Recovery from a hydrocarbon reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970283-B2
Application number	US-201615356688-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 system for producing a tailored solvent useful for a steam-utilizing heavy oil recovery process for extracting heavy oils from a subterranean reservoir, said system comprising:
a gas separator fluidly connected to a production well used for a recovery of a production fluid from said subterranean reservoir and adapted to separate a gas from the production fluid into fractions comprising water, light gas containing light end hydrocarbon compounds, and a mixture of hydrocarbons other than the light gas containing light end hydrocarbon compounds; and
a conduit #1 fluidly attached to the gas separator for delivering the mixture of hydrocarbons other than the light gas containing light end hydrocarbon compounds to an injection well for use in a steam-utilizing heavy oil recovery process for extracting heavy oils from the subterranean reservoir.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an emulsion separator fluidly connected to the production well for separating heavy oil and water emulsion from the production well into water, a heavy oil, and a component comprising a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds containing light end hydrocarbon compounds; and
a conduit #2 fluidly connected to the emulsion separator for delivery of the component comprising a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds containing said light end hydrocarbon compounds to the gas separator.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conduit #3 fluidly connected to the gas separator for delivering a make-up hydrocarbon solvent to the gas separator.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a solvent fractionator fluidly connected to the gas separator and the injection well.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the solvent fractionator is fluidly located between the gas separator and the injection well such that at least a portion of the fluid from the gas separator passes through the solvent fractionator to the injection well.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising at least a conduit #4 fluidly connected to the solvent fractionator and the injection well.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a conduit #5 fluidly connected from the fourth conduit to a heat exchanger which is fluidly connected to a conduit #6 which is fluidly connected to the solvent fractionator.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is configured to allow a first portion of a fluid in the conduit #4 to pass to the conduit #5 and a second portion of a fluid in the conduit #4 to pass to the injection well.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the conduit #4 is fluidly connected to an emulsion separator and the emulsion separator is fluidly connected to the injection well.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is configured to allow a first portion of a fluid from the solvent fractionator to pass through the emulsion separator to the injection well and a second portion of the fluid from the solvent fractionator to be removed from emulsion separator as a condensate.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein a conduit #7 is fluidly connected to the emulsion separator to allow steam to be injected into the emulsion separator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the emulsion separator is configured to allow at least a portion of the steam to be passed to the injection well.

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

• E21B43/24 Primary

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

• C09K8/592

  Compositions used in combination with generated heat, e.g. by steam injection · CPC title

• E21B43/168

  Injecting a gaseous medium · CPC title

• E21B43/164

  Injecting CO2 or carbonated water (in combination with organic material C09K8/594) · CPC title