WO2013075206A1 - Procédé de récupération de pétrole par balayage en ligne dans un puits horizontal - Google Patents

Procédé de récupération de pétrole par balayage en ligne dans un puits horizontal Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2013075206A1
WO2013075206A1 PCT/CA2011/001308 CA2011001308W WO2013075206A1 WO 2013075206 A1 WO2013075206 A1 WO 2013075206A1 CA 2011001308 W CA2011001308 W CA 2011001308W WO 2013075206 A1 WO2013075206 A1 WO 2013075206A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
well
reservoir
horizontal
horizontal well
oil
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PCT/CA2011/001308
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English (en)
Inventor
Conrad Ayasse
Original Assignee
Archon Technologies Ltd.
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.)
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Publication date
Application filed by Archon Technologies Ltd. filed Critical Archon Technologies Ltd.
Priority to PCT/CA2011/001308 priority Critical patent/WO2013075206A1/fr
Priority to BR112014012612A priority patent/BR112014012612A2/pt
Priority to MX2014006253A priority patent/MX2014006253A/es
Priority to CN201180076077.1A priority patent/CN104024570A/zh
Priority to ROA201400387A priority patent/RO129942A2/ro
Priority to RU2014125499/03A priority patent/RU2014125499A/ru
Priority to US13/314,078 priority patent/US8960317B2/en
Publication of WO2013075206A1 publication Critical patent/WO2013075206A1/fr

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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
    • E21B43/24—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons using heat, e.g. steam injection
    • E21B43/2406—Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]
    • 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
    • E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
    • E21B43/24—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons using heat, e.g. steam injection
    • E21B43/243—Combustion in situ
    • 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
    • E21B43/30—Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimizing the spacing of wells
    • E21B43/305—Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimizing the spacing of wells comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an oil extraction process, and more particularly to a method of extracting oil from subterranean hydrocarbon deposits using horizontal wells.
  • Steam-based oil recovery processes are commonly employed to recover heavy oil and bitumen.
  • steam-assisted-gravity-drainage (SAGD) and cyclic steam injection are used for the recovery of heavy oil and cold bitumen.
  • SAGD steam-assisted-gravity-drainage
  • cyclic steam injection When the oil is mobile as native oil or is rendered mobile by some in situ pre-treatment, the steam drive process may also be used.
  • a serious drawback of steam processes is the inefficiency of generating steam at the surface because a considerable amount of the heat generated by the fuel is lost without providing useful heat in the reservoir. Roger Butler, in his book "Thermal Recovery of oil and Bitumen', p.
  • US Patent 5,273,111 (Brannan et al, 1993) teaches a steam-based pattern process for the recovery of mobile oil in a petroleum reservoir.
  • a pattern of parallel offset horizontal wells are employed with the steam injectors.
  • the horizontal sections of the injection wells are placed in the reservoir above the horizontal sections of the production wells, with the horizontal sections of the production wells being drilled into the reservoir at a point between the base of the reservoir and the midpoint of the reservoir.
  • Steam is injected on a continuous basis through the upper injection wells, while oil is produced through the lower production wells. In situ combustion processes are not mentioned.
  • US Patent 7,717,175 (Chung et al, 2010) discloses a solvent-based process utilizing horizontal well patterns where parallel wells are placed alternately higher and lower in a
  • THAITM is a registered trademark of ARCHON Technologies Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta for "Oil recovery services, namely, the recovery of oil from subterranean formations through in-situ combustion techniques and methodologies and oil upgrading catalysts" reservoir with the upper wells used for production of solvent-thinned oil and the lower wells for solvent injection. Gravity-induced oil-solvent mixing is induced by the counter-current flow of oil and solvent.
  • the wells are provided with flow control devices to achieve uniform injection and production profiles along the wellbores. The devices compensate for pressure drop along the wellbores which can cause non-uniform distribution of fluids within the wellbore and reduce reservoir sweep efficiency. In situ combustion processes are not mentioned.
  • WO/2009/090477 discloses an in situ combustion pattern process wherein a series of vertical wells that are completed at the top are placed between horizontal producing wells that are specifically above an aquifer. This a angement of wells is claimed to be utilizable for oil production in the presence of an aquifer.
  • US Patent Application 2010/0326656 discloses a steam pattern process entailing the use of alternating horizontal injection and production wells wherein isolated zones of fluid egress and ingress are created along the respective wellbores in order to achieve homogeneous reservoir sweep.
