Effective solvent extraction system incorporating electromagnetic heating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739126-B2
Application number	US-201414220510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2010
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir comprises pre-heating by exposure to electromagnetic radiation from a electromagnetic radiation source, injecting through at least one injection well a solvent into the reservoir to dilute the hydrocarbons contained in the pre-conditioned portion, and producing through at least one production well a mixture of hydrocarbons and solvent. An apparatus for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir comprises at least one radio frequency antenna configured to transmit radio frequency energy into a subterranean reservoir, a power source to provide power to the at least one radio frequency antenna, at least one injection well configured to inject a solvent from a solvent supply source into the subterranean reservoir to lower the viscosity of the hydrocarbons, and at least one production well configured to produce a mixture comprising hydrocarbons and solvent from the subterranean reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising:
pre-heating the subterranean formation with at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna;
injecting a hydrocarbon solvent into the pre-heated subterranean formation to form diluted hydrocarbons;
producing the diluted hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation leaving residual hydrocarbon solvent therein; and
recovering the residual hydrocarbon solvent, the recovering comprising
depressurizing of the subterranean formation after producing the diluted hydrocarbons therefrom,
heating the subterranean formation with the at least one RF antenna to vaporize the residual hydrocarbon solvent, and
recovering the vaporized residual hydrocarbon solvent via at least one of an injection well and a production well, the depressurizing and the heating of the subterranean formation being performed cyclically.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting without water.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting via at least one horizontally extending injection well in the subterranean formation.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending injection well.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the producing comprises producing via at least one horizontally extending production well in the subterranean formation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending production well.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-heating comprises pre-heating at least a portion of the subterranean formation to a temperature in a range of 40 to 70° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is operable in a frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 GHz.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbons comprise at least one of heavy oil and bitumen.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon solvent comprises at least one alkane component having a carbon chain length between 2 and 6.

11. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising:
pre-heating the subterranean formation with at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna;
injecting a hydrocarbon solvent into the pre-heated subterranean formation to form diluted hydrocarbons;
producing the diluted hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation leaving residual hydrocarbon solvent therein;
recovering the residual hydrocarbon solvent, the recovering comprising
cycling a gas, different than the hydrocarbon solvent, through the subterranean formation after producing the diluted hydrocarbons therefrom,
heating the subterranean formation with the at least one RF antenna to vaporize the residual hydrocarbon solvent, and
recovering the vaporized residual hydrocarbon solvent via at least one of an injection well and the production well.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2 .

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas comprises N 2 .

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting without water.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting via at least one horizontally extending injection well in the subterranean formation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending injection well.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the producing comprises producing via at least one horizontally extending production well in the subterranean formation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending production well.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-heating comprises pre-heating at least a portion of the subterranean formation to a temperature in a range of 40 to 70° C.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is operable in a frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 GHz.

21. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hydrocarbons comprise at least one of heavy oil and bitumen.

22. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hydrocarbon solvent comprises at least one alkane component having a carbon chain length between 2 and 6.

23. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising:
heating the subterranean formation with at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna while injecting a hydrocarbon solvent into the subterranean formation to form diluted hydrocarbons;
producing the diluted hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation leaving residual hydrocarbon solvent therein; and
recovering the residual hydrocarbon solvent, the recovering comprising
depressurizing of the subterranean formation after producing the diluted hydrocarbons therefrom,

additionally heating the subterranean formation with the at least one RF antenna to vaporize the residual hydrocarbon solvent, and
recovering the vaporized residual hydrocarbon solvent via at least one of an injection well and a production well, the depressurizing and the additional heating of the subterranean formation being performed cyclically.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting without water.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting via at least one horizontally extending injection well in the subterranean formation.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending injection well.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the producing comprises producing via at least one horizontally extending production well in the subterranean formation.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending production well.

29. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising:
heating the subterranean formation with at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna while injecting a hydrocarbon solvent into the subterranean formation to form diluted hydrocarbons;
producing the diluted hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation leaving residual hydrocarbon solvent therein; and
recovering the residual hydrocarbon solvent, the recovering comprising
cycling a gas, different than the hydrocarbon solvent, through the subterranean formation after producing the diluted hydrocarbons therefrom,
heating the subterranean formation with the at least one RF antenna to vaporize the residual hydrocarbon solvent, and
recovering the vaporized residual hydrocarbon solvent via at least one of an injection well and a production well.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2 .

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gas comprises N 2 .

32. The method of claim 29 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting without water.

33. The method of claim 29 , wherein the injecting comprises injecting via at least one horizontally extending injection well in the subterranean formation.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is in the at least one horizontally extending injection well.

35. The method of claim 29 , wherein the producing comprises producing via at least one horizontally extending p

Assignees

• Harris Corp

Inventors

• Trautman Mark
• Ehresman Derik
• Edmunds Neil
• Taylor George
• Cimolai Mauro

Classifications

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B43/2401 Primary

  by means of electricity · CPC title

• E21B43/305

  comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well · CPC title

• E21B43/24

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

• E21B36/04

  using electrical heaters · CPC title