EP2324194A1

EP2324194A1 - Method for extracting bitumen and/or ultra-heavy oil from an underground deposit, associated installation and operating method for said installation

Info

Publication number: EP2324194A1
Application number: EP09781501A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Norbert Huber; Bernd Wacker
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2008-09-15
Filing date: 2009-08-05
Publication date: 2011-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-05
Also published as: RU2480579C2; CA2737083C; US20110227349A1; RU2011114802A; CA2737083A1; US8739866B2; ATE547588T1; DE102008047219A1; EP2324194B1; WO2010028917A1

Abstract

A method for extracting bitumen and/or extra-heavy oil from an underground deposit is provided. The energy for producing the steam and for the electric heating is generated in situ, for which purpose part of the extracted bitumen and/or extra-heavy oil is burned in an industrial turbine with a downstream generator coupled to the turbine. The industrial turbine may be a gas turbine or a steam turbine. In particular the industrial turbine with downstream generator is assigned a waste heat recovery steam generator which serves for generating the steam and accordingly takes the form of a boiler. Through intermediate storage of the bitumen and/or ultra-heavy oil produced it is possible to implement a self-contained closed circuit which operates autonomously, independently of any external energy supply, using approx. 20% of the extracted bitumen and/or extra-heavy oil for the purposes of extraction.

Description

description

Process for the extraction of bitumen and / or heavy oil from a subterranean deposit, associated plant and operating procedures of this plant

The invention relates to a process for the extraction of bitumen and / or heavy oil from an underground deposit, in which the viscosity of the bitumen and / or heavy oil is lowered in situ, including the deposit

Energy in the form of vapor flowing through the deposit on the one hand and electrical heating on the other hand is supplied. In addition, the invention also relates to the associated system and to an operating method of this system.

The "in situ" removal of bitumen from oil sands by steam (eg C_yclic S_team Stimulation = CSS) requires large volumes of water vapor to heat up the bitumen in the reservoir 250 ⁰ C and a quality of 0.95, ie in a nearly superheated state Although this steam has a very high energy content, very large quantities of water are produced which, together with the oil, have to be returned to the earth's surface and treated there.

The use of additional electrical heating of a reservoir is already described in DE 10 2007 008 292 A1 as well as in the older German patent applications, not previously published, by the applicant AZ 10 2007 036 832.3,

AZ 10 2007 040 605.5 and AZ 10 2007 040 607.1 and can be successfully demonstrated by computational simulations. Especially in the case of the additional inductive heating proposed there, the EM (electromagnetic) SAGD method is used.

However, the comparatively high price for electrical power reduces the energy compared to the form of energy "steam" economic advantage of the latter proposals.

In practice, bitumen production from oil sands supported by electric heating is not yet commercially used. In known pilot plants, which use a purely electrical, resistive heating, the electrical power is removed from the grid.

The steam for SAGD or CSS processes is mostly produced in separate steam boilers, typically with natural gas (eg Suncor's Millennium Project of "Canadas Oilsands and Heavy OiI", April 2000, http: //www.centreforenerqy. com / documents / 187.pdf - p. 23, bottom) or bitumen It has also been suggested that existing gas and steam power plants, whose electrical energy enters the

Power is fed to extract process steam for the above purpose. These systems are therefore always centrally located and stationary, with the transfer of energy brings not negligible losses.

On this basis, it is an object of the invention to propose a method concept with which the economy of the already proposed method can be improved. In addition, an associated plant with a corresponding operating procedure is to be specified.

The object is achieved by a method according to claim 1. An associated system is specified in the independent claim 11. Their advantageous operating method is the subject of further independent claim 24. Further developments of the method, the system and the associated operating method are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a procedural concept for the promotion of bitumen or heavy oil from oil sands, which is characterized by a self-sufficient energy supply and by an economically particularly favorable promotion. That one- necessary resources are provided with the system according to the invention.