  • the alternating wellbores may be in the same vertical plane or alternating between low and high in the reservoir, as in US Patent 5,803,171.
  • Hot vapour is injected in the upper wells (e.g. Steam).
  • An ideal oil recovery processes for recovering oil from an underground reservoir has a high sweep efficiency, uses a free (no cost) and infinitely available injectant, requires no purchased fuel, generates heat precisely where it is needed- at the oil face, and scavenges heat from the reservoir where heating of a reservoir was used . Additionally, a high oil production rate, especially in the initial stage of the exploitation, is critical to the viability and/or profitability of an oil recovery process.
  • the present invention a horizontal well line-drive process for recovery of oil from hydrocarbon-containing underground reservoirs, has two advantages over a "Staggered Well” pattern configuration of oil recovery, the latter being a non-public method of oil recovery conceived by the inventor herein and more fully disclosed below, which "Staggered Well” method in many respects is itself an improvement, in certain respects and to varying degrees, over the above prior art methods and configurations.
  • HWLD horizontal well line-drive
  • the horizontal well line-drive process of the present invention for a comparable volumetric sweep area and near identical total oil recovery, has been experimentally shown to require fewer wells than the "Staggered Well" configuration, thus significantly reducing the capital costs to an oil company to develop and produce oil from an underground hydrocarbon-containing formation.
  • a first horizontal well is drilled high in a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing reservoir, and a medium such as a gas is injected into the reservoir via perforations in a well liner in such first horizontal well. Oil, water and gas are co-produced via a second parallel laterally offset horizontal well, placed low in the reservoir.
  • a third parallel horizontal well is drilled low in the reservoir laterally spaced apart from the second horizontal well, and used to produce oil, while at the same time the second horizontal well (initially a production well) is converted to an injection well, and such gas likewise injected into the formation via such second horizontal well so as to allow the combustion front to be continually supplied with oxidizing gas to permit continued progression of the combustion front and thus continued heating of oil ahead of the advancing combustion front, which drains downwardly and is collected by the horizontal wells drilled low in the formation ahead of (or at least below) the advancing combustion front .
  • the steps of drilling further horizontal, parallel, laterally spaced apart wells low in the formation , and successively converting 'exhausted" production wells to injection wells to further the recovery of oil from remaining production wells is continued in a substantially linear direction along the reservoir in order to exploit the reservoir in a single direction as a 'line-drive-process' that achieves high reservoir sweep efficiency.
  • the injectant if a gas, may be a solvent gas such as C0 2 or light hydrocarbon or mixtures thereof, steam or an oxidizing gas such as oxygen, air or mixtures thereof. Alternatively the injectant may be any mixture of solvent, steam or oxidizing gas.
  • a favoured embodiment utilizes steam injectant and the most favoured embodiment utilizes oxidizing gas as the injected medium.
  • the process When the process utilizes oxidizing gas injectant and in situ combustion, it meets the commercial needs of relatively low energy costs and low operating costs by providing a novel and efficient method for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation containing mobile oil.
  • the distance between the parallel and offset horizontal well producers, as well as the well lengths, will depend upon specific reservoir properties and can be adequately optimized by a competent reservoir engineer.
  • the lateral spacing of the horizontal wells can be 25-200 meters, preferably 50-150 meters and most preferably 75-125 meters.
  • the length of the horizontal well segments can be 50-2000 meters, preferably 200-1000 meters and most preferably 400-800 meters.
  • the uniform delivery of gas along the length of the injection well and uniform collection of oil along the production well may be obtained, or further enhanced, by varying the number and size of perforations along the well liner in an injector well, to balance the pressure drop along the well.
  • a pressure-drop-correcting perforated tubing can be placed inside the primary liner of the injector well. This has the advantage of utilizing gas flow in the annular space to further assist the homogeneous delivery of gas.
  • similar methodologies may be applied to the production wells in order to more uniformly collect mobile oil along substantially the entire length of the production well, and assist in preventing "fingering" of injectant gas directly into production wells .
  • the outside diameter of the horizontal well liner segments can be 4 inches to 12 inches, but preferably 5-10 inches and most preferably 7-9 inches.
  • the perforations in the horizontal segments can be slots, wire-wrapped screens, Facsrite 1 " 1 screen plugs or other technologies that provide the desired degree of sand retention.
  • the injected gas may be any oxidizing gas, including but not limited to, air, oxygen or mixtures thereof.
  • FacsriteTM is an unregistered trademark of Absolute Completion Technologies for well liners having sand screens therein It is desirable to achieve equal gas injection rates along the injector well and equal fluid production rates along the horizontal production well in order to obtain the greatest reservoir sweep efficiency and uniform recovery.
  • the maximum gas injection rate will be limited by the maximum gas injection pressure, which must be kept below the rock fracture pressure, and will be affected by the length of the horizontal wells, the reservoir rock permeability, fluid saturations and other factors.
  • such method is directed to a method for recovering oil from a hydrocarbon- containing subterranean reservoir, comprising the steps of:
  • such method further comprises additional repeated steps to allow a progressive "sweep" in a generally linear direction along said formation, including the further steps of : successively drilling additional horizontal wells low in said reservoir substantially parallel to and substantially co-planar with the third horizontal well but laterally spaced apart therefrom and from each other; and successively converting penultimate wells of said additional horizontal wells from a production well to an injection well for injecting said gas, steam, or a liquid so as to cause oil in said reservoir to move from within said reservoir downwardly into a last of said additional horizontal wells.
  • the first medium and the second medium are one and the same medium.
  • such medium is a gas which is soluable in the oil.
  • the medium is a gas, namely C02, light hydrocarbons, or mixtures thereof.
  • such medium comprises oxygen gas, air, or mixtures thereof for the purpose of conducting in situ combustion
  • said method further comprises the step , after step (iii) , of igniting hydrocarbons in the reservoir in a region proximate the first horizontal well, and withdrawing oil and combustion by-products from the subterranean formation via the second well and /or simultaneously or subsequently via the third well.
  • the step of igniting the hydrocarbons and withdrawing combustion by-products and oil via said second horizontal well and/or said third horizontal well causes a combustion front to move laterally from said first horizontal well in the direction of said second and third horizontal wells, thereby heating oil in said reservoir and causing said oil to drain downwardly for collection by said second and/or third horizontal wells.
  • such method comprises: (i) drilling a first horizontal well relatively high in said reservoir, having a plurality of apertures along a length of said first well ;
  • combustion ignition can be accomplished by various means well known to those skilled in the art, such as pre-heating the near-wellbore oil with hot fluids such as steam or the injection of spontaneously ignitable fluid such as linseed oil prior to injection of oxidizing gas.
  • hot nitrogen 400 °C.
  • said step (iii) of injecting a gas, steam, or liquid into said first horizontal well comprises the step of injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into one end of said first horizontal well
  • said step of withdrawing oil from said second horizontal well comprises the step of withdrawing said oil from one end of said second well , said one end of said second well situated on a side of said reservoir opposite a side thereof at which said one end of said first horizontal well is situated.
  • said step of injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into said second horizontal well may comprise the step of injecting ⁇ said gas, steam, or liquid into an end of said second horizontal well situated on a side of said reservoir opposite an end of said third horizontal well from which said oil is collected from.
  • proximal ends of mutually adjacent wells may be situated on mutually opposite sides of said reservoir .
  • the first end of each of the second well and third well may be situated on the same side of the reservoir.
  • said step of injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into said second horizontal well comprises injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into a second end of said second well via tubing, which tubing extends internally within said second well substantially from said first end to said second end of said second well.
  • said step of injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into said second horizontal well may comprise injecting said gas, steam, or liquid into said first end of said second well
  • said step of withdrawing oil from said third well comprises withdrawing such oil from a second end of said third well via tubing , said tubing extending internally within said third well from said first end to substantially said second end of said third well.
  • the first horizontal well has a well liner in which said plurality of apertures are situated, and a size of said apertures or a number of said apertures within said liner within said first horizontal well progressively increase from a first end to a second end of said first horizontal well.
  • progressive increase in aperture size or number of apertures along the length of well liners in each of second, third, or subsequent wells may likewise be utilized.
  • Fig. 1 shows a perspective schematic view of a subterranean hydrocarbon- containing reservoir of the "staggered well " configuration, having a plurality of horizontal injection wells located high in the reservoir and a plurality of alternatingly-spaced horizontal production wells situated low in the reservoir;
  • Fig. 1a shows a similar perspective schematic view of a subterranean hydrocarbon- containing reservoir of the "staggered well " configuration, to show the model used in Example 1 of the computer simulation , and which produced the experimental test results (line “B") of Fig. 5;
  • Fig. 2 (i)-(iii) are views on section A-A of Fig. 1, at various time intervals, showing a variation of the Staggered Well method of producing oil, which may optionally use a line drive of oil recovery in the direction of arrow "Q;
  • Fig. 3 shows a perspective schematic view of a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing reservoir of the horizontal well line drive ("HWLD") configuration of the present invention, having a first horizontal well located high in the reservoir, and a plurality of spaced horizontal production wells situated low in the reservoir;
  • Fig. 4a (i) - iii) are views on section B-B of Fig. 3, at successive time intervals, showing a method of producing oil using such "horizontal well line drive” configuration, showing the method for causing a line drive of oil recovery in the direction "Q;
  • Fig. 4b (i) -(iii) are views on section B-B of Fig. 3, at successive time intervals, showing a modified method of producing oil using such "horizontal well line drive” configuration, showing the method for causing a line drive of oil recovery in the direction "Q;
  • Fig. 4c (i) -(iv) are views on section B-B of Fig. 3, at successive time intervals, showing a further variation of the method of producing oil using such "horizontal well line drive” configuration, showing the steps for causing a line drive of oil recovery in the direction "Q;
  • Fig. 5 is a graph of cumulative oil recovery versus time (years), comparing cumulative oil recovery of the "staggered well” method of recovery shown in Fig.'s 1 & 2 (line “B” of Fig. 5), to the cumulative oil recovery obtained using the "horizontal well line drive " method of the present invention shown in Fig. 4b (i)-(iii), for a reservoir having the horizontal well locations and configuration shown in Fig. 11 (line “A” of Fig. 5);
  • Fig. 6 is a perspective schematic view of a subterranean hydrocarbon- containing reservoir of the "horizontal well line drive " configuration of the present invention similar to Fig. 3;
  • Fig. 7 is a view on a modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 6, showing two of such horizontal mutually- adjacent wells, wherein in a further embodiment tubing is used to deliver a medium such as an oxidizing gas to a "toe" (ie distal) end of the horizontal injection well;
  • a medium such as an oxidizing gas
  • Fig. 8 is a view on a modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 6, showing two of such horizontal mutually- adjacent wells, wherein in a further embodiment tubing is used to recover oil from a "toe" (ie distal) end of the horizontal production well;
  • Fig. 9 is a view of an alternative modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 6, showing two of such horizontal mutually-adjacent wells, wherein apertures therein are more closely spaced and more numerous towards the "toe" (ie distal) end of each of such horizontal wells;
  • Fig. 10 is a view of a further alternative modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 6, showing two of such horizontal mutually-adjacent wells, wherein apertures therein are larger towards the "toe" (ie distal) end of each of such horizontal wells;
  • Fig. 10 is a view of an alternative modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 6, showing two of such horizontal mutually-adjacent wells, wherein apertures therein are larger towards the "toe" (ie distal) end of each of such horizontal wells
  • FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic view of a subterranean hydrocarbon- containing reservoir similar to Fig. 6, showing a modified "horizontal well line drive " configuration of the present invention , and which configuration produced the experimental test results (line “A") of Fig. 5;
  • Fig. 12 is a view of a modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 11 , showing two of such horizontal mutually- adjacent wells , wherein apertures therein are larger towards the "toe" (ie distal) end of each of such horizontal wells; and
  • Fig. 13 is a view of a modification to the parallel, mutually adjacent but spaced-apart horizontal injection (production) wells of Fig. 11 , showing two of such horizontal mutually- adjacent wells , wherein apertures therein are more numerous and more closely spaced towards the "toe" (ie distal) end of each of such horizontal wells.
  • Fig.'s 1 & 1a show a developed hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation/reservoir 22 of the "staggered well” (hereinafter "Staggered Well” configuration) , which does not form part of the invention claimed herein but forms subject matter of another application of the undersigned inventor, such other application being commonly assigned with the present invention.
  • Stggered Well a developed hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation/reservoir 22 of the "staggered well” (hereinafter "Staggered Well” configuration) , which does not form part of the invention claimed herein but forms subject matter of another application of the undersigned inventor, such other application being commonly assigned with the present invention.
