US3838738A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for recovering petroleum from viscous petroleum containing formations including tar sands
Assignee: Texaco Exploration Canada Ltd
•
Filing: 1973-05-04
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Granted: 1974-10-01
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Expires: 1993-05-04
Abstract
Abstract Petroleum may be recovered from viscous petroleum containing formations including tar sand deposits by first creating a fluid communication path low in the formation, followed by injecting a heated fluid, aqueous or nonaqueous, into the fluid communication path, followed by injecting a volatile solvent such as carbon disulfide, benzene or toluene into the preheated flow path and continuing injecting the heating fluid. The low boiling point solvent is vaporized and moves upward into the formation where it dissolves petroleum, loses heat and condenses thereafter flowing down carrying dissolved bitumen with it into the preheated flow path. The low boiling point solvent effectively cycles or refluxes within the formation and is not produced to the surface of the earth. Bitumen is transferred from the volatile solvent to the heating fluid continually passing through the communication path, and bitumen and heating fluid are recovered together as a mixture or solution.
Inventors
- 👤 D Redford
- 👤 J Allen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 03:07
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; E21B43/24; E21B43/2405
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A METHOD FOR RECOVERING PETROLEUM FROM SUBTERRANEAN, VISCOUS PETROLEUM CONTAINING FORMATIONS INCLUDING TAR SAND DEPOSITS, SAID FORMATIONS BEING PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE INJECTION WELL AND BY AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT WELL, COMPRISING: A. ESTABLIXHING A FLUID COMMUNICATION PATH LOW IN THE FORMATIONS BETWEEN THE INJECTION WELL AND THE PRODUCTION WELL; B. INJECTING A HEATING FLUID INTO THE COMMUNICATION PATH; C. CONTINUING INJECTION OF SAID HEATING FLUID AND RECOVERING THE FLUID FROM THE PRODUCTION WELL UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION HAS INCREASED FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE INJECTION WELL TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE NATURAL TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION; D. INJECTING INTO THE HEATED COMMUNICATION PATH A VOLATILE SOLVENT FOR THE PETROLEUM CONTAINED IN THE FORMATIONS, SAID SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT GREATER THAN THE NATURAL FORMATION TEMPERATURE AND SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE COMMUNICATION PATH HAS BEEN HEATED; AND E. CONTINUING INJECTING THE HEATING FLUID INTO THE INJECTION WELL AND PRODUCING SAME AT THE PRODUCTION WELL, WITH THE FORMATION PETROLEUM MIXED THEREWITH.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
169 words
A METHOD FOR RECOVERING PETROLEUM FROM SUBTERRANEAN, VISCOUS PETROLEUM CONTAINING FORMATIONS INCLUDING TAR SAND DEPOSITS, SAID FORMATIONS BEING PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE INJECTION WELL AND BY AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT WELL, COMPRISING: A. ESTABLIXHING A FLUID COMMUNICATION PATH LOW IN THE FORMATIONS BETWEEN THE INJECTION WELL AND THE PRODUCTION WELL; B. INJECTING A HEATING FLUID INTO THE COMMUNICATION PATH; C. CONTINUING INJECTION OF SAID HEATING FLUID AND RECOVERING THE FLUID FROM THE PRODUCTION WELL UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION HAS INCREASED FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE INJECTION WELL TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE NATURAL TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION; D. INJECTING INTO THE HEATED COMMUNICATION PATH A VOLATILE SOLVENT FOR THE PETROLEUM CONTAINED IN THE FORMATIONS, SAID SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT GREATER THAN THE NATURAL FORMATION TEMPERATURE AND SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE COMMUNICATION PATH HAS BEEN HEATED; AND E. CONTINUING INJECTING THE HEATING FLUID INTO THE INJECTION WELL AND PRODUCING SAME AT THE PRODUCTION WELL, WITH THE FORMATION PETROLEUM MIXED THEREWITH.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication path is created by hydraulic fracturing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the formation contains a substantially water saturated, porous zone in the lower part thereof, and the communication path low in the formation is created by injecting a heated, aqueous fluid selected from the group consisting of steam and hot water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating fluid comprises an aqueous fluid selected from the group consisting of steam and hot water.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the heating fluid is steam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the heating fluid is hot water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein sodium hydroxide is included with the aqueous heating fluid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein a surfactant is included with the aqueous heating fluid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating fluid is an aromatic hydrocarbon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon heating fluid is benzene.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon heating fluid is toluene.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 1 whereiN the heating fluid is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the volatile solvent is carbon disulfide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the heating fluid used in conjunction with carbon disulfide is a liquid and the temperature of the heating fluid is below 210*F.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the volatile solvent is an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the aromatic, volatile solvent is benzene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the aromatic solvent is toluene.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the volatile solvent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for recovering bitumen from a tar sand deposit comprising: a. forming a permeable flow path near the bottom of the tar containing portion of the formation; b. injecting hot water whose temperature is below 210*F. and above the boiling point of carbon disulfide into the permeable flow path; c. injecting a predetermined quantity of carbon disulfide into the heated permeable flow path; d. continuing injecting the hot water into the formation, and e. recovering the hot water with formation tar mixed therewith from the formation.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for recovering bitumen from a tar sand deposit comprising: a. forming a permeable flow path near the bottom of the tar containing portion of the formation; b. injecting hot water whose temperature is below 210*F. and above the boiling point of carbon disulfide into the permeable flow path; c. injecting a predetermined quantity of carbon disulfide into the heated permeable flow path; d. continuing injecting the hot water into the formation, and e. recovering the hot water with formation tar mixed therewith from the formation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 19 wherein from about 0.05 to about 0.1 pore volumes of carbon disulfide is injected into the formation.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for recovering bitumen from tar sand deposits comprising: a. forming a permeable zone near the bottom of the tar sand deposit; b. injecting a nonaqueous fluid having a boiling point of at least 60*C. into the permeable zone, said fluid being heated to a temperature greater than the boiling point of carbon disulfide; c. injecting from about 0.01 to about 0.10 pore volumes of carbon disulfide into the heated permeable zone; d. continuing injecting the heated nonaqueous fluid and producing said fluid with bitumen dissolved therein from the tar sand deposit.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for recovering bitumen from tar sand deposits comprising: a. forming a permeable zone near the bottom of the tar sand deposit; b. injecting a nonaqueous fluid having a boiling point of at least 60*C. into the permeable zone, said fluid being heated to a temperature greater than the boiling point of carbon disulfide; c. injecting from about 0.01 to about 0.10 pore volumes of carbon disulfide into the heated permeable zone; d. continuing injecting the heated nonaqueous fluid and producing said fluid with bitumen dissolved therein from the tar sand deposit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the heated nonaqueous fluid is an aromatic hydrocarbon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon is benzene.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon is toluene.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the nonaqueous fluid is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for recovering viscous petroleum including bitumen from a viscous petroleum containing formation including a tar sand deposit comprising: a. forming a permeable flow path near the bottom of the petroleum containing formation; b. introducing an aqueous fluid heated to a temperature of at least 100* centrigrade into the permeable flow path; c. introducing an aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent for the formation petroleum having a boiling point at least 10*C. below the temperature of the heated aqueous fluid of (b) and above the natural formation temperature into the permeable flow path, and d. continuing injection of the heated aqueous fluid into the formation while producing the aqueous fluid with viscous formation petroleum mixed therewith from the formation.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for recovering viscous petroleum including bitumen from a viscous petroleum containing formation including a tar sand deposit comprising: a. forming a permeable flow path near the bottom of the petroleum containing formation; b. introducing an aqueous fluid heated to a temperature of at least 100* centrigrade into the permeable flow path; c. introducing an aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent for the formation petroleum having a boiling point at least 10*C. below the temperature of the heated aqueous fluid of (b) and above the natural formation temperature into the permeable flow path, and d. continuing injection of the heated aqueous fluid into the formation while producing the aqueous fluid with viscous formation petroleum mixed therewith from the formation.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 26 wherein the hydrocarbon solvent is benzene.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 26 wherein the heated aqueous fluid is steam heated to a temperature above 120*C. and the hydrocarbon solvent is toluene.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-30 | 1978-04-01 | 1978-10-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-30 | 1982-04-01 | 1982-10-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-30 | 1986-04-01 | 1986-10-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |