Evaluating effectiveness of ceramic materials for hydrocarbons recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939421-B2
Application number	US-201414482679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Example methods and systems are described for evaluating an effectiveness of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from a subterranean region. In some aspects, a heavy oil recovery evaluation system includes a vessel containing a mixture of heavy oil and sand, the vessel including a chamber to receive a plurality of ceramic particles and water, a probe connected to the vessel to transfer energy from an energy source for energizing the plurality of ceramic particles, wherein the energized ceramic particles convert the water into steam to recover the heavy oil from the mixture, and a computer system connected to the vessel to evaluate an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heavy oil recovery evaluation system comprising:
a vessel configured to contain a mixture of heavy oil and sand, the vessel including a chamber to receive a plurality of ceramic particles and water;
a plurality of probes inserted to the vessel to transfer energy from a plurality of energy sources for energizing the plurality of ceramic particles, wherein the energized ceramic particles convert the water into steam to recover the heavy oil from the mixture;
a swivel connected to the vessel, the swivel configured to swivel and orient the vessel at a plurality of orientations, wherein the plurality of orientations comprise at least a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation; and
a computer system connected to the vessel to evaluate an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of probes are configured to transfer two or more of microwave energy, radio frequency energy, electrical energy, or laser energy to heat the plurality of ceramic particles.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel, and wherein the system further comprises a second vessel positioned in the chamber, wherein the plurality of ceramic particles and the water are received in the second vessel.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second vessel comprises a mesh to permit the steam to pass through.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors connected to the computer system to measure properties of one or more of the heavy oil, the plurality of ceramic particles, or the steam.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of the steam and a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of the steam.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a viscometer to measure a viscosity of the heavy oil.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein, to evaluate an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture, the computer system is configured to:
obtain the measured properties of the one or more of the heavy oil, the plurality of ceramic particles, or the steam; and
evaluate the effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture based on the measured properties.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel is configured to orient the vessel at the horizontal orientation, and at least one of the plurality of the probes is inserted into the vessel horizontally.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel is configured to orient the vessel at the vertical orientation, at least one of the plurality of the probes is inserted into the vessel vertically, and at least another one of the plurality of the probes is inserted into the vessel horizontally.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of probes are inserted through an upper surface of the vessel, and the plurality of probes have different lengths and reach different depths in an inner volume of the vessel.

12. A method comprising:
placing a mixture of heavy oil and sand into a vessel, said vessel including a chamber and a swivel connected to the vessel, the swivel configured to swivel and orient the vessel at a plurality of orientations, wherein the plurality of orientations comprise at least a horizontal and a vertical orientation;
placing a plurality of ceramic particles into the chamber;
inserting a plurality of probes into a corresponding plurality of ports formed in an outer surface of the vessel to transfer energy from a plurality of energy sources for energizing the plurality of ceramic particles;
energizing the plurality of ceramic particles using the plurality of probes connected to the vessel;
adding water into the chamber;
allowing the energized ceramic particles to convert the water into steam to recover the heavy oil from the mixture; and
evaluating an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein energizing the plurality of ceramic particles using the plurality of probes inserted into the vessel comprises heating the plurality of ceramic particles using the plurality of probes transferring two or more of microwave energy, radio frequency energy, electrical energy, or laser energy.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising measuring properties of one or more of the heavy oil, the plurality of ceramic particles, or the steam.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein evaluating an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture comprises:
obtaining the measured properties of the one or more of the heavy oil, the plurality of ceramic particles, or the steam; and
evaluating the effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the mixture based on the measured properties.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
collecting the recovered heavy oil; and
measuring a property of the recovered heavy oil.

17. A method comprising:
energizing, using energy from a plurality of energy sources through a plurality of probes inserted into a laboratory heavy oil recovery evaluation system vessel, a plurality of ceramic particles positioned in a chamber in the laboratory heavy oil recovery evaluation system vessel, the chamber comprising a mixture of heavy oil and sand;
recovering heavy oil from the mixture using steam formed by flowing water over the energized plurality of ceramic particles;
measuring a property of the heavy oil recovered from the mixture; and
evaluating an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from a subterranean region based, at least in part, on the property of the heavy oil recovered from the mixture;
wherein a swivel is connected to the laboratory heavy oil recovery evaluation system vessel, the swivel configured to swivel and orient the vessel at a plurality of orientations, the plurality of orientations comprising at least a horizontal and a vertical orientation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of energy sources comprises two or more of a microwave energy source, a radio frequency energy source, an electrical energy source, or a laser energy source.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein energizing, using energy from a plurality of energy sources, a plurality of ceramic particles comprises energizing the plurality of ceramic particles by heat injection or a chemical reaction.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein evaluating an effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from a subterranean region based, at least in part, on a property of the heavy oil recovered from the mixture comprises determining one or more of the plurality of energy sources applied to the plurality of ceramic particles that lead to a maximum quantity of the heavy oil recovered from the mixture.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising designing a heavy oil recovery process based on the evaluation.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising measuring a property of the plurality of ceramic particles; and
wherein evaluating the effectiveness of the plurality of ceramic particles to recover heavy oil from the subterranean region based, at least in part, on the property of the heavy oil recovered from the mixture comprises evaluating the effectiveness of the plural

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Batarseh Sameeh
• Abass Hazim Hussein
• Al-Nakhli Ayman Raja

Classifications

• G01N33/24

  Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N33/28

  Oils {, i.e. hydrocarbon liquids} (edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03) · CPC title

• E21B43/24

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

• G01N33/388 Primary

  Ceramics · CPC title