  • parallel horizontal injection wells 1, 1 ', & 1 " of each of length 6 are placed parallel to each other in mutually spaced relation, all situated high in a hydrocarbon-containing portion 20 of subterranean formation/reservoir 22 of thickness 4, situated below ground-level surface 24.
  • Parallel horizontal , spaced apart production wells 2, 2' & 2" of similar length 6 are respectively placed low in the reservoir 22, midway between respective injection wells 1, 1 ', and 1 ", to make a well pattern array of staggered and laterally separated parallel and alternating horizontal gas injection wells 1 , 1 ', & 1 " and fluid production wells 2, 2' & 2", as shown in Fig. 1 and 1a..
  • the hydrocarbon-containing reservoir 22 shown in Fig. 1 possesses two and one-half injection wells 1 , V, & 1 " (edge injection well 1 and edge production well 2" each respectively constituting one-half well) for a total of five horizontal wells in the pattern. Conducting three repetitions of the method of Fig. 1 requires fifteen horizontal wells, as shown in Fig. 1a.
  • the lateral spacing 5 of the injection wells 1 , 1', & 1" and production wells 2, 2' & 2" is preferably uniform.
  • the vertical segments 8 of the horizontal injection wells 1 , 1 ' & 1 " are at opposite ends compared with the vertical segments 9 of the horizontal production wells 2, 2' & 2".
  • the vertical segments 8 of the injection wells 1, 1', & 1" are offset by the well width 6 from the vertical segments 9 of the production wells. This is to minimize short-circuiting of injection gas into the production wells 1, 1', & 1 " as explained above.
  • the pattern shown can be extended indefinitely away from the face 3 and/or the face 6 as desired to cover a specific volume of oil reservoir 22. For example, for a channel deposit the pattern could extend across the width of the channel.
  • additional arrays are placed adjacent to the first array, and so on, eventually exploiting the entire reservoir 22.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention horizontal injector wells 1 , 1 ' & 1 " and production wells 2, 2' & 2" which are simultaneously drilled, each possess well liner segments 30 situated in each of horizontal wells 1 , 1 ', & 1 " and 2, 2' & 2" which contain apertures 24, from which a medium such as an oxidizing gas, air, oxygen alone or in combination with carbon dioxide or steam, steam alone, or a diluent such as a hydrocarbon diluent , or combinations thereof, may be injected into the hydrocarbon-containing portion 20 via an injector well 1 , 1 ', & 1 " , and through which oil may be allowed to flow through to collect in a horizontal production well 2, 2' & 2" .
  • a medium such as an oxidizing gas, air, oxygen alone or in combination with carbon dioxide or steam, steam alone, or a diluent such as a hydrocarbon diluent , or combinations thereof
  • such well liners 30 and the apertures 24 therein may take the form of slotted liners, wire- wrapped screens, Facsrite tm screen plugs , or combinations thereof, to reduce the flow of sand and other undesirable substances such as drill cuttings , from within the formation 22 into the production wells 2, 2' & 2" .
  • a medium such as an oxidizing gas, air, oxygen alone or in combination with carbon dioxide or steam, steam alone, or a diluent such as a hydrocarbon diluent , or combinations thereof, is injected into formation 22 via apertures in horizontal injector wells 1 , V, & 1", to cause mobility of oil in the oil-containing portion 20 of formation 22.
  • Such oil flows downwardly within formation 22, and is collected in horizontal collector wells 2, 2' & 2".
  • the Staggered Well method may alternatively utilize a line drive configuration, such method shown in Fig. 2 (i)-(iii), in which three phases are implemented.
  • Fig. 2 shows views on section A-A of Fig. 1 , at successive respective time intervals (i), (ii), & (iii), showing a method of causing a line drive of oil recovery in the direction "Q" using such "Staggered Well” configuration.
  • the injector well 1 , and producer well 2 and 2' are first drilled, and production from wells 2 and 2' commenced. Thereafter in a second phase [Fig.
  • a third injector 1 " and a third producer 2" are drilled, and injection and production commenced respectively in regard to such wells.
  • a fourth injector 1"' and a fourth producer 2"' are drilled, with production ceasing from production well 2, and injection and production commenced in injection well 1 "' and production well 2"' respectively.
