210 results about "Steam-assisted gravity drainage" patented technology

A method for preheating a formation prior to beginning steam assisted gravity drainage production. The method proceeds by forming a steam assisted gravity drainage production well pair within a formation. A preheating stage is then begun by injecting an activator into the formation. The preheating stage is then accomplished by exciting the activator with radio frequencies. This is followed by beginning the steam assisted gravity drainage operation.

An evaporation based method for generation of high pressure steam from produced water in the heavy oil production industry. De-oiled produced water is processed through a high pH/high pressure evaporator driven by a commercial watertube boiler. The vapor produced by the evaporator is suitable for the steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) method being utilized by heavy oil recovery installations, without the use of once through steam generators that require extensive chemical treatment, and without requiring atmospheric distillation, which requires high power consuming compressors. Evaporator blowdown may be further treated in a crystallizing evaporator to provide a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system and, with most produced waters, at least 98% of the incoming produced water stream can be recovered in the form of high pressure steam.

A radio frequency applicator and method for heating a geological formation is disclosed. A radio frequency source configured to apply a differential mode signal is connected to a coaxial conductor including an outer conductor pipe and an inner conductor. The inner conductor is coupled to a second conductor pipe through one or more metal jumpers. One or more current chokes, such as a common mode choke or antenna balun, are installed around the outer conductor pipe and the second conductor pipe to concentrate electromagnetic radiation within a hydrocarbon formation. The outer conductor pipe and the second conductor pipe can be traditional well pipes for extracting hydrocarbons, such as a steam pipe and an extraction pipe of a steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) system. An apparatus and method for installing a current choke are also disclosed.

Steam injection pipe string apparatus is disclosed comprising an elongated tubular structure with first and second ends, and a plurality of orifices formed in the elongated tubular structure. The sizes of the orifices vary from one end of the elongated tubular structure to the other, and, in one embodiment, the sizes of the orifices increase from one end of the elongated tubular structure to the other. The elongated tubular structure may comprise a plurality of blank pipes in threaded engagement with one another or a plurality of subs with different sized orifices in the subs. The orifices may be formed in the elongated tubular structure using milling techniques or by inserting a nozzle in a threaded aperture formed in the structure. A system utilizing the steam injection pipe string apparatus is especially suitable for use in a steam assisted gravity drainage system.

A transportable modular process for exploiting a remote heavy oil resource or the like using steam assisted gravity drainage technology or the like. Said process comprising transportable preassembled and commissioned modules which when interconnected adjacent said remote heavy oil resource provide the ability to exploit said heavy oil resource or the like. Each module being preassembled and commissioned at the time of manufacture with the necessary piping and electrical wiring and other essential equipment for each module prior to being transported to adjacent the resource. Each module being, when transported to adjacent said resource, able to be readily interconnected with other process modules to enable an entire SAGD process or the like to be constructed adjacent said resource.

This description is directed to a method and system for integrating an in-situ bitumen recovery operation with a bitumen mining operation for improved efficiencies and synergies therebetween. The method comprises obtaining a production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation, directing the production fluid to the bitumen mining operation, and incorporating the production fluid into the bitumen mining operation. The basic integrated system comprises a production well for recovering production fluid from the in-situ bitumen recovery operation, a bitumen mining and extraction facility, and a transporter for directing the production fluid from the production well to the bitumen mining and extraction facility for incorporation into the mining and extraction operation. The in-situ recovery operation may be a thermal operation, such as steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), or a derivative thereof.

A method for recovery of hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir by operating adjacent injector producer well pairs under conditions of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) with a lateral drainage well between and substantially parallel to them; the lateral drainage well is operated under conditions of intermittent steam injection and alternating oil, water and gas production; NCG is co-injected with steam into both the injector wells and the lateral drainage well at selected intervals, and in selected quantities in order to control the steam saturation of the SAGD steam chamber and the rise of the steam chamber, and to encourage lateral fluid communication between the adjacent well pairs and the LD well; controlling gas injection and production in order to control the rise of the steam chamber to improve production of oil; operating the well pairs and the LD well under conditions of a steam chamber pressure that is initially and briefly high to establish a steam chamber, but thereafter may be reduced to as low as 200 kPa; operating this low pressure SAGD in reservoirs that are at low pressure, due to factors such as depleted gas caps, regional geology, lack of cap rock, thief zones, or other low pressure zone or loss zones.

Steam assisted gravity drainage (“SAGD”) is practised in a first section of a reservoir containing heavy oil. When steam/oil ratio rises sufficiently, steam injection into the first section is curtailed or terminated. Non-condensible gas is then injected into the section to pressurize it and production of residual oil and steam condensate is continued. Concurrently with pressurization, SAGD is practised in an adjacent reservoir section. As a result, some of the residual oil in the first section is recovered and steam loss from the second section to the first section is ameliorated.

