Background technology
In heavy oil industry, very wide classification is arranged for heavy oil.These classification are based on the viscosity and the density of material basically, and are divided into following several types usually:
I) heavy oil in
25°>°API>18°
Can flow under the 100cP>μ>10cP, storage condition
Ii) extra heavy oil
20°>°API>12°
10000cP>μ>100cP need comprise that the storage driving is infused in interior production enhancement techniques like heat or water/solvent
Iii) oil-sand and pitch
12 ° of>° API>6 ° need to excavate or heat is driven
μ>10000cP need comprise that the storage driving is infused in interior exploitation enhancement techniques like heat or heat/solvent.
In view of maybe be in Canada, Central America, Russia, China and the world huge heavy oil and the known value of pitch reserves of other area existence, various complete extractions and treatment technology have appearred.
At present, existing pitch and extra heavy oil storage are to use improved thermal recovery technology to exploit, and cause recovery ratio between 20-25%.Prevailing thermal recovery technology is that steam injects, and wherein the heat content from steam is passed to oil through condensation.Certainly, thus this can reduce oil viscosity and makes and can carry out gravity flood and collection.Injection can be driven (CSS) through known cyclic steam, handled up and SAGD oil (SAGD).
Although SAGD is used just more and more widely, it still exists several places of relevant efficient aspect not enough.One is caused the aspect of huge cost is exactly the fuel that is used for the steam generator of driving and generating steam in jection.Optimal fuel is natural gas, but its expense can significantly reduce whole efficiency, and this problem is also mixed with in the steam generator running that uses any hydrocarbon fuel, all discharging the fact of the greenhouse gases (GHG) of different amounts.For example, can produce the carbon dioxide of 8000-15000 metric ton about every day for the pitch that obtains steam in jection and acquisition 100000BOPD.
Another problem of SAGD method is for improving the required upgrading of value of the product that is obtained.
Briefly mention as top, another factor that influences SAGD is that recovery ratio is limited.
For improving described some restriction, the someone has proposed to use the substitute fuel outside the natural gas, to reduce the influence that natural gas constantly increases at least.Be presented to the US6 of Warchol on March 11st, 2003, disclose the suitable fuel that a kind of SAGD of confession manipulates in 530,965.The document has been instructed the pre-dispersed residual oil of preparing in a kind of aqueous matrix, and its incendivity is as substitute fuel.
Consider the problem that prior art exists, still expectation obtains efficient that a kind of method improves the SAGD operation, reduces the formation of excessive GHG and through providing a kind of substitute fuel with hot property of natural gas to reduce cost.
The specific embodiment
As known in the art, only if statement is arranged in addition, SAGD refers to SAGD oil; SYNGAS refers to forming gas, and OTSG refers to the single current steam generation, and GHG refers to greenhouse gases; BOPD is the produce oil barrelage in a few days; COGEN refer to generate electricity or compression service and heat utilization and steam generation unite generation, HRSG refers to the waste heat recovery steam generator, " heavy oil " comprises heavy oil, extra heavy oil and pitch.
In Fig. 1, shown the sketch map of one embodiment of the invention.Numeral 10 is briefly represented whole technology.A kind of mixture that has mixed air, fuel and the oxygen of flue gas recirculation (FGR) stream is supplied to steam generating system 12 to produce steam 16 and flue gas 35.Select flue gas 35 that the mixture of said air, fuel, oxygen and FGR produces enrichment with optimization gas and the exploitation of heavy oil from the rock stratum of containing them, more detailed explanation is arranged below.
The fuel 20 that is contained in any air or oxygen mixture can be selected from any suitable hydrocarbon fuel, and its non-limitative example comprises natural gas, pitch, fuel oil, heavy oil, residue, emulsion fuel, heterogeneous super-fine atomization residual oil (trade mark of MSAR, Quadrise Canada Fuel Systems), asphaltene, coke (petcoke), coal and combination thereof.
