JP2009046825A - Method and equipment for drilling heavy oil - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable unused heavy oil such as oil sand to be inexpensively drilled by using as small investment resources as possible. <P>SOLUTION: A medium lead-in pipe 1 and an oil-well pipe 2 are arranged in a heavy oil stratum A. A high-temperature exhaust gas 5 generated by burning fuel 4 by a combustion device 6 is supplied into the medium lead-in pipe 1, and blown into the heavy oil stratum A, so that the heavy oil stratum A can be heated for the fluidization of the heavy oil. The fluidized heavy oil 8 is pumped up by means of the oil-well pipe 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mining heavy oil, and more particularly, a method for mining heavy oil that enables mining unused heavy oil such as oil sand at low cost with as little investment resources as possible. And an apparatus.

  With the depletion of oil resources, oil sands are gaining attention as a fuel oil source to replace crude oil. Oil sands are those in which heavy hydrocarbons having an API of 8 to 16 adhere to the surface of sand, and those having a hydrocarbon content of 10% or more are considered to be resource-effective. The oil sands are produced in large numbers in Canada and Venezuela, and it is reported that they are widely distributed and buried in other regions.

  The above heavy oil such as oil sand is rarely produced when exposed to the ground surface, and generally forms a heavy oil layer deep in the ground. As a method for mining heavy oil in such a heavy oil layer, a steam assisted gravity drainage method (SAGD method) has been conventionally known.

  In this SAGD method, a water vapor injection pipe and an oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer in the ground, and the heavy oil layer is heated by injecting water vapor into the heavy oil layer through the water vapor injection pipe. By carrying out over the above period, the viscosity of the heavy oil is lowered, and the heavy oil whose viscosity has been lowered is pumped up after flowing into the oil collection pipe.

Regarding the method for producing oil sand oil from the oil sand described above, Patent Document 1 and the like exist, but as described above, as described above, a technique for arranging the steam injection pipe and the oil collecting pipe in the heavy oil layer, and Few patents have been filed for technology for enabling heavy oil to be mined at low cost with a small investment resource by using a steam injection pipe and an oil collection pipe arranged in the heavy oil layer.
JP 2002-338968 A

  As described above, among oil sand mining techniques, the SAGD method has attracted the most attention and its commercialization has been promoted, but has problems in facilities and resources associated with steam injection.

  That is, a steam injection pipe is arranged in the underground heavy oil layer, and the heavy oil layer is heated to near 200 ° C. by supplying water vapor to the steam injection pipe to fluidize the heavy oil. It is necessary to continue to supply water vapor for a period of more than half a year until the heavy oil is fluidized.

  As described above, in the SAGD method, since it is necessary to continue supplying a large amount of water vapor for a long period of time, it is necessary to secure a large amount of water source locally, but when a water source cannot be secured at the oil sand mining site In such a case, there is a problem that the oil sand cannot be mined.

  In addition, in order to continue supplying water vapor, a large amount of fuel for heating water is required, but this fuel may not be procured locally. In this case, it is necessary to transport the fuel from a remote location. There is a problem that it costs a lot of money.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and a heavy oil mining method capable of mining unused heavy oil such as oil sand at a low cost with as little investment resources as possible, and An object is to provide an apparatus.

  In the present invention, the medium introduction pipe and the oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer, and the heavy oil layer is formed by supplying high temperature exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel in the combustion device to the medium introduction pipe and blowing it into the heavy oil layer. The present invention relates to a heavy oil mining method, characterized in that the heavy oil is fluidized by heating and the fluidized heavy oil is pumped up by the oil collecting pipe.

  In the above heavy oil mining method, a medium introducing pipe and an oil collecting pipe are used by using a pipe burying method in which an insertion pipe is added to the rear end of the tip device and inserted into the ground, and the excavated material inside is taken out to the outside. Is disposed in the heavy oil layer, and the excavated heavy oil excavated when the medium introduction pipe and the oil sampling pipe are disposed in the heavy oil layer is preferably used as the fuel for the combustion device.

