Fishbone Injection Well Configuration for Combustion Front Sustainability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In situ combustion methods face challenges in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs due to the lack of mobility of oil, leading to trapped combustion gas products and suffocation of the combustion front, as there is inadequate communication between injection and production wells.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a fishbone configuration of injection wells with vertically deviated and horizontal injector wells, along with production wells, is used to enhance communication, where preheating with steam establishes initial fluid flow, followed by oxidant injection to initiate and propagate a combustion front, allowing for gravity-driven hydrocarbon recovery and gas extraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If in situ combustion is applied in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs, then hydrocarbon recovery is achieved, but combustion gas products and mobilized oil become trapped due to lack of oil mobility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrocarbon recoveryVSAvoidcombustion front sustainability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The injection well is divided into multiple segments with horizontal laterals at different depths, allowing combustion to propagate through multiple zones simultaneously. This segmentation prevents gas trapping by providing multiple drainage pathways and maintains combustion front sustainability through improved oxidant distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from conventional vertical wellbores to a three-dimensional fishbone configuration with horizontal laterals extending in multiple directions. This dimensional change creates enhanced communication pathways that allow trapped oil and gas to drain effectively while maintaining combustion front propagation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional vertical injection and production wells are used, then the process is simple to implement, but inadequate communication between wells prevents effective combustion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewell configuration implementationVSAvoidcombustion effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The well configuration is designed to be adaptable to reservoir geometry, with horizontal laterals that can be oriented at various angles and depths. This dynamic design allows optimization of communication pathways between injection and production zones while maintaining implementation feasibility through standard horizontal drilling techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The fishbone injection well structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides oxidant injection through the vertical stem, distributes oxidant to multiple reservoir zones through horizontal laterals, and creates enhanced communication pathways for fluid drainage. This multi-functionality improves combustion effectiveness without requiring multiple separate wells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If horizontal injector wells are added to create fishbone configuration, then communication between injection and production wells is enhanced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid communication efficiencyVSAvoidwell configuration structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple functions are merged into a single fishbone well structure: the vertical stem and horizontal laterals work together as an integrated oxidant distribution system, eliminating the need for multiple separate injection wells. This merging enhances fluid communication while managing complexity through functional integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The horizontal laterals are nested within the vertical stem structure, with multiple laterals branching from a single vertical wellbore. This nested configuration allows enhanced communication through multiple laterals while sharing the common vertical infrastructure, thereby reducing overall complexity compared to having separate wells for each lateral.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

This approach enables effective communication between injection and production wells, sustaining combustion and facilitating the recovery of hydrocarbons and combustion gases through gravity drainage, overcoming the limitations of immobile oil in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs.

Implementation Method 1

preheating with steam establishes initial fluid flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal heating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

injecting an oxidant into the injection well to establish a combustion front of ignited hydrocarbons to propagate a combustion front through the reservoir

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 3

recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir via the second production well due to gravity drainage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity drainage: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS8381810B2Fishbone well configuration for in situ combustion

Publication Date: 2013.02.26 CONOCOPHILLIPS CO

AI summary

An underground reservoir is provided comprising an injection well and a production well. The production well has a horizontal section oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well.