To before injecting the rock stratum, handle or modification from the flue gas 35 of system 12 a processing operation 14.The byproduct that is produced by processing unit 14 can randomly be recovered.This flue gas can contain a large amount of gaseous compounds, comprises carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, synthesis gas etc.Under the burning condition of excess oxygen, wherein oxygen content is present in the flue gas 35, and flue gas 35 will mainly contain carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour.The injection gas 45 of treated mistake is injected into gas and the heavy oil rock stratum of generally being represented by numeral 18, is shown as a kind of SAGD (SAGD oil) rock stratum in an embodiment.The method relates to uses viscosity that steam helps reduce the thickness hydrocarbon to promote flowability.Natural gas, pitch and various other hydrocarbon that has value but more or less can not exploit are economically in the past also contained in these rock stratum.Steam 16 as shown in the figure being introduced in the rock stratum 18 from system 12.
Now, because the combining of the injection of flue gas loop and the flue gas 45 of modification, the gas in the rock stratum 18 is become can have been exploited effectively.The combination of these operations has caused success of the present invention.Advantage is that said technology not only can be applied to the rock stratum of gas on pitch, can also be applied to contain the rock stratum that gas, pitch or its combined location are pressed close to.As a kind of non-limiting example, also can exploit laterally or the rock stratum of vertically replacing.This briefly is presented among Fig. 1, with numeral 18 ' expression.The flue gas of modification is injected into 18 ' 45 '.The advantage of this technology also can be used for SAGD chamber or the blowdown discarded, and wherein flue gas can be injected into not only keeping heavy oil recovery, and displacement heavy oil.
The natural gas 25 that cements out from rock stratum 18 be collected and can adopt extra unit operations or wherein a part can recycling carry out the system fuel as steam generation.After this a step does not show in Fig. 1, but within those skilled in the art's limit of power.
Then, the flowed extraction liquid that contains pitch by numeral 22 expressions is carried out oil processing operation 24, its medium pitch 26 is processed removes water entrainment to obtain salable product.Recovered water 26 is further handled in a suitable unit for treating water 28 to remove deasphalting, sclerosis compound, silica and any other unwanted compound to obtain to be suitable for the water of making boiler feed water 30.The result who needs for realization can adopt any suitable water treatment operation.Boiler feed water 30 can recycling get into the manufacturing that system 12 is used for steam 16 then.In addition, handle the water of operating from flue gas, the water of promptly representing with numeral 52 can be in the recycling of 28 places, equally to increase efficient.
In general description after the whole technology, can find out obviously that this technology has many advantages.These advantages comprise:
I) the efficient and environmental safety of harmful smoke is handled;
The gas production rate that ii) improves from the rock stratum;
The thermal recovery operation that iii) improves is so that per unit steam produces more pitch;
Iv) carbon dioxide sequestration is to reduce the GHG discharging;
The v) volume replacement in the rock stratum; With
Vi) any combination of these characteristics.
Referring now to Fig. 2, demonstration be more detailed diagram according to the method for an embodiment.In the illustrated embodiment, providing an air separator unit 40 to be used for carrying out gas before at injection fuel in steam generating system 12 with oxygen separates.Optional provides flue gas recirculation (FGR) loop for system 12.Flue gas recirculation is used for reduction system 12 interior combustion zone temperature so that the performance of steam generator all is consistent at the gamut of the oxygen therapy amount that is used for the steam generation process for combustion air.For higher oxygen content, if there is not flue gas recirculation (FGR), the heat generator temperature will surpass the design of steam generator limit.Leave the flue gas in loop and in processing unit 14, handled, here it stands the removal of suspended particulates, like electrostatic precipitation or dust storage chamber 44, and in the ash discharge of 46 places.Further chilling of quilt and quilt were in 50 further dehydrations before the gas of so handling was compressed at 48 places.Can be recycled to unit for treating water 28 or the MSAR that will discuss hereinafter forms the stage 70 from the water 52 of said operation.Bi-product gas from 14 if produced, can be separated from flue gas and reclaimed and be used to further operation, for example is used for the CO fuel of heating furnace or boiler, is used for the SO2 of commercial distribution or is used for the H2 oxygen supply of asphaltic nature.