  Further, in the heavy oil mining method, a medium introduction pipe and an oil collection pipe different from the above are arranged in the heavy oil layer, and a refining plant for refining heavy oil pumped by the oil collection pipe is provided, Supplying the plant high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the refining plant to the separate medium introduction pipe and heating the heavy oil layer, fluidizing the heavy oil, and pumping the fluidized heavy oil through the separate oil collection pipe Is preferred.

The present invention includes a medium introduction pipe having an inlet and disposed in a heavy oil layer;
An oil collection pipe having an oil collection opening and disposed in the heavy oil layer;
A combustion device;
A high temperature exhaust gas supply device for boosting high temperature exhaust gas generated by burning fuel in the combustion device and supplying the high temperature exhaust gas to the medium introduction pipe;
The present invention relates to a heavy oil mining apparatus comprising a pump for pumping up heavy oil that has flowed into the oil collection pipe.

  In the heavy oil mining apparatus, a refinery plant for refining heavy oil by introducing heavy oil pumped by the pump, and a plant high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the refinement plant are pressurized to separate It is preferable to have a high-temperature exhaust gas supply device that supplies the medium introduction pipe.

  According to the heavy oil mining method and apparatus of the present invention, the high-temperature exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel in the combustion device is supplied to the medium introduction pipe disposed in the heavy oil layer to heat the heavy oil layer and Since the oil is fluidized, it is not necessary to secure a water source as in the conventional method using steam, and a large amount of high-temperature exhaust gas heated by the combustion of fuel is supplied to the heavy oil layer. Can be effectively heated.

  Further, the medium introduction pipe and the oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer by using a pipe burying method in which an insertion pipe is added to the rear end of the tip device and inserted into the ground, and the internal excavated material is taken out to the outside. Since the heavy oil drilled when the medium introduction pipe and the oil collecting pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer is used as the fuel for the combustion device, the initial fuel cost for combustion in the combustion device can be greatly saved. effective.

  In addition, a medium introduction pipe and an oil collection pipe different from the above are arranged in the heavy oil layer, a purification plant for refining heavy oil pumped up by the oil collection pipe is provided, and the plant high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the purification plant is After the refinery plant was installed, the heavy oil was fluidized by supplying it to another medium introduction pipe and fluidizing the heavy oil layer, and the fluidized heavy oil was pumped up by the separate oil collection pipe. Since the heavy oil layer can be heated by the plant high-temperature exhaust gas, there is an effect that the mining range of heavy oil can be expanded without consuming new fuel for generating the high-temperature exhaust gas.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a heavy oil digging method according to the present invention, wherein 1 is a medium introduction pipe inserted and arranged in the heavy oil layer A (oil sand layer) in the ground from the ground, 2 is from the ground It is an oil collection pipe inserted and arranged in the heavy oil layer A in the vicinity of the medium introduction pipe 1 and deeper than the medium introduction pipe 1, and the portion arranged in the heavy oil layer A of the medium introduction pipe 1 and the oil collection pipe 2 includes As shown in FIG. 2, a fore edge 3 is formed.

  On the ground is provided a combustion device 6 that generates high-temperature exhaust gas 5 by being supplied with fuel 4 and combusted. Further, the high-temperature exhaust gas 5 from the combustion device 6 is pressurized and supplied to the medium introduction pipe 1. A high-temperature exhaust gas supply device 7 is provided. Further, a pumping pump 9 for pumping up heavy oil 8 that has flowed into the oil collection pipe 2 is provided at a portion of the oil collection pipe 2 that is led to the ground. A heavy oil receiving tank 10 receives the heavy oil 8 pumped up by the pumping pump 9.

  In order to mine the heavy oil in the heavy oil layer A with the configuration of FIG. 1, first, the combustion device 6 burns the fuel 4 to generate the high temperature exhaust gas 5, and the high temperature exhaust gas 5 is boosted by the high temperature exhaust gas supply device 7. And supplied to the medium introduction tube 1. The high temperature exhaust gas 5 supplied to the medium introduction pipe 1 is preferably higher in temperature. In order to heat the heavy oil in the heavy oil layer A to near 200 ° C. to fluidize the heavy oil, the temperature is 300 ° C. or higher, at least 400 It preferably has a temperature of from ° C to 500 ° C.

