US2994372A - Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs - Google Patents

Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US2994372A
US2994372A US703681A US70368157A US2994372A US 2994372 A US2994372 A US 2994372A US 703681 A US703681 A US 703681A US 70368157 A US70368157 A US 70368157A US 2994372 A US2994372 A US 2994372A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
reservoir
oil
well
injection
zone
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US703681A
Inventor
Herbert L Stone
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Jersey Production Research Co
Original Assignee
Jersey Production Research Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Jersey Production Research Co filed Critical Jersey Production Research Co
Priority to US703681A priority Critical patent/US2994372A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2994372A publication Critical patent/US2994372A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/34—Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well
    • E21B43/40—Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials

Definitions

  • hydrocarbon fluid usually containing methane and higher molecular weight hydrocarbon components.
  • the solution of these components in the residual oil, especially the components less volatile than methane. leads to high oil recovery.
  • An' oil whichvhas been diluted byextensive solution of these components that is, lighter hydrocarbons such as'ethane, propane. butano, pentane', etc.
  • g. -a natural gas which contains large quantities of these com- .ponente is said to be enriched
  • Thismethod requires the injection of large v volume of the hydrocarbon-mixture, which volume is diicult and expensivejto obtain.
  • this invention comprises the steps of producing from a subsurface reservoir through a production well, separating the produced oil into a fluid phase containing .light hydrocarbon components and a liquidphase containing heavier hydrocarbon components; ⁇ injecting the light hydrocarbon components into the reservoir through a first injection well, the first injection well being spaced from' the production vwell and then injecting the heavier .hydrocarbon components into the reservoir through a second injection well, said second injection well being spaced from the production well andthe rst injection Weil.
  • FIG. 2. is a schematic view, illustrating another embodimcnt of the invention. .f
  • numeral .1() designates the surface of the earth upon which are arranged injection wells 11 and 12, a production well 13, aseparator 1S, a pump and a compressor 17.
  • yAn oil reservoir 14 is located below the surface of the earth 10 as shown.
  • Injection wells 11 and 12 and production well 13 extend below the surface of the earth 10 to reservoir 14.
  • separator 15 On the surface of the earth production Well 13 uidly connects with separator 15, which is, in turn,
  • Zones 22 and 24 may or may not exist depending upon the length of time the operation has been conducted.
  • Tnc embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 is similar-except production well 13 isv positioned between injection wells -11 and i2. Thus for the operation described supra an enriched fluid invaded zone 20 is formed adjacent injection well 1 1 and non-enriched fluid invaded zone 21 is adjacentzone 2i). However, original reservoir oil zone jected liquid zone 23 extendsfrominjection well 12 to ln both embodiments reservoir oil is produced from production well 13 and sent to separator 15 where the oil is separated into. a fluid .containing the lighter hyarrowed line 25 wherein the uidphase is compressed to a pressure sulcient to displace the reservoir oil. From compressor 17 the tluidis sent to injection well 11 as indicated 'by arrowcd line 26.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a method for improving recovery of reservoir oil by preventing or lessening reservoir pressure decline when displacing 'reservoir oil with a light hydrocarbon mixture separated from produced reservoir oil wherein the pressure decline inhibitor is easy and economical to obtain and consists of a recycled heavier hydrocarbon phase.
  • FIGA is aschematic view illustrating one embodiment i fof the method'of the invention.
  • zone 20 When the enriching components of zone 20 reach injection well 12, the uid injected through well 11 then will be dissolving in the liquid injected'through well 12 and zone 20 will have ceased'v growing.
  • the optimum location of liquid injection well 12 is such that zone 2,0 reaches injection well 12 at the same time that zone 23 reaches production well 13.
  • Thevalue L1 represents the minimum desirable value in all cases. ⁇ In some instances, it may be desirable to relax the first restriction, that is to allow simultaneous production of injected'oil and reservoir oil. Such larger than indicated by Equation l. However, this increase will. be limited by the practical problems of handling the resulting large volumes of produced fluids.
  • zone 2l production is from the center of the-reservoir and time as the stripped injection lluid (zone 2l) reaches production well 13.
  • An additional factor F is employed 70 injection well at approximately the same time said heavy which is similar to E, i.e., it is the ratio of the total 'volume of fluid injected per unit cross-sectional area of theex'perimental reservoir to the length of the experimental reservoir. However (F) is evaluated at the time of stripped gas (gas in equilibrium with the reservoir oil) breakthrough rather than at the time injected ene v 'r The ratio E of thetotal 4 richedlluid is first-produced. Also thelength of zone 2li is designated I3.. l
  • the location of the-central production well i3 andthe length or" the enriched zone l1 are determinedas follows:
  • Equations l and 2 The ratio G/O in Equations l and 2 is equal to'the gas-oil ratiotat reservoir conditions)l of the fluid pro- 'duced from well 13.
  • This gas may be rich in intermediates or it may be a lean gas consisting principallyA of 'methane or 40 even of more insoluble materials such as air or nitrogen.
  • a method for increasing recovery of oil from a a uid phase containing. substantially light hydrocarbon recycling or the oil will permit L1 to be made somewhat vcon-iponents having no more :than 6A carbon atoms per molecule and a liquid phase containing substantially heavy hydrocarbon components having more than 6 carbon atoms per molecule; and simultaneously while producing oil from said reservoir, injecting said light hydrocarbon components into Said reservoir through at least one lrst injection well to displace reservoir oil to said production well and said heavy hydrocarbon components into said reservoir through at least one second injection well to inhibit reservoir pressure decline, said second injection well being Ilocated between said first injection Welland said production well, and selectively spaced therefrom in a manner such that said light hydrocarbon components injected through said first injection well-reach said second hydrocarbon components injected through said second injection well reach said -production well.
  • a method for increasing recovery of oil fro'ma subsurface reservoir comprising the steps of producing oil from said reservoir through at least one production well;

