Thermal soak zones by fluidized fractures in unconsolidated, petroleum producing reservoirs

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING VISCOUS LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY NON-FLOWING AT NORMAL RESERVOIR TEMPERATURES FROM UNCONSOLIDATED IMPERMEABLE RESERVOIR FORMATIONS THE VISCOUS LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS BEING IN A LIQUID FLUIDIZED STATE AS RECOVERED FROM THE FORMATION WITHOUT BEING SUBJECTED TO DISTILLATION IN ORDER TO BE IN SAID STATE COMPRISING: (A) PENETRATING SUCH AN UNCONSOLIDATED IMPERMEABLE RESERVOIR WITH A BOREHOLE; (B) SEALING A CASING STRING IN SAID BOREHOLE AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT OF ITS TRAVERSE OF SAID RESERVOIR; (C) PERFORATING SAID CASING STRING AND SEALANT TO PROVIDE FLUID INGRESS AND EGRESS BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF SAID CASING STRING AND SAID RESERVOIR; (D) INJECTING HOT GASEOUS FLUIDS AT A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 1.1 OF THAT OF THE OVERBURDEN PRESSURE OF SAID RESERVOIR TO PRODUCE A LATERALLY EXTENSIVE FLUIDIZED ZONE IN SAID RESERVOIR WHEREBY THE THERMAL ENERGY OF SAID HOT GASEOUS FLUID CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO SAID RESERVOIR; (E) SHUTTING IN SAID CASING STRING UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE INJECTED HOT GASEOUS FLUIDS FROM RE-ENTERING SAID CASING STRING FOR A SOAK PERIOD, (F) VENTING THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE BOREHOLE TO A PRESSURE LESS THAN THAT IN THE SURROUNDING PORTION OF THE RESERVOIR AT A RATE SLOW ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE SHATTERING OF THE RESERVOIR FORMATION, AND, (G) RECOVERING THE PETROLEUM DRAINING INTO SAID CASING STRING.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING VISCOUS LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY NON-FLOWING AT NORMAL RESERVOIR TEMPERATURES FROM UNCONSOLIDATED IMPERMEABLE RESERVOIR FORMATIONS THE VISCOUS LIQUID PETROLEUM PRODUCTS BEING IN A LIQUID FLUIDIZED STATE AS RECOVERED FROM THE FORMATION WITHOUT BEING SUBJECTED TO DISTILLATION IN ORDER TO BE IN SAID STATE COMPRISING: (A) PENETRATING SUCH AN UNCONSOLIDATED IMPERMEABLE RESERVOIR WITH A BOREHOLE; (B) SEALING A CASING STRING IN SAID BOREHOLE AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT OF ITS TRAVERSE OF SAID RESERVOIR; (C) PERFORATING SAID CASING STRING AND SEALANT TO PROVIDE FLUID INGRESS AND EGRESS BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF SAID CASING STRING AND SAID RESERVOIR; (D) INJECTING HOT GASEOUS FLUIDS AT A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 1.1 OF THAT OF THE OVERBURDEN PRESSURE OF SAID RESERVOIR TO PRODUCE A LATERALLY EXTENSIVE FLUIDIZED ZONE IN SAID RESERVOIR WHEREBY THE THERMAL ENERGY OF SAID HOT GASEOUS FLUID CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO SAID RESERVOIR; (E) SHUTTING IN SAID CASING STRING UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE INJECTED HOT GASEOUS FLUIDS FROM RE-ENTERING SAID CASING STRING FOR A SOAK PERIOD, (F) VENTING THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE BOREHOLE TO A PRESSURE LESS THAN THAT IN THE SURROUNDING PORTION OF THE RESERVOIR AT A RATE SLOW ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE SHATTERING OF THE RESERVOIR FORMATION, AND, (G) RECOVERING THE PETROLEUM DRAINING INTO SAID CASING STRING.