With the invention, an operating concept for the bitumen or heavy oil production from particular oil sand deposits is proposed, in which an industrial turbine is used, which is combined with a generator and a waste heat boiler or a separately fired boiler. The industrial turbine can either be a gas turbine or a steam turbine.

According to the invention, either a waste heat boiler or a fired boiler can be used in the optional use of the gas turbine or the steam turbine. In the waste heat boiler, the waste heat is introduced in the generation of electrical power. The waste heat boiler is supplied by a valve unit with operating water, which is evaporated by the waste heat of the gas turbine. The steam thus generated is supplied to the collector unit. By contrast, with a separately fired boiler, the steam can be generated equally from externally supplied water both for the SAGD method and for the generation of electrical power via the steam turbine.

Optionally, a gas turbine and a steam turbine can be combined with one another within the scope of the invention. Therein, the waste heat is utilized in the generation of electrical power in the gas turbine. In the fired boiler steam can continue to be produced according to the boiler principle, provided that the exhaust gas used for the gas turbine from the steam generator of the waste heat boiler is insufficient. The steam turbine is operated with the resulting excess steam.

In both alternatives, part of the extracted bitumen, preferably about 20%, is burnt. Thus, at the same time electrical power and steam in the ratio of, for example, about 1: 4 are generated in terms of performance. Such a power distribution corresponds to a favorable Ratio of previously performed reservoir simulations for electromagnetic heating combined with steam injection (EM-SAGD).

Particularly advantageous in the invention is the self-contained, self-contained circuit during operation of the EM-SAGD system. This results in the first alternative in particular in that the gas turbine, which must be suitable for the combustion of bitumen or heavy oil, is fired directly with the fuel, which comes from the bitumen production of the exploited oil sands occurrence. The exhaust gas of the gas turbine can be thermally fed to a waste heat boiler with steam generator, which generates such a vapor, the z. B. is about up to 300 ⁰ C hot. The feedwater system of the heat recovery steam generator may be provided with a feed pump so that the reservoir specific pressure can be regulated. The reservoir serves as the condenser, where the steam is fed in via the so-called "injector well." The steam heats the reservoir and makes it more permeable, while the second alternative with the steam turbine produces steam with a separately fired boiler in which fuel is emitted The steam originating from this boiler can, on the one hand, be put on the steam rail of the injector pipelines and, on the other hand, it can drive the steam turbine.

In both cases, the gas turbine or the steam turbine is mechanically coupled to a generator which produces electrical power in a known manner, but which is now used exclusively for the personal use of bitumen or heavy oil production. The electrical power generated in this way is distributed via transformers and switchboards of a so-called "WellPad" in such a way that the individual electrical modules for the EM-SAGD power supply are supplied.The EM-SAGD modules in particular supply inductors, which serve as special cables are arranged in the ground of the reservoir and over which takes place by AC losses an additional warming of the soil, resulting in a Optimization of bitumen production leads.

With the invention, the bitumen production of an existing SAGD plant can be provided with so-called "well pairs" in which a pair consists of an injector well and an associated drainage bitumen production tube or, briefly, production tubing to be improved to a considerable extent. The bitumen-water mixture is conveyed via the conveyor pipe, which lies horizontally under the inductor.

The ratio of applied electrical energy to the inductor and the energy and vapor thus introduced into the reservoir is equal to the ratio of turbine generator generation and the waste heat boiler downstream of the gas turbine. The same applies to the separately flammable steam boiler of the steam turbine. The ratio is typically 1: 3 in both cases. The power for a Wellpair can be about 1 MW of electrical heating and between 3 and 4 MW of steam.

In the method according to the invention, the extracted bitumen-water mixture is purified in a treatment plant and the water is removed. The recovered water is fed into the feedwater system for use in kettles. The bitumen is treated as suitable for transport or refinery, ie dried and cleaned. Undiluted bitumen is branched off to burn it in the industrial gas turbine or in the heated steam boiler. For this purpose, it is necessary to heat the bitumen to about 110 ⁰ C in order to convert it into a sufficiently low viscosity.

