Hydrocarbon-Water Mixture Circulation for Heavy Oil Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal hydrocarbon recovery methods using steam are costly, require significant water resources, and are inefficient due to heat loss and reliability issues with heaters, especially in thin heavy oil reservoirs like Lloydminster-type reservoirs, where steam-based methods cannot be employed effectively.
Innovation Solution
A thermal hydrocarbon recovery method involving a mixture of hydrocarbon and water or steam, heated at the surface or downhole, is injected into a wellbore to reduce viscosity, allowing the hydrocarbon to flow, with the mixture circulating inside the wellbore to increase reservoir temperature and convert steam to condensed water, enhancing heat delivery and reducing viscosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If steam is injected into the reservoir to heat hydrocarbon and reduce viscosity, then hydrocarbon mobility is improved, but heat loss to overburden and underburden increases and water resources are depleted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate fluid (hydrocarbon-based solvent) that serves as a heat transfer medium between the heating source and the reservoir. This intermediary fluid has superior thermal properties compared to steam, reducing heat loss to surrounding rock and improving heat delivery efficiency to the hydrocarbon bearing formations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the injection fluid from steam to a hydrocarbon-based solvent with optimized viscosity and thermal conductivity. This parameter change allows for more efficient heat transfer and reduced heat loss to the overburden and underburden, directly addressing the energy loss problem.
2Productivity
If steam-based thermal recovery methods are used, then hydrocarbon viscosity is reduced, but operational costs increase and water resources are significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-service approach where produced hydrocarbon is re-injected into the reservoir as both the heating medium and the displacement fluid. This eliminates the need for external water resources while utilizing the already-produced hydrocarbon to maintain reservoir pressure and drive additional hydrocarbon production.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding produced hydrocarbon, the patent recycles it back into the reservoir as an injection fluid. This recovery and reuse strategy eliminates water consumption requirements and transforms a waste product into a valuable resource for continued production.
3Temperature
If heaters are positioned in the well to heat hydrocarbon, then viscosity reduction is achieved, but reliability decreases and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical heater system with a thermal conduction-based heating approach using injected hot fluid. This substitution eliminates the mechanical components that require maintenance and are prone to failure, replacing them with a simpler thermal process that is more reliable and easier to operate.
4Productivity
If conventional steam injection is used, then hydrocarbon mobility improves, but the method cannot be effectively employed in thin heavy oil reservoirs due to heat loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal parameters of the injection fluid by using hydrocarbon-based solvents with higher thermal conductivity and lower heat capacity compared to steam. This parameter change allows for more efficient heat delivery to thin reservoirs with minimal heat loss to the overburden and underburden, making the method applicable to reservoirs where conventional steam injection fails.
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 method improves hydrocarbon recovery efficiency by delivering more heat to the reservoir, reducing viscosity, and increasing production rates while minimizing heat loss and operational costs, particularly suitable for reservoirs where conventional steam methods are ineffective.
Implementation Method 1
the mixture heated at surface in the case of a hydrocarbon/steam injectant... circulating the injection mixture inside the at least one wellbore allowing the injection mixture to increase the temperature of the reservoir and thus reduce the viscosity of the reservoir hydrocarbon
Implementation Method 2
converting at least some of the steam to condensed water... the presence of water/steam in the heated mixture can deliver more heat to the reservoir due to the latent heat of steam
Data Source
AI summary
A method for thermal recovery of hydrocarbon housed in a reservoir comprising injecting a mixture comprising either hydrocarbon and water (for downhole heating) or hydrocarbon and steam (heated at surface) into a wellbore and circulating the heated mixture of hydrocarbon and steam inside the wellbore allowing the heated mixture to increase the temperature of the reservoir and thereby reduce the viscosity of the hydrocarbon within the reservoir. The injection of steam facilitates the delivery of more heat to the reservoir due to the latent heat of steam, compared with circulating heated hydrocarbon alone.