System and methods for injection and production from a single wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9562422-B2
Application number	US-201314395726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2013
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems of treating hydrocarbon containing formations are described herein. A system for treating a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation includes a wellbore, and one or more packers positioned in the wellbore. At least one of the packers allows fluid to be injected in a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation while allowing fluid to be produced from the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for treating a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
a wellbore in the subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation;
a central tubing along a length of the wellbore, wherein the central tubing is configured to provide an injection fluid into the wellbore;
an annulus between the central tubing and outer walls of the wellbore, wherein the annulus is configured to remove formation fluids from the wellbore;
a first packer positioned in an injection or production section of the wellbore, wherein the first packer defines a first wellbore interval after the first packer, wherein the central tubing before the first packer is in fluid communication with the annulus in the first wellbore interval after the first packer, and wherein the annulus before the first packer is in fluid communication with the central tubing in the first wellbore interval after the first packer;
a second packer positioned in an injection or production section of the wellbore after the first packer and in fluid communication with the first wellbore interval, wherein the second packer defines a second wellbore interval after the second packer, wherein the central tubing before the second packer is in fluid communication with the annulus in the second wellbore interval after the second packer, and wherein the annulus before the second packer is in fluid communication with the central tubing in the second wellbore interval after the second packer; and
a third packer positioned in an injection or production section of the wellbore after the second packer and in fluid communication with the second wellbore interval, wherein the third packer defines a third wellbore interval after the third packer, wherein the central tubing before the third packer is in fluid communication with the annulus in the third wellbore interval after the third packer, and wherein the annulus before the third packer is in fluid communication with the central tubing in the third wellbore interval after the third packer;
wherein the annulus in the first wellbore interval is configured to provide the injection fluid into the hydrocarbon containing formation to mobilize formation fluids in the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the annulus in the second wellbore interval is configured to allow mobilized formation fluids to enter the wellbore from the hydrocarbon containing formation, and wherein the annulus in the third wellbore interval is configured to provide the injection fluid into the hydrocarbon containing formation to mobilize formation fluids in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer walls of the wellbore in the first wellbore interval comprise perforations configured to be opened to provide injection fluid into the hydrocarbon containing formation from the annulus in the first wellbore interval or closed to inhibit the injection fluid from entering the hydrocarbon containing formation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer walls of the wellbore in the second wellbore interval comprise perforations configured to be opened to allow mobilized formation fluids to enter the annulus in the second wellbore interval from the hydrocarbon containing formation or closed to inhibit mobilized formation fluids from entering the annulus in the second wellbore interval from the hydrocarbon containing formation.

4. A method for treating a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
providing a substantially horizontal or deviated wellbore to a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the wellbore comprises a central tubing along a length of the wellbore, an annulus being defined between the central tubing and outer walls of the wellbore;
providing a plurality of packers to the substantially horizontal or deviated wellbore, wherein the packers are positioned along the central tubing;
providing injection fluid into the wellbore through the central tubing;
switching flow of the injection fluid from the central tubing to the annulus in a first wellbore interval using a first packer;
providing injection fluid to the hydrocarbon containing formation from the annulus in the first wellbore interval;
switching flow of the injection fluid from the annulus in the first wellbore interval to the central tubing in a second wellbore interval using a second packer;
switching flow of the injection fluid from the central tubing in the second wellbore interval to the annulus in a third wellbore interval using a third packer, wherein the second wellbore interval is between the first and third wellbore intervals and the second packer is between the first and third packers;
providing the injection fluid to the hydrocarbon containing formation from the annulus in the third wellbore interval;
mobilizing hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation using the injection fluid provided to the hydrocarbon containing formation;
allowing the mobilized hydrocarbons to flow into the annulus in the second wellbore interval from the hydrocarbon containing formation; and
producing the mobilized hydrocarbons from the wellbore by switching the flow of the mobilized hydrocarbons from the annulus in the second wellbore interval into the central tubing in the first wellbore interval using the second packer, switching the flow of the mobilized hydrocarbons from the central tubing in the first wellbore interval to the annulus of the wellbore before the first wellbore interval, and producing the mobilized hydrocarbons from the annulus of the wellbore.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein providing the injection fluid and producing the mobilized hydrocarbons are performed simultaneously.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising alternately providing the injection fluid to the hydrocarbon containing formation from the first and third wellbore intervals.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first wellbore interval is horizontally displaced relative to the second wellbore interval.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the injection fluid is a hydrocarbon recovery enhancing fluid, the hydrocarbon recovery enhancing fluid comprising a miscible fluid, an immiscible fluid, gas, water, and/or steam.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the wellbore is positioned in a fracture of the subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation.

10. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising fracturing a portion of the subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation prior to providing the substantially horizontal or inclined wellbore to the subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation.

11. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising drilling an opening in the formation prior to providing the substantially horizontal or inclined wellbore to the subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising allowing the mobilized hydrocarbons to flow into the annulus in a fourth wellbore interval from the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the fourth wellbore interval is adjacent to the third wellbore interval.

13. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the injection fluid flows through the first packer in an opposite direction that the mobilized hydrocarbons flow through the first packer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a portion of the injected fluid exchanges heat with a portion of the produced mobilized hydrocarbons.

15. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the hydrocarbon containing formation comprises one or more fractures, injection points, or production poi

Assignees

• Univ Texas
• Board Of Regents Of The Univ Of Texas Systems

Inventors

• Sharma Mukul Mani
• Manchanda Ripudaman
• Gilmore Evan Daniel

Classifications

• E21B43/16 Primary

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/24 Primary

  using heat, e.g. steam injection · CPC title