Especially when using a gas turbine, although it is necessary for starting from the cold start to temporarily use conventional light fuel oil. After reaching a sufficient combustion chamber temperature and after heating up the bitumen, which can take place from a partial flow of the steam from the waste heat boiler, the fuel supply system ("fuel skid") of the gas turbine can be used on bitumen combustion. be changed. If the turbine is to be switched off, it is necessary to switch back to heating oil operation beforehand so that all bitumen from the supply lines is flushed to the burners.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing in conjunction with the claims.

Show it

Figure 1 shows in perspective a part of an oil sands deposit having means for the known SAGD method and are introduced into the further means for inductive heating of the reservoir, Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the technical equipment

Means for generating electrical power on the one hand and steam generation on the other hand and Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the technical equipment

Means for generating electrical power on the one hand and steam generation on the other.

In the figures, the same units have the same reference numerals. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are described so far together that their differences become clear.

FIG. 1 shows part of an oil sands deposit which can be located a few hundred meters underground.

According to the state of the art described above in the earlier, unpublished German patent application AZ 10 2007 040 605.5, FIG. 1 in an elementary cell 100 of a reservoir includes a steam injector with an injection pipe 101 and a production pipe 102 for bitumen / heavy oil production with simultaneous water recirculation. In particular, for inductive heating separate gene 10, 20 present as inducers, which are closed either underground or over days via a loop 25. Other cells 100 ', 100''... of the reservoir are designed accordingly.

The different operating means for realizing a combined EM-SAGD method with inductive heating are illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3:

In FIG. 2, a gas turbine with a compressor is designated 1. The gas turbine 1 may be a common industrial turbine that is fuelable with different fuels. At the back there is an air inlet and at the side a feed for a fuel.

The gas turbine 1 is followed by an electric generator 2, wherein gas turbine 1 and generator 2 are mechanically coupled. From the generator 2, a switchgear or electrical distribution unit 3 is controlled for power distribution. Vo of the unit 3 for electrical power distribution, a general distributor and collector unit 4 for the distribution of steam and electricity on the one hand and for the collection of the product on the other hand driven. In the art, such a device 4 generally referred to as "WellPad".

From the distributor unit 4, the individual "corrugated pairs" located in the cells 100, 100 ', 100 ",... Of FIG. 1 are each actuated from a pair of pipes with injector conduit 101. A distribution of the energy in the form of steam on the one hand and in the form of electrical power on the other.

The WellPad 4 includes a non-detailed steam busbar, an electrical switchgear and a receiving device for the product being pumped. This means are means for controlling the flow of material in the promotion of bitumen and / or heavy oil including the recycled water realized. Reference numerals 8, 8 ', 8 "... represent inverters for the AC power supply, which is fed by the switchgear.

In the supply unit with the resources, a device for separating the extracted bitumen / heavy oil from the recycled water is also present, which is denoted by 13. Therein, a unit for treatment and recycling of the recirculated water may equally be integrated, further comprising a unit 14 for supply and removal of the water. The treated water can then be equally used for steam generation and is supplied by means of a pump 15 with motor 15 'the waste heat boiler 16 for generating steam. The steam thus generated passes through a valve assembly 22 in the distribution unit 4. Via internal distribution rails, the electrical power and the steam is given to the corresponding outputs of the distributor unit 4.

The reference numeral 17 designates a reservoir for the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil from which, in particular, a discharge line for processing and refining purposes of the conveyed product is removed. A small part of the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil is passed through a heat exchanger unit 18, which has an output for heating the gas turbine 1.

With reference to FIG. 3, alternative or supplemental operating means for realizing a combined SAGD method and electrical heating, in particular inductive heating, are illustrated in FIG. 2:

In FIG. 3, a steam turbine is designated by 11. The steam turbine 11 is a specific industrial turbine that can only be operated with steam. The steam turbine 11 is followed by an electric generator 2, wherein the steam turbine 11 and generator 2 are mechanically coupled. From the generator 2, in turn, the unit 3 for electric power On the other hand, a distribution and collection unit 4 for the distribution of steam and electricity on the one hand and for the collection of the product on the other hand, already referred to as "WellPad", is the summary of several drill holes in a technical unit defined (well = borehole, ped = block, field).