  The high-temperature exhaust gas 5 supplied to the medium introduction pipe 1 is blown into the heavy oil layer A from the small opening 3 shown in FIG. 2 provided in the heavy oil layer A part of the medium introduction pipe 1 to heat the heavy oil layer A. . At this time, the high temperature exhaust gas 5 blown into the heavy oil layer A has a high temperature such as 400 ° C. to 500 ° C., but is a combustion exhaust gas in which oxygen is consumed by combustion. There is no such problem.

  As described above, when the supply of the high temperature exhaust gas 5 to the medium introduction pipe 1 is continued for a long period (for example, more than half a year) and the temperature of the heavy oil layer A is raised to nearly 200 ° C., the heavy oil is softened and fluidized. The fluidized heavy oil 8a flows into the oil collecting pipe 2 disposed at the lower portion as indicated by an arrow in FIG.

  Accordingly, the heavy oil 8a that has settled and flows into the oil collection pipe 2 through the small mouth 3, and therefore, the heavy oil 8 can be pumped into the heavy oil tank 10 by driving the pumping pump 9. .

  3 to 5 show specific forms for carrying out the mining method shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example of a method for arranging the medium introduction pipe 1 in the heavy oil layer A, and a pipe insertion facility 11 is installed on the ground. The tube insertion equipment 11 is connected to the insertion tube 13 formed with a plurality of small openings 3 as shown in FIG. 2 at the rear end of the tip device 12 and inserted into the ground. The pipe embedding method is shown in which the medium introduction pipe 1 is arranged in the heavy oil layer A by repeating the operation of successively adding and inserting additional insertion pipes 13. At this time, the medium introduction pipe 1 may be arranged so that the medium introduction pipe 1 extends along the direction in which the heavy oil layer A extends by a direction control device (not shown) provided in the tip device 12, or the medium introduction pipe 1 may be inserted into the heavy oil layer A while being inclined, or inserted vertically into the heavy oil layer A. Further, the tip device 12 is provided with a soil discharge pipe 14 for sequentially discharging the excavated material taken into the tip device 12 when the tip device 12 is inserted into the ground. The heavy excavation oil 15 taken into the earth drain pipe 14 is sent to the ground storage tank 17 by the discharge pump 16 so as to be stored. At this time, it is possible to know whether or not the medium introduction pipe 1 is inserted and disposed in the heavy oil layer A by observing the excavated matter taken out by the earth discharging pipe 14.

  As a method for burying the medium introduction pipe 1 in the ground, various methods such as a tunnel digging method and a pipe press-fitting method which have been conventionally performed can be adopted. The diameter of the medium introduction pipe 1 is, for example, about Since a relatively small diameter of about 1 meter may be used, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-303780, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-193793, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-156683, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-259692. The medium introduction tube 1 can be disposed in the ground using a technique.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a method for arranging the oil collecting pipe 2 in the heavy oil layer A following the medium introducing pipe 1. The pipe inserting equipment 11 provided on the ground is used in the same manner as the medium introducing pipe 1. The oil collection pipe 2 is inserted and arranged in the ground by sequentially connecting the insertion pipe 13 formed with a plurality of small openings 3 as shown in 2 to the rear end of the tip device 12. Even when the oil collection pipe 2 is inserted into the heavy oil layer A, the heavy excavation oil 15 taken into the tip device 12 is supplied to the storage tank 17 by the discharge pump 16 and stored.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a combustion apparatus 6 that generates high-temperature exhaust gas 5 by burning fuel 4 is installed on the ground, and the high-temperature exhaust gas 5 from the combustion apparatus 6 is boosted to increase the medium introduction pipe 1. A high-temperature exhaust gas supply device 7 for supplying to is installed. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a pump 9 for pumping heavy oil 8 that has flowed into the oil collecting pipe 2 is provided on the ground, and a heavy oil tank 10 for storing the pumped heavy oil 8 is provided.

  Next, the operation of the illustrated example will be described.

