Method for preventing bottom water coning in oil wells

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS AND INHIBITING WATER CONING DURING THE PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS FROM A WELL BORE WHICH PENETRATES A SUBSURFACE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH IS IN CONTACT WITH AND OVERLAYS AN ADJACENT WATER-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES: A. INJECTING INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FORMATION A SLUG OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON HAVING A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND FLUE GASES DISSLOVED THEREIN IN AMOUNTS UP TO THE SATURATION VALUE AT THE INJECTION PRESSURE, B. INJECTING VIA SAID WELL BORE A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 200* TO ABOUT 500*F INTO THE LOWER PART OF SAID HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION, C. WITHDRAWING VIA SAID WELL BORE THE INJECTED LIQUID HYDROCARBON FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONPRODUCING FORMATION, AND D. CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING AND WITHDRAWING SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PRODUCING VIA SAID WELL BORE PERTROLUEM HYDROCARBONS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SAID HYDROCARBON-BEARING FORMATION, THE VOLUMN OF THE LIQUID HYDROCARBON INJECTED BEING LESS THAN THE VOLUME OF THE WITHDRAW HYDROCARBON PLUS THE VOLUME OF THEPRODCED PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS, THE VOLUMES BEING EXPRESSED IN RESERVOIR OR FORMATION VOLUMES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS AND INHIBITING WATER CONING DURING THE PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS FROM A WELL BORE WHICH PENETRATES A SUBSURFACE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH IS IN CONTACT WITH AND OVERLAYS AN ADJACENT WATER-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES: A. INJECTING INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FORMATION A SLUG OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON HAVING A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND FLUE GASES DISSLOVED THEREIN IN AMOUNTS UP TO THE SATURATION VALUE AT THE INJECTION PRESSURE, B. INJECTING VIA SAID WELL BORE A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 200* TO ABOUT 500*F INTO THE LOWER PART OF SAID HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION, C. WITHDRAWING VIA SAID WELL BORE THE INJECTED LIQUID HYDROCARBON FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONPRODUCING FORMATION, AND D. CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING AND WITHDRAWING SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PRODUCING VIA SAID WELL BORE PERTROLUEM HYDROCARBONS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SAID HYDROCARBON-BEARING FORMATION, THE VOLUMN OF THE LIQUID HYDROCARBON INJECTED BEING LESS THAN THE VOLUME OF THE WITHDRAW HYDROCARBON PLUS THE VOLUME OF THEPRODCED PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS, THE VOLUMES BEING EXPRESSED IN RESERVOIR OR FORMATION VOLUMES.

Claim 3

A method of producing petroleum hydrocarbons and inhibiting water coning during the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from a well bore which penetrates a subsurface petroleum hydrocarbon-producing formation which is in contact with and overlays an adjacent water-producing formation which comprises: a. injecting into the lower portion of the formation a slug of liquid hydrocarbon having dissolved therein from about 200 to about 5,000 ppm of a hydrolyzable silane of the formula: R R'' Si X, wherein R and R'' are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl of from 1 to 6 inclusive carbon atoms and aryl of not more than 8 carbon atoms and X is selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine and iodine, b. injecting via said well bore a liquid hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 200* to about 500* F into the lower part of said hydrocarbon-producing formation, c. withdrawing via said well bore the injected liquid hydrocarbon from the upper portion of the hydrocarbon-producing formation, and d. continuously injecting and withdrawing said liquid hydrocarbon while at the same time producing via said well bore petroleum hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the said hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon injected being less than the volume of the withdrawn liquid hydrocarbon plus the volume of the produced petroleum hydrocarbons, the volumes being expressed in reservoir or formation volumes.

Claim 4

A method of producing petroleum hydrocarbons and inhibiting water coning during the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from a well bore which penetrates a subsurface petroleum hydrocarbon-producing formation which is in contact with and overlays an adjacent water-producing formation which comprises: a. injecting into the lower portion of the formation a slug of liquid hydrocarbon having dissolved therein from about 200 to about 5,000 ppm of a hydrolyzable silane of the formula: R R'' Si X, wherein R and R'' are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl of from 1 to 6 inclusive carbon atoms and aryl of not more than 8 carbon atoms and X is selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine and iodine, b. injecting via said well bore a liquid hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 200* to about 500* F into the lower part of said hydrocarbon-producing formation, c. withdrawing via said well bore the injected liquid hydrocarbon from the upper portion of the hydrocarbon-producing formation, and d. continuously injecting and withdrawing said liquid hydrocarbon while at the same time producing via said well bore petroleum hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the said hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon injected being less than the volume of the withdrawn liquid hydrocarbon plus the volume of the produced petroleum hydrocarbons, the volumes being expressed in reservoir or formation volumes.

Claim 5

A method of producing petroleum hydrocarbons and inhibiting water coning during the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from a well bore which penetrates a subsurface petroleum hydrocarbon-producing formation which is in contact with and overlays an adjacent water-producing formation which comprises: a. injecting into the lower portion of the formation a slug of gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and flue gases at a temperature of about 200 to about 1,000* F in an amount sufficient to reduce the water content of the formation into which the hot liquid hydrocarbon is injected to an amount below the so-called irreducible minimum, the said carbon dioxide containing from about 200 to about 5,000 ppm of a vaporized hydrolyzable silane of the formula: R R'' Si X, wherein R and R'' are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl of from 1 to 6 inclusive carbon atoms and aryl of not more than 8 carbon atoms and X is selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine and iodine, b. injecting via said well bore a liquid hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 200* to about 500* F into the lower part of said hydrocarbon-producing formation, c. withdrawing via said well bore the injected liquid hydrocarbon from the upper portion of the hydrocarbon-producing formation, and d. continuously injecting and withdrawing said liquid hydrocarbon while at the same time producing via said well bore petroleum hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the said hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon injected being less than the volume of the withdrawn liquid hydrocarbon plus the volume of the produced petroleum hydrocarbons, the volumes being expressed in reservoir or formation volumes.

Claim 6

A method of producing petroleum hydrocarbons and inhibiting water coning during the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from a well bore which penetrates a subsurface petroleum hydrocarbon-producing formation which is in contact with and overlays an adjacent water-producing formation which comprises: a. injecting into the lower portion of the formation a slug of gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and flue gases at a temperature of about 200 to about 1,000* F in an amount sufficient to reduce the water content of the formation into which the hot liquid hydrocarbon is injected to an amount below the so-called irreducible minimum, the said carbon dioxide containing from about 200 to about 5,000 ppm of a vaporized hydrolyzable silane of the formula: R R'' Si X, wherein R and R'' are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl of from 1 to 6 inclusive carbon atoms and aryl of not more than 8 carbon atoms and X is selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine and iodine, b. injecting via said well bore a liquid hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 200* to about 500* F into the lower part of said hydrocarbon-producing formation, c. withdrawing via said well bore the injected liquid hydrocarbon from the upper portion of the hydrocarbon-producing formation, and d. continuously injecting and withdrawing said liquid hydrocarbon while at the same time producing via said well bore petroleum hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the said hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon injected being less than the volume of the withdrawn liquid hydrocarbon plus the volume of the produced petroleum hydrocarbons, the volumes being expressed in reservoir or formation volumes.