From the distributor unit 4, the individual "Wellpairs" are each driven from a pair of tubes through which a distribution of energy in the form of vapor on the one hand and in the form of electrical power on the other hand is made.

The WellPad 4 contains a steam busbar (not shown in detail), an electrical switchgear and a receiving device for the conveyed product. This means are realized for controlling the flow of material in the promotion of bitumen and / or heavy oil including water. Reference numeral 8 represents an operating unit for the power supply, which is fed by the switchgear.

In the supply unit with the resources is further provided a device for separating the extracted bitumen / heavy oil from the recirculating water, which is denoted by 13. In it, a unit for treatment and reprocessing of the water is equally integrated, with 14 the feedwater system is designated.

With 17 in Figure 2 and Figure 3 are designated storage or storage for the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil, leaving in particular an outgoing line for processing and refining purposes. A certain portion of the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil is passed through a unit 18, and is used to generate steam in the boiler, ie equally steam for the SAGD process and steam for the production of electrical power in the steam turbine for the purpose of inductive heating of the deposit. The two process concepts therefore differ specifically in the design of the industrial turbine: A gas turbine can be operated with different fuels, with the resulting waste heat of the steam for the SAGD process is generated. In contrast, a steam turbine can only be operated with steam, which is initially generated in a boiler by electrically heating water.

In a specific embodiment, a plant of 50 well pairs is used to produce about 50,000 bl bitumen per day. Three gas turbines each with 17 MW electric power are used. Each wellpair requires 1 MW of electrical energy and 3 ... 4 MW of steam. The electricity and steam required for the company's own use to operate the system is diverted. In case of failure of a gas turbine, the power consumption for bitumen production is controlled reduced and distributed according to also distributes the amount of steam.

Overall, in both embodiments, the generation of the necessary energy to promote combustion of extracted bitumen or heavy oil in a self-sufficient, self-contained cycle. For combustion, the bitumen or a bitumen mixture consisting of bitumen / light oil or bitumen / solvent is used, using naphtha as the solvent. A gas turbine is used insofar as an industrial turbine, a fuel processing before the combustion chambers of the gas turbine can ensure that by heating up of the fuel up to 150 ⁰ C a sufficient viscosity is achieved, the injection can take place in the combustion chambers. Separators and filters can be used in the fuel processing, which produce heavy metals, ashes and other particles. It may also be preceded by a distiller whose distillate is fed to the fuel processing of the industrial turbine, the heavier polyaromatics, ie asphaltenes, the produced bitumen, which is transported as a product to the refinery assigned is set. Instead of a distiller, a so-called cracker may be provided which degrades long-chain hydrocarbons to a suitable fuel.

In both described in detail plant schemes is essential to realize a self-contained, self-sufficient cycle for bitumen / heavy oil production, which requires no additional external electrical energy supply. This makes it independent of existing networks, so that the entire system is mobile and at changing locations of an oil sands or oil shale occurrence with each already existing SAGD conveyor system is operational.

Claims

claims

1. A method for the production of bitumen and / or heavy oil from an underground deposit, in which the viscosity of the heavy oil 'in situ' is lowered, including the deposit energy in the form of vapor flowing through the deposit on the one hand and electrical power to the inductive and / or resistive Heating is supplied on the other hand, with the following measures: - the energy for generating the steam and equally for electrical heating is generated locally at the location of the conveyors,

for this purpose a part of the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil is used to operate an industrial turbine with coupled generator for generating electrical power,

