US1105727A - Process of producing gasolene. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM 'WAITZ, OF `0113 CITY, PENNSYLVANIA; JUDSON D. TRAX AND WILLIAM M. PARKER EXECUTORS DI SAID WAITZ, DECEASED. l

PROCESS OF PRODUCING GSOIENE.

Specification. o! Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Application led July 6, 1912. Serial N0. 708,058.

useful Improvements in Processes of Pro-y ducing Gasolene, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is, to provide a process whereby the lighter hydrocarbon liquids and vapor-particularly gasolene* may be extracted from the earths strata wherein they are contained, and morev es ecially in the older developed territorles, where the natural gas pressure has become reduced to such an extent that it will not flow spontaneously from wells which have been drilled into the producing strata, or where the supply of such hydrocarbons has supposedly been wellnigh exhausted, or docs not exist in sufficiently large quantities to pay for operating the wells by any of the methods nou'. employed.

My improved process of producing gasolene consists essentially in passing air or gas or a mixture of the same, under pressure, (that is, compressed air or gas,) of comparatively low tempera-ture, through a stratum in which hydrocarbon fluids are contained, during which passage said air or gas, by reason of a rise in temperature, absorbs a certain amount of hydrocarbon vapor and becomes saturated therewith, then reclaiming or recovering said saturated air or gasy and causing the same to pass through a condenser Wh'erein said vapor is caused to con-l dense and precipitate, then withdrawing said condensation from said condenser, as the product of this process.

The drawing is a more or less ideal illustration showing a vertical section through a portion of the earth, pierced by two Wells through which my process is carried out, the equipment in said wells being shown partly in vertical section and partly in eleva-tion.`

It should be understood, however, that said drawing is illustrative merely, and does not purport to show the only Way in Which my process may be reduced to practice; for instance, whatis herein termed a point of relief is shown as an oil-producing Well,- it need not necessarily be such, neither need the point of injection be a well,it. may be any other means whereby the pressure-Huid may be injected into the producing strata or brought into contact with the hydro-carbon luld or producing stratum within a well, and said Huid pressure may thereafter be Withdrawn from the same well.

As shown in said drawing, I utilize a well 1, which has. been drilled as a gas or oil well and 1s provlded with a casing 2, equipped with a casing-head 3, of substantially the usual type employed in the equipment of such-wells. Into said well is inserted a pipe 4, through which air or gas under pressure is conducted to the oil or gas-producing stratum 5. Preferably, the lower end of said pipe rests upon the bottom of the well and 1s perforated as at 6, to cause the escape of the pressure-fluid, in proximity orat the producing stratum. Above said producing stratum, a wall-packer is located in the well, for the purpose of confining the pressure within the well, so that it must all pass into said producing stratum. A well equipped as above described, I term a pressure well and this pressure well is located in a position which is substantially central to a group of producing wells which are to be connected for the application of my process. To the casing-head 3 of one or more wells, as 7, through which said pressurefluid is to be recovered, I attach the suction or intake-pipe 8 of an air of gas-compressor 9. The discharge-pipe 10 of said compressor is connected to a condenser, which consists substantially of a closed shell or cylinder 11, adapted to contain a refrigerating Huid 12, such as brine, and in which is inclosed or contained a condensation -chamber 13. through which the recovered vapor is caused to pass. From the bottom of chamber 13, a pipe 14 leads to the outside of the condenser, and is adapted for the withdrawal of the condensed Huid into any suitable receptacle, such as barrel 15. From the condensu ing-chamber, a suitable pipe 16 or conduit is passed to the pressure Well and said pipe may be equipped with the necessary valve,` as 17, to control or regulate the admission of the pressure fluid into said pressure well.

The precise form of equipment of the producing well is not material, the only essential bein that it should be cased in the usual Way wit a casing, such as 2', and rovided with a casing-head 3', which may a so be of the usual form, and to which the intake-pipe ofthe compressor may be connected for the recovery of the pressure fluid, as above stated. If the well passesthrough a waterbearingl stratum, a well-packer should, of course, be employed inthe usual way and for the usual purpose. The producing well may be what is termed a gas well, having a product of gas only, or it may be, or have been, an oil well. s shown in the drawing, however, said well is equi ped as an oil well, the equipment being my deep well Huid-displacing device, shown and described in a certain application for Letters Patent f the United States, filed by me on the 15th day of May, 1911, Serial No. 627,185.

Summary: As will be readily understood from` the foregoing specification, together with an inspection of the drawings, the process herein set forth is essentially as follows: Either a suitable gas, such as natural gas, or air, or a mixture of both, is compressed to a suitable pressure; it is then re' frigerated or cooled, preferably to a temperature below that of the oil or gas-producing stratum of the earth, which temperature varies somewhat according to depth, and slightly as to locality, but in-this art ofthe Pennsylvania field, at the depth o 1000 feet, said temperature is approximately 70 F.. The air, after being cooled, as stated, is then injected into and vcaused to permeate and pass through a certainrarea of such stratum to a point of relief, as indicated by the arrows in the drawing; and in said passage,

the rise of temperature which takes place, together with the aiiinity of the pressure fluid for hydro-carbon vapor, causes it to become saturated with said vapor; said vapor is then recovered at said point of relief and again refrlgerated, thuscausing a precipitation of the vapor therein, which vapor is suitably confined and withdrawn as the product of this,process.

I claim:

1. The herein described process of producing gasolene, which consists in compressing a suitable fluid, then refrigeratingthe same, then passing ysaid fluid through a stratum of the earth containing hydro-carbon vapor, then recovering said fluid, then causing a precipitation of the vapor therefrom.

2. The herein described process of producing gasolene, which consists in compressing a suitable gas, then cooling the same, then injecting said gas into a stratum of the earth which contains hydro-carbon fluids and wherein said gas becomes saturated with vapor from such iiuids,pbecause of a rise in temperature, then recovering said as at a suitable point of relief, then causing said vapor to condense.

3. The herein described process of producingl gasolene which consists in compressing a suitable gas, then cooling the same then causing said gas to pass into absor tive relation with a hydro-carbon fluid wit in a well which produces such iuid, whereby said gas becomes saturated with vapors from such iiuid due to a rise of temperature then recovering said gas from said well and causing a precipitation of the vapors therein.

, In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM WAITZ.

Witnesses: g

J. D. TRAX,

PEARL PROPER.

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