  In FIG. 5, the combustion device 6 is driven by using the heavy excavation heavy oil 15 stored in the storage tank 17 as the fuel 4, and the high temperature exhaust gas 5 generated at this time is pressurized by the high temperature exhaust gas supply device 7 to the medium introduction pipe 1. Supply. The high temperature exhaust gas 5 supplied to the medium introduction pipe 1 is blown into the heavy oil layer A from the small opening 3 (see FIG. 2) provided in the medium introduction pipe 1, whereby the heavy oil layer A is heated. The operation of supplying the high temperature exhaust gas 5 to the medium introduction pipe 1 and heating the heavy oil layer A is performed, for example, for a period of six months or more. At this time, when the excavation heavy oil 15 stored in the storage tank 17 is lost due to the combustion in the combustion device 6 over a long period of time, another required fuel 4 is procured and the combustion is continued.

  As described above, when the supply of the high temperature exhaust gas 5 to the medium introduction pipe 1 is continued for a long period (for example, more than half a year) and the temperature of the heavy oil layer A is raised to nearly 200 ° C., the heavy oil is softened and fluidized. The fluidized heavy oil 8a flows down into the oil collection pipe 2 as it flows toward the oil collection pipe 2 disposed in the lower part as shown by the arrow in FIG. By driving 9, the heavy oil 8 can be pumped into the heavy oil tank 10.

  As described above, the high-temperature exhaust gas 5 generated by burning the fuel 4 in the combustion device 6 is supplied to the medium introduction pipe 1 disposed in the heavy oil layer A to heat the heavy oil layer A and flow the heavy oil 8a. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a water source as in the conventional method using steam, and a large amount of high-temperature exhaust gas 5 heated by the combustion of the fuel 4 is supplied to the heavy oil layer A. A can be effectively heated.

  Further, as described above, the medium introduction pipe 1 and the oil collection pipe are used by using the pipe burying method in which the insertion pipe 13 is added to the rear end of the tip device 12 and inserted into the ground, and the excavated material inside is taken out to the outside. 2 is arranged in the heavy oil layer A, and the excavated heavy oil 15 excavated when the medium introduction pipe 1 and the oil collecting pipe 2 are arranged in the heavy oil layer A is used as the fuel 4 of the combustion device 6, The fuel cost combusted by the combustion device 6 can be greatly saved.

  6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention, and a refining plant 18 for refining by introducing heavy oil 8 pumped up by the oil collecting pipe 2 and stored in the heavy oil tank 10 is provided. Shows the case. The refining plant 18 performs fractional distillation, reforming, etc. of the heavy oil 8 using the heat of the combustion device 19 that combusts a part of the heavy oil 8. High temperature exhaust gas 20 is generated.

  On the other hand, the medium introduction pipe 1a and the oil collection pipe 2a, which are different from the medium introduction pipe 1 and the oil collection pipe 2 arranged in the heavy oil layer A as described above, are converted into the heavy oil layer A by the same method as in FIGS. Deploy. Excavation heavy oil 15 excavated when the other medium introduction pipe 1a and oil collection pipe 2a are arranged in the heavy oil layer A is supplied to the heavy oil tank 10 as shown by a broken line in FIG. The oil 8 can be supplied as a raw material to the refinery plant 18.

  When another medium introduction pipe 1a and oil collection pipe 2a are arranged in the heavy oil layer A, a high exhaust gas supply device 21 is provided for boosting the plant high temperature exhaust gas 20 around 500 ° C. generated from the combustion device 19 of the refining plant 18. Thus, the heavy oil layer A is heated by supplying the plant high temperature exhaust gas 20 to the other medium introduction pipe 1a.

  The plant high-temperature exhaust gas 20 supplied to the other medium introduction pipe 1a is blown into the heavy oil layer A from the small opening 3 (see FIG. 2), whereby the heavy oil layer A is heated. The operation of supplying the plant high temperature exhaust gas 20 to the other medium introduction pipe 1a and heating the heavy oil layer A is performed, for example, for a period of six months or more.

  As described above, if the supply of the high temperature exhaust gas 5 to the other medium introduction pipe 1a is continued for a long period (for example, more than half a year) and the temperature of the heavy oil layer A is raised to nearly 200 ° C., the heavy oil is softened. The fluidized and fluidized heavy oil 8a flows downward into another oil collecting pipe 2a arranged at the lower part as shown by an arrow in FIG. Therefore, by driving the pumping pump 9, the heavy oil 8 can be supplied to the heavy oil tank 10 as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the heavy oil 8 pumped up by the oil collecting pipe 2a is supplied to the refining plant 18 together with the heavy oil 8 pumped up by the oil collecting pipe 2 to be refined.

