Recovery from a hydrocarbon reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970282-B2
Application number	US-201615356687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for recovering heavy oil from subterranean reservoirs. A steam-utilizing heavy oil recovery process may be used to recover the heavy oil while employing a steam-solvent mixture. The solvent may be a tailored hydrocarbon solvent obtained from a precursor mixture of hydrocarbon compounds from which light end hydrocarbon compounds have been removed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a tailored solvent useful for a steam-utilizing heavy oil recovery process for extracting heavy oils from subterranean reservoirs, the method comprising:
separating a gas from a production well used for recovery of heavy oils from a subterranean reservoir by a steam utilizing heavy oil recovery process employing a hydrocarbon solvent;
further separating said gas into fractions comprising water, light gas containing light end hydrocarbon compounds, and a mixture comprising hydrocarbon compounds from which said light end hydrocarbon compounds have been removed; and
collecting said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds from which light end hydrocarbon compounds have been removed as a tailored hydrocarbon solvent useful for said steam-utilizing heavy oil recovery process for extracting heavy oils from a subterranean reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light end hydrocarbon compounds removed from the gas are hydrocarbon compounds having three carbon atoms and fewer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light end hydrocarbon compounds removed from the gas are hydrocarbon compounds having four carbon atoms and fewer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light end hydrocarbon compounds removed from the gas are hydrocarbon compounds having five carbon atoms and fewer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light end hydrocarbon compounds removed from the gas are hydrocarbon compounds having six carbon atoms and fewer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said tailored hydrocarbon solvent recovered from the production well is mixed with a fresh tailored hydrocarbon solvent produced by distillation of petroleum or natural gas products followed by removal of light end hydrocarbons therefrom.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tailored solvent comprises compounds containing seven to thirteen carbon atoms.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the tailored solvent comprises compounds containing seven to twelve carbon atoms.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising: injecting the tailored hydrocarbon solvent into the subterranean reservoir.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tailored solvent has a boiling range that causes less than 80° C. temperature depression in the subterranean reservoir.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tailored solvent has a boiling range that causes less than 50° C. temperature depression in the subterranean reservoir.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tailored solvent has a boiling range that causes substantially no temperature depression in the subterranean reservoir.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein steam is injected into the subterranean reservoir with the tailored hydrocarbon solvent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gas from a production well is produced from an SA-SAGD process.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tailored hydrocarbon solvent is 5% to 50% by weight of the total fluids injected into the subterranean reservoir.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tailored hydrocarbon solvent is no more than 40% by weight of the total fluids injected into the subterranean reservoir.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operating pressure of the subterranean reservoir is from 500-1000 kPa.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operating pressure of the subterranean reservoir is from 1000-2000 kPa.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operating pressure of the subterranean reservoir is greater than 2000 kPa.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas from the production well further comprises carbon dioxide.

Assignees

• Khaledi Rahman
• Boone Thomas J
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Khaledi Rahman
• Boone Thomas J

Classifications

• E21B43/40 Primary

  Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials {(E21B43/385 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D5/0075

  with heat exchanging (B01D5/0039 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D17/02

  Separation of non-miscible liquids · CPC title

• B01D5/0054

  General arrangements, e.g. flow sheets · CPC title

• B01D3/143

  by two or more of a fractionation, separation or rectification step · CPC title