  • the process may be continued indefinitely as shown in Fig. 1 a , until reaching an end of reservoir 22
  • such "Staggered Well” method may simply consist of simultaneously drilling a set number of injector wells (eg. such as three wells 1, 1', & 1") and a corresponding number of producer wells (eg.
  • Fig's. 3, 6 & Figs. 4a-4c shows an alternative well arrangement / configuration (Fig. 3,6) and method (Figs. 4a-4c) for recovery of oil from a reservoir 22, namely the horizontal well line drive ("HWLD") configuration and method respectively of the present invention, to develop an oil bearing portion 20 of a reservoir 22 of a thickness 4, a width 6, and which comprises a plurality of segments 50a-50o each of length 5 consecutively positioned commencing from plane 7 and progressing to the right of the page, as shown in Fig's 3 and 6.
  • HWLD horizontal well line drive
  • a first horizontal injection well 1 is drilled high within oil-containing portion 20 of reservoir 22, along edge 7, and a second parallel horizontal well 2 is drilled low in oil-containing portion 20 of reservoir 22, laterally spaced apart from first injector well 1.
  • Horizontal wells 2 & 2' have vertical portions 3 at each of their respective heel portions 42 which extend to surface 24.
  • the distance separating planes 7 and 8 represent the edges of the oil-swept volume of oil containing portion 20 of reservoir 22 in a first phase of the method of the present invention.
  • the position of vertical segment 3 of first injection well 1 is offset by the well length 6 from the vertical segments 3 of the production wells 2 & 2'. This is to minimize short-circuiting of injection gas into the production wells as explained above.
  • the pattern shown can be extended indefinitely away from the face 7 and/or the face 8 as desired to cover a specific volume of oil reservoir 22. For example, for a channel deposit it could extend across the width of the channel.
  • additional wells 2", 2"', 2 iv are drilled, laterally offset from the earlier drilled horizontal well 2', so as to eventually exploit the entire reservoir 22 along a length thereof.
  • Figs. 4a-c namely in various alternative sub-phases (i),(ii), (Hi), and (iv) thereof, each show the residual oil in oil containing portion 20 which is remaining after each sub-phase of the method of the present invention, in shaded portion.
  • a first phase of the method of the present invention [identical in each of various methods shown in Fig. 4a (i), Fig. 4b(i), and Fig. 4c(i)] , gas is injected into horizontal well 1 and oil is produced via second horizontal well 2 .
  • a second phase of the method of the present invention [ shown in . Fig. 4a , Fig. 4b, and Fig. 4c as step (ii)] , a third horizontal well 2' is drilled low in the oil-containing portion 20 of reservoir 22, parallel to horizontal well 2 but laterally spaced apart therefrom, and spaced laterally further from first well 1 than from well 2 , and production of oil carried out via well 2'.
  • gas injection in second horizontal well 2 during this second phase is preferably via an internal tubing 40 extending from a proximal end (heel) 42 of third well 2' to the distal end (toe) 44 of well 2', with an open end thereof being at distal end 44 as shown in Fig. 7.
  • a new parallel third well 2' is drilled low in the reservoir and placed on fluid production [see Fig. 4a(ii), Fig. 4b(ii) and Fig. 4c(ii)].
  • a fourth horizontal well 2" may be drilled, as shown in Fig. 4a(ii) and production initiated from such well 2" as well as from well 2'.
  • Alternatively only the drilling of well 2" may be conducted during this phase, with production from well 2" occurring during the third phase (discussed below) and as shown in Fig. 4c(iii) and (iv).
  • Figs. 4a(iii), 4b(iii), and 4c(iii) each show slightly different third phases of the method of the present invention.
  • a drawdown phase is undertaken where gas is again injected in well 1.
  • Well 2 is switched back to operating as a production well, and wells 2 and 2' are employed as production wells for a time to withdraw all remaining oil .
  • the fourth well 2" may be drilled, and a similar process repeated wherein a former production well (well 2') is converted into an injection well 2', and production commenced from fourth well 2", while gas continues to be injected via well 1.
  • step (iii) of Fig. 4a injection of gas from well 1 is ceased, with gas being injected into the reservoir 22 solely via such well 2' which as noted above is converted from a production well to an injection well.
  • Fourth well 2" operates as a production well.