- On the one hand, the electric generator provides the power for electrical heating and on the other hand, a boiler associated with the industrial turbine for steam generation by evaporation of water is used.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that on the other hand about 20% of the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil is used to generate the electrical power on the one hand and the water vapor.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the generated electrical power and the water vapor in a ratio of about 1: 4 are obtained with respect to the energy content.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the combustion and use of the bitumen and / or heavy oil takes place in a self-sufficient closed circuit.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that for combustion bitumen or a bitumen mixture consisting made from bitumen / light oil or bitumen / solvent (naphtha).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a gas turbine is used as an industrial turbine, with the different gaseous fuels are combustible.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that a fuel treatment in front of the combustion chambers of the gas turbine ensures that by heating the fuel to up to 150 ° C, such a viscosity of the fuel is achieved, which allows the injection into the combustion chambers.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a steam turbine is used as the industrial turbine, which is operable with the steam generated from the bitumen / heavy oil combustion.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that separators and filters are used for fuel treatment, the heavy metals, ash and other particles

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that a distiller is connected upstream, the distillate of the fuel treatment of the industrial turbine is supplied, wherein the heavier polyaromatics (asphaltenes) is added to the produced bitumen, which is transported as a product to the refinery

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that instead of a distiller, a cracker is provided, the degraded long-chain hydrocarbons to a suitable fuel.

12. Plant for the extraction of bitumen and / or heavy oil from a subterranean deposit, intended to reduce the Viscosity of the heavy oil is heated, including water vapor is introduced on the one hand in the deposit and passed through and what the deposit is additionally electrically heated, characterized in that an industrial turbine (1, 11) with subsequent electric generator (2) is present, the industrial turbine ( 1) is heated with the bitumen and / or heavy oil, which is conveyed from the underground deposit (100).

13. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that the industrial turbine is a gas turbine (1).

14. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that the industrial turbine is a steam turbine (11).

15. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that an aboveground intermediate storage (17) for the extracted bitumen and / or heavy oil is present.

16. Plant according to claim 15, characterized in that the intermediate storage facility (17) is preceded by a device for separating the bituminous water / heavy oil mixture and for treating the bitumen and / or heavy oil.

17. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that a switchgear (4) for controlling the electric heating device (8, 10, 20, 25) is present.

18. Plant according to claim 17, characterized in that the electric heating device consists of at least one inductor

(10, 20, 25), which are guided as a closed electrical loop to each other in the deposit (100).

19. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that the industrial turbine (1, 11) is associated with a waste heat boiler (16) as a heat storage, the stored heat is used for the evaporation of water.

20. Plant according to one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that the industrial turbine (1, 11) including the generator (2) and waste heat storage (16) and the supply units for the steam preparation devices (16, 16 ') and the inductors (10, 20, 25) form a networked circuit.

21. Plant according to claim 20, characterized by a self-sufficient operation in the supply of the industrial turbine (1, 11) with conveyed bitumen and / or heavy oil.

22. Plant according to claim 17, characterized in that the industrial turbine (1, 11) is regulated according to heating requirements by the necessary for heating the reservoir heat in a control device is calculated and that for the industrial turbine (1, 11) including electricity and steam generation necessary fuel is supplied.

23. Plant according to claim 22, characterized in that with the industrial turbine (1, 11) as much steam is generated as necessary for the process and that the excess electrical power is fed into the network.

24. Operating method for a system according to claim 12 or one of claims 13 to 23, with an industrial turbine, separate storage for light fuel oil and for bitumen and / or heavy oil and associated supply lines, characterized by the following method steps:

- The industrial turbine is first started up with conventional light fuel oil

- After starting bitumen and / or heavy oil is fed into the industrial turbine and

- The combustion of bitumen and / or heavy oil is used to generate electrical power on the one hand and steam on the other hand.

25. Operating method according to claim 24, characterized in that bitumen and / or heavy oil from the intermediate storage rather used.

26. Operating method according to claim 24, characterized in that before switching off the industrial turbine (1, 11) switched to heating oil operation and the bitumen and / or heavy oil is rinsed from all supply lines.