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US3874449A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tertiary recovery operation

Assignee: Texaco Inc
•
Filing: 1973-10-17
•
Granted: 1975-04-01
•
Expires: 1993-10-17
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Abstract

Abstract At the conclusion of a secondary recovery operation after breakthrough of the driving fluid at the production wells in a direct line drive, injection wells in alternate series are shut in and the production wells in the adjacent series are converted to injection wells, for tertiary recovery via the remainder of the production wells by the imposition of a new set of flow gradients.

Inventors

  • 👤 Donald L Hoyt
  • 👤 Anthony F Altamira

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 21:37
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; E21B43/18; E21B43/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 180 words
AT THE CONCULSION OF A SECONDARY RECOVERY OPERATION IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS FROM A SUBSTERRANEAN HYDROCARBON-BEARING FORMATION BY A DIRECT LINE DRIVE WHICH COMPRISES PENETRATING SAID FORMATION WITH A PLUTALITY OF WELLS DISPOSED IN A LINEAR PATTERN AND COMPRISING A SERIES OF A PAIR OF PRODUCTION WELLS AND AN INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELL, INJECTING AN EXTRANEOUS FLUID INTO EACH FORMATION VIA SAID INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELL OF SAID SERIES TO DISPLACE FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FORMATION TOWARD SAID PRODUCTION WELLS, PRODUCING SAID FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FORMATION VIA SAID PRODUCTING WELLS TILL BREAKTHROUGH OF SAID EXTRANEOUS FLUID THEREAT, THEREUPON INITIATING A TERTIARY RECOVERY OPERATION BY IMPOSING A NEW SET OF FLOW GRADIENTS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SHUTTING IN THE INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELLS IN ALTERNATE SERIES AND CONVERTING PRODUCTION WELLS IN THE SERIES ADJACENT THERETO INTO INJECTION WELLS, AND THEREUPON INJECTING SAID EXTRANEOUS FLUID VIA THE REMAINDER OF THE INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELLS OF SAID SERIES AND THE CONVERTED PRODUCTION WELLS OF SAID SERIES, AND PRODUCING FORMATION FLUIDS VIA THE REMAINDER OF SAID PRODUCTION WELLS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 180 words
AT THE CONCULSION OF A SECONDARY RECOVERY OPERATION IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS FROM A SUBSTERRANEAN HYDROCARBON-BEARING FORMATION BY A DIRECT LINE DRIVE WHICH COMPRISES PENETRATING SAID FORMATION WITH A PLUTALITY OF WELLS DISPOSED IN A LINEAR PATTERN AND COMPRISING A SERIES OF A PAIR OF PRODUCTION WELLS AND AN INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELL, INJECTING AN EXTRANEOUS FLUID INTO EACH FORMATION VIA SAID INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELL OF SAID SERIES TO DISPLACE FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FORMATION TOWARD SAID PRODUCTION WELLS, PRODUCING SAID FORMATION FLUIDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FORMATION VIA SAID PRODUCTING WELLS TILL BREAKTHROUGH OF SAID EXTRANEOUS FLUID THEREAT, THEREUPON INITIATING A TERTIARY RECOVERY OPERATION BY IMPOSING A NEW SET OF FLOW GRADIENTS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SHUTTING IN THE INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELLS IN ALTERNATE SERIES AND CONVERTING PRODUCTION WELLS IN THE SERIES ADJACENT THERETO INTO INJECTION WELLS, AND THEREUPON INJECTING SAID EXTRANEOUS FLUID VIA THE REMAINDER OF THE INTERMEDIATE INJECTION WELLS OF SAID SERIES AND THE CONVERTED PRODUCTION WELLS OF SAID SERIES, AND PRODUCING FORMATION FLUIDS VIA THE REMAINDER OF SAID PRODUCTION WELLS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
In the method as defined in claim 1, said intermediate injection well and said pair of production wells being disposed in a common row of a series thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 22 words
In the method as defined in claim 2, said intermediate injeCtion well and said production wells being disposed respectively in common rows.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3113616A Cited
US3358754A Cited
US3386504A Cited
US3476182A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-03-31 1978-09-30 1979-04-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-03-31 1982-09-30 1983-04-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-03-31 1986-09-30 1987-04-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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