  • injection of gas into well 1 may be re-instituted to completely drain all oil above wells 2 and 2', and a new fourth well 2" drilled. Only thereafter, when production from wells 2 and 2" is exhausted or substantially exhausted, is well 2' converted to an injector well and gas subsequently supplied to the formation via well 2' and production commenced from well 2" as shown in Fig. 4c(iii .
  • the vertical portions 3 of wells 2, 2', 2", 2"', and 2 lv are all situated on the same side of reservoir 22 (see Fig.
  • tubing may be employed in the manner described above and as shown in Fig's 7 or 8.
  • the number of apertures 24 may be progressively made more numerous over the length of horizontal well 2, and similarly over the length of a mutually adjacent well 2', progressing from the proximal end 42 toward the distal end 44 of each of said wells 2, 2', 2" , 2'", 2 iv , and so forth.
  • gaseous medium such as oxidizing gas, steam, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon diluents (in either gaseous or liquid form) along the length of an injector well (e.g. 2') and also to more uniformly collect oil along a length of a mutually adjacent collector well (e.g. 2")
  • gaseous medium such as oxidizing gas, steam, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon diluents (in either gaseous or liquid form)
  • an injector well e.g. 2'
  • hydrocarbon diluents in either gaseous or liquid form
  • the size of apertures 24 may be progressively be made larger over the length of each well 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 ,v and so forth and similarly over the length of a mutually adjacent well 2', progressively increasing in area from the proximal end 42 toward the distal end 44 of each of said wells 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 IV .
  • vertical portions 3 of mutually-adjacent wells 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 IV and so forth may be situated on respective opposite sides of the reservoir 22 as shown in Fig. 11 to more uniformly inject gaseous medium such as oxidizing gas, steam, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon diluents (in either gaseous or liquid form), and to collect oil via an adjacent well.
  • gaseous medium such as oxidizing gas, steam, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon diluents (in either gaseous or liquid form)
  • adjacent wells are used respectively to inject air from one, and to collect oil from the other
  • the number of apertures 24 in each of such wells may be progressively made more numerous over the length of each horizontal well (e.g.
  • the size of apertures 24 may be progressively be made larger over the length of each well 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 IV and so forth and similarly over the length of a mutually adjacent well 2', progressively increasing in area from the proximal end 42 toward the distal end 44 of each of said wells 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 IV , to achieve the same result of more even pressure distribution over the length of each of the respective wells 2, 2', 2" , 2"', 2 iv
  • Table 1 below sets out the modelled reservoir properties, oil properties and well control for each of the Staggered Well Offset configuration and HWLD configuration :
  • the transmissibility of the oil production wells was varied monotonically along the well from 1.0 at the toe to 0.943 at the heel, in order to improve sweep efficiency.
  • the oil containing portion 20 of reservoir 22 comprising grid blocks 50a-50o shown in Fig. 1A was is divided into three equal parts, each consisting of five grid blocks 50a-e , 50 f-j, and 50k-o, as shown in Fig. 1.
  • Each equal part was successively exploited in three separate but successive phases, each phase taking 5 years, using the wells in Fig. 1 over a 15-year period.
  • the total reservoir volume exploited over the 15-years process life is 1 ,500,000 m 3 .
  • a first part of the three part modelling used 2.5 injection wells 1 , 1 ', and 1", and 2.5 production wells 2, 2', and 2", all simultaneously drilled, for a total of five wells .
  • the reservoir thickness 4 was 20m and the well offset was 50m for each grid block 50a-50o.
  • Air injection rates were 10,000 m 3 /d for well 1 and 20,000 m 3 /d for each of injectors V and 1 ", for a total of 50,000 m 3 /d for the pattern.
  • the first phase comprised grid blocks 50a-50e.
  • a second pattern comprised an identical pattern (grid blocks 50f-50j), modelled as exploited over a further 5-years and in a third phase (grid blocks 50k-50o) comprised another identical pattern which was modelled as being exploited over a final 5-years.
  • the reservoir volume of each part was 500,000m 3 for a total field exploitation volume of 1 ,500,000 m 3 (i.e. 3x100mx250mx20m) over 15-years.
  • the final oil recovery factor was 79 % of original oil in place.
  • a summary of results is shown in Table 2 and Fig. 5.
  • a horizontal injector well 1 is located high in the formation, and a horizontal well 2 located low in the reservoir 22 is provided, both being placed along one side of the oil containing portion 20 of reservoir 22.