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)

Description

Augylylg H. L. sToNEj METHOD of INCREASING. RECOVERY mou on. volss Filed Dec, V18. 1957,.' 2 Shaets-he'e't I '-sEPAnAToR Aolwmisson I7 Y I A A s3 A NoN--Umcu 'fogigmA'L huisjes uoulo Lum {MNED nuwmvnuso 55m/0'* .0 zong:
'zone 3 I 1 Y F56.; 2A. l INVNTOK HERBERT L. STONE ATTORNEY.
iin-ritje States arent @thee assiste Patented Aug. i 1961 mmol) or INCREASING itncovEn-r FROM ou.
i v nasnnvoins f l Herbert L.v Stone, Houston, Tex., assgnor, by meme assigniments;l 'to 'Iuls.a,.-Okla.,a corporation of'Delaware FiledDec. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 703,681-
zclaims. (ci. 16e-7) 'Jersey Production Research Company,
` contained-in the reservoirs.
Current oil productionI practices fail to recover much of the 011 originally in place in natural reservoirs. As a consequence thereofy much effort has been devoted 'injection well 12 and oil is to devising methods of improving the'ultimate recovery f of the-oil in the reservoirs. One such method for im- .proving'recovery of oil consists in displacing the reservoir oil withva hydrocarbon mixture as, for example. a
hydrocarbon fluid'usually containing methane and higher molecular weight hydrocarbon components. The solution of these components in the residual oil, especially the components less volatile than methane. leads to high oil recovery. An' oil whichvhas been diluted byextensive solution of these components (that is, lighter hydrocarbons such as'ethane, propane. butano, pentane', etc.) or g. -a natural gas which contains large quantities of these com- .ponente is said to be enriched Thismethod, however, requires the injection of large v volume of the hydrocarbon-mixture, which volume is diicult and expensivejto obtain.
Most natural reservoir oils have dissolved in them large i quantities of'llight hydrocarbons, such as methane, ethane,
- 2?. liesbetween production well'13 and zone 21 and inpropane, butane, pentanejetc. vWhen ,these lighter hy-"v Y drocarbons are separated from heavier hydrocarbon com- 'Y ponents in a separator or distillation column` the result- 4ing more volatile mixture is of a composition sufficiently enriched with intermediate hydrocarbons (cthane, propane, butane, etc.) as to give highoil recoveries. However, when oil Ais-produced from areservoir and separated into a light component 'phase and a heavy component phase and the light component phase compressed and reinjected intothe formation, the reservoir pressure declinesvbe'causeof the removal of the heavy component phase.v A pressure decline in the reservoir interferes with` ultimate recovery of the oil.
Briey, this invention comprises the steps of producing from a subsurface reservoir through a production well, separating the produced oil into a fluid phase containing .light hydrocarbon components and a liquidphase containing heavier hydrocarbon components;` injecting the light hydrocarbon components into the reservoir through a first injection well, the first injection well being spaced from' the production vwell and then injecting the heavier .hydrocarbon components into the reservoir through a second injection well, said second injection well being spaced from the production well andthe rst injection Weil.
2 i, FIG. 2. is a schematic view, illustrating another embodimcnt of the invention. .f
Referring to FIGS. l and 2 more specifically, numeral .1() designates the surface of the earth upon which are arranged injection wells 11 and 12, a production well 13, aseparator 1S, a pump and a compressor 17. yAn oil reservoir 14 is located below the surface of the earth 10 as shown. Injection wells 11 and 12 and production well 13 extend below the surface of the earth 10 to reservoir 14. On the surface of the earth production Well 13 uidly connects with separator 15, which is, in turn,
connected to pump 16 and compressor 17.
As illustrated in the drawings a light hydrocarbonv mix--V ture is being injected through injection well 11, a heavy hydrocarbon liquid mixture is being injected through A13. Zones 22 and 24 may or may not exist depending upon the length of time the operation has been conducted.