The invention relates to a calculating method for SAGD (Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage) double-horizontal well drilling electromagnetic distance measurement guide, which mainly comprises the steps of acquired data processing, calculation of rotating magnetic short section far-field magnetic induction intensity, inclination measurement and calculation of well hole track, neighboring well paralleldistance calculation, and the like. In the extracting process of unconventional oil and gas resources, such as thickened oil, natural gas hydrate, and the like, the precise control on the SAGD double-horizontal well horizontal section distance is one of the key technical links. In the invention, as for the application background, an approach for combining an inclination measurement and calculation method of the well hole track and drilling electromagnetic detection is adopted for monitoring a space relative position relationship of the double-horizontal well horizontal section in real time. Firstly, the distance of the double-horizontal well horizontal sections is obtained by utilizing a magnetic signal generated by a rotating magnetic short section received by a probe; and then, the calculating method which can confirm the relative orientation of the double-horizontal well horizontal section is invented by utilizing the inclination measurement and calculation of the well hole track and the drilling electromagnetic detection signal. The invention not only can be applied to the SAGD double-horizontal well guide drilling well detection but also can be applied to multiwell collision preventing and three-dimensional hinder-crossing monitoring calculation.

The invention relates to thermally stimulated oil recovery in horizontal wells, namely to the methods for estimation of Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process characteristics. Method for estimation of SAGD process characteristics is characterized by the steps of measuring temperature along the injection well, measuring steam quality and injection rate at the inlet of the injection well, estimating the pressure distribution profile by using the data obtained, estimating steam injection profile by using the obtained pressure profile and injection rate combined with ID injection well model for pressure losses in the wellbore and heat exchange between injection well tubing and annulus. The obtained steam injection profile is used as an input parameter for a set of 2D cross-sectional analytical SAGD models taking into account reservoir and overburden formation properties impact on production parameters and SAGD characteristics. SAGD process characteristics are estimated on the basis of energy conservation law for condensed steam taking into account heat losses into the reservoir and overburden formation and hence the fluid production rate changing in time.

A method for heating a hydrocarbon formation is disclosed. A radio frequency applicator is positioned to provide radiation within the hydrocarbon formation. A first signal sufficient to heat the hydrocarbon formation through electric current is applied to the applicator. A second or alternate frequency signal is then applied to the applicator that is sufficient to pass through the desiccated zone and heat the hydrocarbon formation through electric or magnetic fields. A method for efficiently creating electricity and steam for heating a hydrocarbon formation is also disclosed. An electric generator, steam generator, and a regenerator containing water are provided. The electric generator is run. The heat created from running the electric generator is fed into the regenerator causing the water to be preheated. The preheated water is then fed into the steam generator. The RF energy from power lines or from an on site electric generator and steam that is harvested from the generator or provided separately are supplied to a reservoir as a process to recover hydrocarbons.

The invention provides a method for exploiting a heavy oil reservoir through steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). The SAGD includes the process of conducting oil recovery by adopting an injection-production well group. The injection-production well group comprises at least one pair of adjacent injection well and production well. The injection well is provided with an injection well horizontal section arranged in an oil layer of the heavy oil reservoir. The production well is provided with a production well horizontal section arranged in the oil layer. The injection well horizontal section is located above the production well horizontal section. During the middle and later periods of the SAGD, the method further comprises the steps that S1, a vertical well is arranged in the growth position of at least part of a steam-free chamber above the injection well horizontal section; and S2, steam is injected into the vertical well and the injection well, and oil recovery is carried out through the production well. According to the method, the vertical well is arranged in the growth position of the steam-free chamber during the later period of the SAGD, the steam is injected into the vertical well, and then steam-free chamber growth is promoted through heat of the steam, so that the effect of uniform growth of a steam chamber in the horizontal sections is achieved.

Methods and systems relate to generating a flow of steam and splitting the flow of steam to enable both its injection into a formation to assist in oil recovery and its introduction into a pathway where the steam is used for generating electricity and capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂). At least part of the CO₂ that is captured comes from burning of fuel used to generate the steam. Steam assisted gravity drainage requires the steam that is injected to have a higher pressure than the steam that is needed for CO₂ capture. Exhaust steam from a steam turbine used to generate the electricity reduces pressure of the steam prior to use of the steam for capturing CO₂.

This present disclosure describes methods and systems related to SAGD injection and/or production wells that utilize flow distribution control devices. Additionally, methods and systems using limited vertical spacing separating the wells are described. These methods and systems improve steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil production, reduce SAGD start-up time and costs, and improve overall SAGD performance.

A method of producing heavy oil from a heavy oil formation with steam assisted gravity drainage. The method begins by drilling a borehole into a heavy oil formation comprising a steam barrier between a first pay zone and a second pay zone, wherein the steam barrier prevents a steam chamber to be formed between the first pay zone and the second pay zone. The steam barrier is then heated with a radio frequency. The steam barrier is then fractured to permit a steam chamber to be formed within the first pay zone and the second pay zone. Heavy oil is then produced from the heavy oil formation with steam assisted gravity drainage.

A modular portable evaporator system for use in a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) systems having an evaporator, with a sump comprising an oil skimming weir, a short tube vertical heat exchanger including an outer shell containing the short tubes provided for lower water circulation rate. A system further having, external to the evaporator, a compressor compressing evaporated steam from the tube-side of the heat exchanger and routing to the shell side of the same exchanger, a distillate tank to collect hot distilled water, a recirculation pump to introduce liquids from the sump into the heat exchanger and an external demister protecting the compressor from liquid impurities. The evaporator system receives produced water from the process into the sump and provides cleaned hot water to the boiler.

Methods for inhibiting scale formation in evaporators of the type used to produce aqueous distillate from produced waters such as those waters that are commonly formed in steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil recovery methods are provided. In accordance with the invention, a chelant selected from EDTA, DTPA, NTA, and HEEDTA is added to the recirculating evaporator system brine or to the feedwater to such systems.