  • Fig. 4b and Fig. 11 representing the HWLD process and configuration of the method of the present invention
  • the well lengths 6 were each 100m
  • the reservoir thickness, 4 was 20m
  • the well offset was 100m.
  • the total volume of reservoir produced over the 15-year exploitation period was thus also 1,500,000 m 3 .
  • the air injection rate was 16,667 m 3 /d for each of the injectors for a total of 50,000 m 3 /d throughout Phase 1.
  • a second phase [Fig. 4b(ii)]
  • the oil production rate per producer fell to 3 m 3 /d, which was considered uneconomical
  • a second phase [Fig. 4b(ii)] conducted, namely the original producer well 2 was converted as shown in Fig. 4b(ii) to an air injector by injecting steam at 270 °C for 2-weeks to flush out wellbore oil and then air was injected through the wellbore tubing at 26,000 m 3 /d.
  • a second producer well 2' was drilled as shown in Fig. 4b.
  • Fig. 5 shows the Cumulative Oil Recovery over time for each of the Staggered Well configuration (triangles-line ' ⁇ ") and the HWLD well configuration (squares-line TV).
  • the HWLD for production of mobile oil is advantageous over the Staggered Well process even in a homogeneous reservoir for at least the following two reasons.
  • Staggered Well process is initially higher, resulting in a higher initial return on investment.
  • the cumulative oil (133, 278m 3 ) is 40% higher than that initially covered in the Staggered Well method (95,126 m 3 ).
  • cumulative oil recovered using the HWLD process is 30 % higher (125,646m 3 as compared to quantum recovered using the Staggered Well method described above (95,126m 3 ).
  • the HWLD process is a line-drive process, the reservoir fluids flow in a single direction, which improves reservoir sweep in reservoirs with lateral heterogeneity.

Abstract

Cette invention concerne un procédé de combustion in situ entraînant la production simultanée de liquides et de gaz de combustion, ledit procédé combinant l'injection de fluide, la séparation de phases par gravité, et le drainage par gravité pour produire des hydrocarbures à partir d'un gisement pétrolier souterrain. Ledit procédé comprend les étapes consistant à : injecter initialement un gaz à travers un puits horizontal situé à un niveau supérieur du gisement, et produire des gaz de combustion et du pétrole à travers des puits parallèles et latéralement décalés situés à un niveau inférieur du gisement. Ledit procédé d'exploitation de gisement comprend en outre l'étape consistant à convertir séquentiellement les puits de production en puits d'injection par balayage en ligne. Le procédé de l'invention peut également être mis en œuvre sans combustion in situ, par injection d'un solvant gazeux ou de vapeur.
PCT/CA2011/001308 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 Procédé de récupération de pétrole par balayage en ligne dans un puits horizontal WO2013075206A1 (fr)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CA2011/001308 WO2013075206A1 (fr) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 Procédé de récupération de pétrole par balayage en ligne dans un puits horizontal
BR112014012612A BR112014012612A2 (pt) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 processo de recuperação de petróleo de unidade de linha de poço horizontal
MX2014006253A MX2014006253A (es) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 Proceso de recuperacion de petroleo de transmision en linea para pozo horizontal.
CN201180076077.1A CN104024570A (zh) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 水平井行列式石油采收过程
ROA201400387A RO129942A2 (ro) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 Procedeu de extracţie a ţiţeiului prin împingerea liniară în puţuri orizontale
RU2014125499/03A RU2014125499A (ru) 2011-11-25 2011-11-25 Процесс извлечения нефти путем линейного вытеснения с использованием горизонтальных скважин
US13/314,078 US8960317B2 (en) 2011-11-25 2011-12-07 Horizontal well line-drive oil recovery process

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CN105545274B (zh) * 2015-12-09 2018-07-13 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 一种提高厚层稠油油藏火驱效果的井网及方法
CN107503731A (zh) * 2017-07-27 2017-12-22 山西晋城无烟煤矿业集团有限责任公司 工厂化钻井平台
CN108930530B (zh) * 2018-07-09 2020-11-03 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 多层水淹油藏w型井网火驱开发方法

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WO1997012119A1 (fr) * 1995-09-29 1997-04-03 Amoco Corporation Procede modifie de drainage a commande continue
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BR112014012612A2 (pt) 2017-06-06

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