Tnc embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 is similar-except production well 13 isv positioned between injection wells -11 and i2. Thus for the operation described supra an enriched fluid invaded zone 20 is formed adjacent injection well 1 1 and non-enriched fluid invaded zone 21 is adjacentzone 2i). However, original reservoir oil zone jected liquid zone 23 extendsfrominjection well 12 to ln both embodiments reservoir oil is produced from production well 13 and sent to separator 15 where the oil is separated into. a fluid .containing the lighter hyarrowed line 25 wherein the uidphase is compressed to a pressure sulcient to displace the reservoir oil. From compressor 17 the tluidis sent to injection well 11 as indicated 'by arrowcd line 26. The stripped liquid from the .-separator is sent to pump 16, as indicated by arrowed line An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a method for improving recovery of reservoir oil by preventing or lessening reservoir pressure decline when displacing 'reservoir oil with a light hydrocarbon mixture separated from produced reservoir oil wherein the pressure decline inhibitor is easy and economical to obtain and consists of a recycled heavier hydrocarbon phase.
This and other objects of the invention will be appar- FIGA is aschematic view illustrating one embodiment i fof the method'of the invention; and
'27, wherein the liquid phase is pumped to a pressure suicient to displace the 'reservoir oil.v From pumpvl the liquid is sent to injection well 12, as indicated by arrowed 1 The practical size of the enriched uid bank (zone 2.0)y is limited by 'two' factors. (l) After the linjected liquid zone 23 reaches the production well 135 the produced lluid will yield much less light hydrocarbons than before. Continuing the operation involves recycling-large qauntities ot' oil which previously have been produced and stripped of lighter components. Therefore, to `determine the optimum location of injection well 12, it is Y j assumed that the return of stripped liquid to the reservoir will be stopped when stripped liquid begins to be produced from well 13. (2) When the enriching components of zone 20 reach injection well 12, the uid injected through well 11 then will be dissolving in the liquid injected'through well 12 and zone 20 will have ceased'v growing. Thus, the optimum location of liquid injection well 12 is such that zone 2,0 reaches injection well 12 at the same time that zone 23 reaches production well 13.
being produced through pro-- with the v 'embodi- ,This location may be determined approximately as follows:
i Laboratory displacement experiments are conducted 'wherein a model linear reservoir of length L' is completely charged with oil and connate water at actual res- A ervoir temperature and pressure to simulate actual reservoir conditions. The lmodel-porous medium has permeability and porosity characteristics similar `to-the actual reservoir characteristics. A fluid hydrocarbonk mixture ofthe same composition to be injected through inthe .experimental reservoir to, the length of the experimental reservoir is evaluated at the time the injected enriched iiuidis first produced. v
. For purposes of calculation.v a linear system is'considered where L1 is the distance between injectionwell 11 "-1 and injection well 12; I1 is the length of zone l20at any time; L2 is the distance between injection 1 well- 12 and production well 13; Zz'is theflength of zone 23 at any timejL is the total length of the reservoir; fp is the porosity of the reservoir;.G is the cumulative-volume (at reservoir conditions) of liuid injected intowell 11 per unitof cross-sectional area of the reservoiraO is 'the volume of oil-`(at reservoir conditions) injected, through injection ivell 12 per unit o'cross-sectional area ofthe reservoir. I 'Ihen, at yany given time Y j As Zone. fill-reaches injection'well 12 at the'sametime that zone Z4 reaches production well i3,
Similar relationships to determine the optimum locationof injection lwell 12 can be derived for non-linear -reservoirs.. Thevalue L1 represents the minimum desirable value in all cases.` In some instances, it may be desirable to relax the first restriction, that is to allow simultaneous production of injected'oil and reservoir oil. Such larger than indicated by Equation l. However, this increase will. be limited by the practical problems of handling the resulting large volumes of produced fluids.
` in the embodiment of FIG. 2 the'lrelative locations of production well 13 and injection well 12 are reversed.
