DME and Steam Coinjection for Bitumen Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting heavy oil and bitumen are inefficient in terms of energy and water usage, and often result in significant heat loss and high costs due to elevated chamber-edge temperatures during steam injection processes.
Innovation Solution
Injecting a combination of water vapor and dimethyl ether (DME) into the oil reservoir, which forms a vapor mixture that condenses to release heat, reducing viscosity and allowing for more efficient extraction with lower energy and water consumption, while maintaining economically sustainable production rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pure steam injection is used to extract heavy oil and bitumen, then the viscosity of heavy oil is reduced through heating, but energy consumption and water usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines steam injection with solvent (hydrocarbon) injection into a unified process called vapor extraction. The vapor phase contains both water and hydrocarbon components that work synergistically to reduce heavy oil viscosity through combined thermal heating and solvent dilution effects, thereby improving extraction efficiency while reducing the amount of water needed
Solution Approach 2:
The injected vapor is a composite mixture of water vapor and hydrocarbon vapor (such as propane, butane, or pentane). This composite vapor delivers both thermal energy and solvent action simultaneously, creating a more effective extraction system than pure steam while consuming less water
2Temperature
If steam injection is used to heat the reservoir, then heavy oil viscosity is reduced, but heat loss increases due to elevated chamber-edge temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the injected vapor by adding hydrocarbon components to the steam. This modification alters the thermal properties of the vapor phase, enabling effective heavy oil viscosity reduction at lower chamber-edge temperatures, thereby reducing heat loss to the surrounding reservoir
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrocarbon vapor acts as an intermediary substance that transfers both thermal energy and solvent action to the heavy oil. This intermediary mechanism allows heating to occur at lower temperatures while still achieving effective viscosity reduction, minimizing unnecessary heat loss
3Productivity
If higher injection temperatures are used to improve extraction rate, then productivity increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the injected fluid by incorporating hydrocarbon solvents into the vapor phase. This compositional change enables effective extraction at lower temperatures by adding the chemical mechanism of solvent dilution to the thermal mechanism, thereby maintaining productivity while reducing energy consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of water and DME vapor mixture reduces chamber-edge temperatures, minimizes heat loss, and enhances bitumen production rates, achieving a lower steam-to-oil ratio and higher solvent recovery compared to traditional steam injection methods.
Implementation Method 1
Condensation of the vapor mixture may release heat to the heavy oil or bitumen in the reservoir to increase a temperature of the heavy oil or bitumen and reduce a viscosity of the heavy oil or bitumen
Implementation Method 2
Condensation of the vapor mixture may release heat to the heavy oil or bitumen in the reservoir
Implementation Method 3
Condensation of the vapor mixture may release heat to the heavy oil or bitumen in the reservoir to increase a temperature of the heavy oil or bitumen
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are oil recovery techniques, which may include enhanced oil recovery techniques in which a heated combination of water vapor (steam) and dimethyl ether (DME) vapor are injected into an oil reservoir, such as containing heavy oil and/or bitumen, to facilitate extraction of the oil from the reservoir.