  As described above, the plant high-temperature exhaust gas 20 generated from the combustion device 19 of the refining plant 18 is supplied to another medium introduction pipe 1a disposed in the heavy oil layer A to heat the heavy oil layer A to obtain the heavy oil 8a. Since fluidization is used, it is not necessary to secure a water source as in the conventional method using steam, and heavy oil can be excavated at low cost using the plant high-temperature exhaust gas 20 generated in the refining plant 18. .

Therefore, after the refining plant 18 is installed, the heavy oil layer A can be heated by the plant high-temperature exhaust gas 20, so that even if a new medium introduction pipe 1a and oil collection pipe 2a are installed in the heavy oil layer A. The heavy oil excavation range can be expanded with less investment resources without the installation of a new combustion device for generating high-temperature exhaust gas and the consumption of fuel.
It should be noted that the heavy oil mining method and apparatus of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the mining method of the heavy oil by this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the insertion pipe | tube which comprises the medium introduction pipe | tube and oil collection pipe | tube arrange | positioned at a heavy oil layer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the specific example of the method of arrange | positioning a medium introduction pipe | tube to a heavy oil layer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the specific example of the method of arrange | positioning an oil collection pipe | tube to a heavy oil layer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the mining method of the heavy oil which heated the heavy oil layer using heavy excavation oil. It is a schematic plan view which shows the form which arrange | positions another refinement | purification plant which refine | purifies heavy oil, and another medium introduction pipe | tube and an oil collection pipe | tube in a heavy oil layer. The It is a schematic sectional drawing of FIG. It is a schematic plan view which shows the state which pumps up heavy oil with another oil collection pipe | tube. It is a schematic sectional drawing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medium introduction pipe 1a Another medium introduction pipe 2 Oil collection pipe 2a Another oil collection pipe 4 Fuel 5 High temperature exhaust gas 6 Combustion device 7 High temperature exhaust gas supply device 8 Heavy oil 8a Fluidized heavy oil 9 Pumping pump 12 Tip device 13 Insertion Pipe 15 Heavy drilling oil 18 Refinery plant 20 Plant high temperature exhaust gas 21 High temperature exhaust gas supply device A Heavy oil reservoir

Claims (5)

  The medium introduction pipe and the oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer, and the high temperature exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel in the combustion device is supplied to the medium introduction pipe and blown into the heavy oil layer, thereby heating the heavy oil layer A heavy oil mining method characterized by fluidizing a heavy oil and pumping the fluidized heavy oil through the oil collecting pipe.   An insertion pipe is added to the rear end of the tip device and inserted into the ground, and the medium introduction pipe and oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer using a pipe burying method in which the excavated material inside is taken out to the outside. The heavy oil mining method according to claim 1, wherein excavation heavy oil excavated when the medium introduction pipe and the oil collection pipe are arranged in the heavy oil layer is used as fuel for the combustion device.   A medium introduction pipe and an oil collection pipe different from the above are arranged in the heavy oil layer, a purification plant for refining heavy oil pumped up by the oil collection pipe is provided, and the plant high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the purification plant is The heavy oil mining method according to claim 1, wherein the heavy oil is fluidized by supplying to another medium introduction pipe and heating the heavy oil layer, and the fluidized heavy oil is pumped up by the separate oil collection pipe. . A medium introduction pipe disposed in the heavy oil layer with an introduction port;
An oil collection pipe having an oil collection opening and disposed in the heavy oil layer;
A combustion device;
A high-temperature exhaust gas supply device for boosting high-temperature exhaust gas generated by burning fuel in the combustion device and supplying the high-temperature exhaust gas to the medium introduction pipe;
A heavy oil mining apparatus comprising a pump for pumping up heavy oil that has flowed into the oil collection pipe.   A refinery plant for refining heavy oil by introducing heavy oil pumped by the pump, and a high-temperature exhaust gas supply for boosting the plant high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the refinement plant and supplying it to a separate medium introduction pipe The heavy oil mining device according to claim 4, comprising a device.

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