APlflxus, production is from the center of the-reservoir and time as the stripped injection lluid (zone 2l) reaches production well 13. An additional factor F is employed 70 injection well at approximately the same time said heavy which is similar to E, i.e., it is the ratio of the total 'volume of fluid injected per unit cross-sectional area of theex'perimental reservoir to the length of the experimental reservoir. However (F) is evaluated at the time of stripped gas (gas in equilibrium with the reservoir oil) breakthrough rather than at the time injected ene v 'r The ratio E of thetotal 4 richedlluid is first-produced. Also thelength of zone 2li is designated I3.. l
The location of the-central production well i3 andthe length or" the enriched zone l1 are determinedas follows:
- The ratio G/O in Equations l and 2 is equal to'the gas-oil ratiotat reservoir conditions)l of the fluid pro- 'duced from well 13.
Y The choice of the arrangement for the injection wells and the production well is determined by which gives the greater length-of enriched zone L1.
At any'desired time the recycling operation may be halted and extraneous gas injection at injection well 11. This gas may be rich in intermediates or it may be a lean gas consisting principallyA of 'methane or 40 even of more insoluble materials such as air or nitrogen.
Whatever typegas is injected, recovery of oil will be enhanced by the presence of the enriched zone 20.
For purposes of illustration the description herein reters yto single tlu'id injection, liquid injection and production wells.- -However, it is to be understood the invention encompasses the more 'practical arrangement wherein a V`v`plurali-ty of nid injection, liquid injection and production wells are used. v
Having fully4 described the nature, objects, and opere ation of my invention, I claim:
l. A method for increasing recovery of oil from a a uid phase containing. substantially light hydrocarbon recycling or the oil will permit L1 to be made somewhat vcon-iponents having no more :than 6A carbon atoms per molecule and a liquid phase containing substantially heavy hydrocarbon components having more than 6 carbon atoms per molecule; and simultaneously while producing oil from said reservoir, injecting said light hydrocarbon components into Said reservoir through at least one lrst injection well to displace reservoir oil to said production well and said heavy hydrocarbon components into said reservoir through at least one second injection well to inhibit reservoir pressure decline, said second injection well being Ilocated between said first injection Welland said production well, and selectively spaced therefrom in a manner such that said light hydrocarbon components injected through said first injection well-reach said second hydrocarbon components injected through said second injection well reach said -production well.
'2. A method for increasing recovery of oil fro'ma subsurface reservoir comprising the steps of producing oil from said reservoir through at least one production well;
segnata-ting said produced oi-l into only two phases, a uiid phase containing.substantially light vhydrocarbon compohent's .having-*no more than 6 carbon atoms per mole- "culeiand a liquidphase containing substantially heavy well andv said heavy hydrocarboncomponents-into said roilfrorn said reservoir, injecting'said light-hydrocarbon components i-n-to said reservoir through at least one. first injection `well to displace reservoir oil to said production first injection well reach said productionfwell atfapproxiv mately the same time said heavy hydrocarbon components injected through said second injection well reach said production well.
References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Garrison Sept. 26, 1944 2,412,765 Buddrus Dec. 17, 1946 2,867,277 Weinaug et al. Jan. 6, 1959 1,927,637- Draper e Mar. 8.l 1960 I FOREIGN PATENTS 726,712
f Great Britain t Mar. 23,1955
US703681A 1957-12-18 1957-12-18 Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs Expired - Lifetime US2994372A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US703681A US2994372A (en) 1957-12-18 1957-12-18 Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US703681A US2994372A (en) 1957-12-18 1957-12-18 Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2994372A true US2994372A (en) 1961-08-01

