Remote preheat and pad steam generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247409-B2
Application number	US-201615341076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems generate steam for injection in a well to facilitate oil recovery. Water is preheated at a central processing facility, transported to a well pad by hot water lines, and converted to steam by a steam generator at the well pad.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of generating steam for use in a well to produce oil, said method comprising:
a) heating a boiler feedwater located at a central processing facility (CPF) to produce heated boiler feedwater (HBFW);
b) transporting said HBFW to a well pad via hot water lines, wherein said HBFW has a subcool of 5-30° C.;
c) feeding said HBFW into a well pad boiler located at said well pad;
d) converting said HBFW to steam in said well pad boiler; and
e) injecting said steam into a well located at said well pad to produce oil.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pad boiler is a water tube drum boiler.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating step a) is by a gas burning water heater.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating step a) is by a gas burning turbine heater that produces electricity and HBFW.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating step a) is by a once through steam generator (OTSG).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating step a) is preceded by a preheating step to preheat said boiler feedwater.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said feeding step c) is preceded by a preheating step to preheat said HBFW.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating step a) is preceded by a preheating step to preheat said boiler feedwater and wherein said feeding step c) is preceded by a preheating step to preheat said HBFW.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subcool is 10-20° C.

10. A steam generator system for oil production, comprising:
a) a water heater located at a CPF to heat boiler feedwater to HBFW, said HBFW having a subcool of 5-30° C.;
b) a hot water line for transporting said HBFW with a subcool of 5-30° C. from said CPF to a well pad;
c) a steam generator located at said well pad, said steam generator being fed by said hot water line;
d) a steam line for injecting steam into a well at said well pad; and,
e) wherein elements a though d are fluidly connected.

11. The steam generator system of claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger located at said CPF for preheating said boiler feedwater.

12. The steam generator system of claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger located at said well pad for preheating said HBFW.

13. The steam generator system of claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger located at said CPF for preheating said boiler feedwater and a heat exchanger located at said well pad for preheating said HBFW.

14. The steam generator system of claim 10 , wherein said steam generator is a water tube drum boiler.

15. The steam generator system of claim 10 , wherein said water heater is a gas turbine water heater.

16. The steam generator system of claim 10 , wherein said water heater is an OTSG.

17. The steam generator system of claim 10 , wherein said water heater is a gas fired water heater.

18. The steam generator system of claim 10 , wherein said water heater is a natural gas fired water heater.

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Zhang Jingwei
• Macadam Scott

Classifications

• E21B43/2406

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title

• F22D1/003 Primary

  Feed-water heater systems (F22D1/325, F22D1/36 and F22D1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• F22D11/02

  Arrangements of feed-water pumps · CPC title