is pumped off or the rotors and stators are often badly damaged when pumping rock fragments or pyrite balls or sand slugs.

They have a much shortened life when pumping considerable amounts of earthen particulates, especially water sand.

Within many oilsands production wells, seizure of the sucker rods by accumulations of earthen particulates packed within the subsurface production tubing string is a never ending problem that may occur daily.

The rubber stator component of the progressing cavity subsurface production pump is easily damaged by sand slugs, rock or coal fragments, pebbles, pyrite balls or the high pumping pressure encountered when accumulations of earthen particulates begin to block the flow of hydrocarbon production within the subsurface production tubing or surface flow line.

Frequent replacement of subsurface components due to excessive metal to metal wear and / or metal wear due to the presence of abrasive produced earthen particulates within slant, horizontal, vertical or deviated well-bores presents considerable replacement cost in addition to the loss of sales revenue due to oil well down time.

This is not usually practical due to the sharp production tubing curve, or dog-leg, wherein the sucker rods must rotate or reciprocate, causing excessive wear, fatigue and very rapid failure of sucker rods and / or subsurface production tubing.

Horizontal oil wells having subsurface production pumps placed within or above the well-bore's dog-leg often have a problem with earthen particulates precipitating from the hydrocarbon fluid being drawn to the subsurface production pump and accumulating within the horizontal section of the well-bore and within the dog-legged section of the well-bore.

Such precipitated accumulations continue to increase in volume until the flow of hydrocarbon fluid from the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir is blocked from the intake of the subsurface production pump, and hydrocarbon production cannot be restarted until the earthen particulates are removed from the well-bore.

Eventually, precipitated earthen solids accumulations may cause production failure wherein production cannot be restarted until the earthen solids are removed from the subsurface production tubing.

The problem of earthen solids precipitation within tubulars is greatly increased when greater water production volumes accompany the hydrocarbon fluid.

If such oil wells do not clean up after spending substantial amounts of time, money, and fruitless effort, such oil wells are sooner or later considered to be mechanically or economically not viable, and are usually sold or abandoned.

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