Family

ID=24826360

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US703681A Expired - Lifetime US2994372A (en) 1957-12-18 1957-12-18 Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US2994372A (en)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3212579A (en) * 1959-09-02 1965-10-19 Cryer Del Apparatus for automatic gas lift operation of oil wells
US3223157A (en) * 1963-04-09 1965-12-14 Exxon Production Research Co Oil recovery process
US3319713A (en) * 1964-02-11 1967-05-16 Olan T Moore Method of determining the oil availability contour of an oil field
US3333631A (en) * 1964-12-03 1967-08-01 Mobil Oil Corp Method for optimum miscible flooding of reservoirs using a model to determine input profile
US20110108269A1 (en) * 2007-11-19 2011-05-12 Claudia Van Den Berg Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas
US20110180254A1 (en) * 2008-07-14 2011-07-28 Claudia Van Den Berg Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2358920A (en) * 1941-11-27 1944-09-26 Texaco Development Corp Production of distillate
US2412765A (en) * 1941-07-25 1946-12-17 Phillips Petroleum Co Recovery of hydrocarbons
GB726712A (en) * 1953-04-13 1955-03-23 Stanolind Oil & Gas Co Improvements in or relating to recovery of oil from reservoirs
US2867277A (en) * 1956-02-14 1959-01-06 Univ Kansas Res Foundation Production of hydrocarbon material
US2927637A (en) * 1956-09-13 1960-03-08 Jersey Prod Res Co Secondary recovery technique

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2412765A (en) * 1941-07-25 1946-12-17 Phillips Petroleum Co Recovery of hydrocarbons
US2358920A (en) * 1941-11-27 1944-09-26 Texaco Development Corp Production of distillate
GB726712A (en) * 1953-04-13 1955-03-23 Stanolind Oil & Gas Co Improvements in or relating to recovery of oil from reservoirs
US2867277A (en) * 1956-02-14 1959-01-06 Univ Kansas Res Foundation Production of hydrocarbon material
US2927637A (en) * 1956-09-13 1960-03-08 Jersey Prod Res Co Secondary recovery technique

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3212579A (en) * 1959-09-02 1965-10-19 Cryer Del Apparatus for automatic gas lift operation of oil wells
US3223157A (en) * 1963-04-09 1965-12-14 Exxon Production Research Co Oil recovery process
US3319713A (en) * 1964-02-11 1967-05-16 Olan T Moore Method of determining the oil availability contour of an oil field
US3333631A (en) * 1964-12-03 1967-08-01 Mobil Oil Corp Method for optimum miscible flooding of reservoirs using a model to determine input profile
US20110108269A1 (en) * 2007-11-19 2011-05-12 Claudia Van Den Berg Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas
US20110180254A1 (en) * 2008-07-14 2011-07-28 Claudia Van Den Berg Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3823777A (en) Multiple solvent miscible flooding technique for use in petroleum formation over-laying and in contact with water saturated porous formations
US10577533B2 (en) Unconventional enhanced oil recovery
US3057404A (en) Method and system for producing oil tenaciously held in porous formations
US2910123A (en) Method of recovering petroleum
US3878892A (en) Vertical downward gas-driven miscible blanket flooding oil recovery process
US2885003A (en) Recovery of hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs
US3983939A (en) Method for recovering viscous petroleum
US3837399A (en) Combined multiple solvent miscible flooding water injection technique for use in petroleum formations
US2798556A (en) Secondary recovery process
US10829682B2 (en) Miscible solvent assisted gravity drainage
US6405799B1 (en) Process for in SITU upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon
US3223157A (en) Oil recovery process
US3163215A (en) Producing plural subterranean strata by in situ combustion and fluid drive
US2994372A (en) Method of increasing recovery from oil reservoirs
US3157230A (en) Method of recovering oil from an oil-bearing reservoir
US2708481A (en) Recovery of hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs
US2609051A (en) Method for recovery of oil from wells
US2994373A (en) Method of increasing oil recovery
USRE24873E (en) Gas production
US3149668A (en) Gas recovery from gas condensate reservoirs
US2736381A (en) Method of increasing recovery from a subsurface oil or condensate reservoir
Castanier Steam with additives: field projects of the eighties
US2878874A (en) Producing petroleum from underground formations
US2357703A (en) Distillate field production
US2297832A (en) Extraction and treatment of volatile liquid hydrocarbons