In this embodiment, leave the pitch of oil processing unit 24 and can in modifying apparatus 56 partially or completely, handle, at the pitch or the synthetic crude of 58 output upgradings; And the hydrocarbon mixture of being made up of pitch, residual oil, asphaltene or coke etc. can further be processed into MSAR; A kind of in U.S. Pat 6,530, the highly effective fuel that goes through is arranged in 965; Mainly be included in the pre-dispersed residual oil in the aqueous matrix, it can reduce the fuel cost of steam generating system running greatly.Traditionally, the latter is to use natural gas, and its cost is considerably beyond the cost that uses MSAR.Randomly, said fuel can replace with those fuel of previous instruction or augment.
Fig. 3 and 4 has shown the carbon dioxide enriched oxygen demand of flue gas on butt and wet basis with chart respectively.When in the steam generator operation, introducing pure oxygen, will comprise nitrogen still less for a certain amount of carbon dioxide flue gas 35.Therefore not only the amount of flue gas has reduced, and the gas concentration lwevel in the gas of handling 45 has improved.For example, with reference to figure 3, when used oxygen content convergence 100% (0% combustion air), the composition of the flue gas of handling is near 100%CO on butt
2, comprise compounds such as a spot of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide.The main composition of the injection gas 45 that Fig. 3 representes to handle.With reference to Fig. 4, with caption flue gas stream 35 be the main composition before carrying out flue gas in 14 handles.
Fig. 5 is the sketch map in natural gas production of steam loop.In this embodiment, at least a portion natural gas 20 of being replaced can recycling as the fuel that drives steam generating system 12.This representes with numeral 60.The injection flue gas of enrichment is injected into the replacement product fluid, and wherein said injection flue gas can self-definedly comprise the nitrogen of 30%-50% and the carbon dioxide of 70%-50%, and pitch, natural gas, water etc. are at 62 upgradings.The selection of the operation of carrying out in 62 places will be depended on the product of expectation.
The water 52 that reclaims from fume treatment unit 14 can be recycled to 62.
In Fig. 6, steam generation realizes that through using a kind of liquid substitute fuel shown in the embodiment is a kind of pitch or astatki, and perhaps, said pitch or heavy oil are transformed into emulsion fuel.The pitch that was processed that is positioned at pipeline 66 that leaves central authorities' processing equipment 62 can turn to and make a part of material only at pipeline 68 directly as heavy fuel oil perhaps, directly gets into emulsification unit and is used to make a kind of substitute fuel.The emulsification unit stage is represented with 70.Reclaim and the water of the additional amount of circulation can be turned to and introduce unit 70 through pipeline 72 52.In the emulsion fuel unit, the chemical agent that is fit to is added into bituminous material (surfactant or the like) to make substitute fuel.In a single day substitute fuel prepares, and just leaves emulsification unit and can be used as fuel to be introduced into to drive steam generating system 12.Come the natural gas of the gas that quilt is replaced in the comfortable rock stratum 18 to stop no longer to consume the natural gas of any further amount as fuel and this process.So, in case emulsification unit available and stable after, this process only depends on the substitute fuel that himself produces.
In Fig. 7, shown a kind of variant of Fig. 6, wherein added asphalt quality and improved device 76 to the unit operations of central processing unit.The material 66 that leaves central processing unit by upgrading, forms heavy residual oil and leaves 80 and can be made into the substitute fuel of emulsification then and be introduced into vapour system 12 like Fig. 6 in upgrader 76.Thing followed benefit is that oil pitch quality is risen to deasphalted oil or synthetic crude.
In Fig. 8, one embodiment of the invention quilt is used in combination with gas combined heat and power (COGEN) equipment 600 of routine to improve whole thermogravimetric oil extraction operation.Especially; When having combined this embodiment, like foregoing steam generator 12 COGEN waste heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) can be housed compatibly and drive the required energy of handling of injection flue gas compressor with providing to make required whole steam in jections.
Fig. 9 has explained another embodiment, and steam generator 12 combines to produce electric energy with COGEN equipment 600 whereby.The electric energy that is produced can be used to drive the flue gas compressor handled and power is provided so that it can be self-sufficient for complete equipment 10.