← Back to Patent Explorer
US3796265A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for producing high hydrogen sulfide content gas wells

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-06-07
•
Granted: 1974-03-12
•
Expires: 1992-06-07
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Sulfur precipitation in the production tubing string of wells producing gas with a high hydrogen sulfide content is reduced by circulating a hot fluid down an insulated circulating tubing string and up the casing-production tubing annulus to heat produced fluid in the production tubing string and, simultaneously, injecting a hot oil into produced fluid adjacent the productive interval to dissolve precipitated sulfur and/or otherwise prevent sulfur deposition on the inside of the tubing string as the hot oil mixes with this fluid and is produced up the tubing string.

Inventors

  • 👤 J Eickmeier

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 12:07
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B36/00; C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/52; C09K8/528; C09K8/532; E21B36/003

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 11 words
The method of claim 1 where the hot fluid is steam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 1 where the heated fluid has a temperature sufficient to maintain the temperature of the flowing sulfur-containing fluid above the melting point of sulfur.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of injecting a hot sulfur-solvent into the flowing sulfur-containing fluid through an injection tubing string connected in fluid communication with the production tubing string at a point below a pack-off means in the said well.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 4 where the hot sulfur-solvent is a heated light crude oil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the hot sulfur-solvent is heated to a temperature in the range of 250* to 450* F.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 206 words
A method of producing a fluid having a high hydrogen sulfide content from a fluid-containing subsurface earth formation through wells without plugging the wells with sulfur precipitate which comprises the steps of: providing a well bore extending from the earth surface to the subsurface earth formation; lining at least a part of the well bore with a tubular casing; completing the well bore in fluid communication with the subsurface earth formation; extending a production tubing string into the wellbore to a point adajacent the subsurface earth formation whereby an annulus is defined between the tubular casing and the production string of tubing; packing off the annulus with a pack off means set at a point in the well bore above the subsurface earth formation to prevent fluid flow up the annulus from the subsurface earth formation; extending an insulated circulating tubing string into the annulus to a point above the pack off means; producing fluid having a high hydrogen sulfide content up the production tubing string from the subsurface earth formation; and simultaneously circulating a hot fluid down the insulated circulating string and up the annulus to heat the produced fluid in the production tubing string and thereby retard sulfur precipitation in the production tubing string
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 97 words
The method of claim 7 including the steps of: extending an injection tubing string into the well bore; connecting the injection tubing stRing in fluid communication with the production tubing string at a point adjacent the top of the subsurface earth formation; and injecting a hot sulfur-solvent down the injection tubing string whereby the hot sulfur-solvent mixes with the produced fluid in the production tubing string and is produced up the production tubing string along with the produced fluid to carry to the surface sulfur which may precipitate from the produced fluid in the production tubing string.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the step of extending an insulated tubing string into the annulus comprises extending concentric tubing strings into the annulus and filling the annular space between these concentric strings with an insulating material.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 95 words
A method for preventing sulfur deposition in the production tubing string of a well producing a sulfur-containing fluid from a subterranean earth formation comprising the steps of; flowing the sulfur-containing fluid from the production zone to the surface through the production tubing string; heating the outside of the production tubing string to heat the sulfur-containing fluid flowing through the production tubing string to retard sulfur deposition from the flowing fluid; and injecting a hot sulfur-solvent into the flowing sulfur-containing fluid through an injection tubing string at a point below a pack-off means in said well.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US895612A Cited
US738326A Cited
US3113622A Cited
US3399623A Cited
US3393733A Cited
US3415573A Cited
US3410347A Cited
US3451479A Cited
US3531160A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1977-03-11 1977-09-10 1978-03-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1981-03-11 1981-09-10 1982-03-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1985-03-11 1985-09-10 1986-03-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag