Patent US3918521A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3918521A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Petroleum production by steam injection
Assignee: Mobil Oil AS
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Filing: 1974-06-24
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Granted: 1975-11-11
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Expires: 1994-06-24
Abstract
Abstract This specification discloses a method of producing petroleum from a petroleum-bearing formation. A heated fluid is generated in a heated fluid generator that is fired with a sulfurcontaining fuel and the heated fluid is injected into the petroleum-bearing formation and petroleum is produced therefrom. The firing of the heated fluid generator with the sulfurcontaining fuel produces a flue gas which contains sulfur oxides. The flue gas is passed through an emission scrubber vessel in counterflow with an alkaline water containing calcium ions to scrub the sulfur oxides from the flue gas, to reduce the alkalinity of the alkaline water and to form calcium sulfite. An oxidation inhibitor is added to inhibit the oxidation of the calcium sulfite. The scrubbed flue gas and the water of the reduced alkalinity are discharged from the emission scrubber vessel and the calcium sulfite is separated by mechanical means from the water of reduced alkalinity.
Inventors
- 👤 Jr Earl S Snavely
- 👤 Theodore A Bertness
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 12:09
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B01D53/46; B01D53/48; B01D53/50; B01D53/501; C; C01; C01B; C01B17/00; C01B17/62; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/60; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; E21B43/17; E21B43/24; E21B43/34; E21B43/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
209 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM A PETROLEUMBEARING FORMATION PENETRATED BY A WELL MEANS COMPRISING: A. GENERATING A HOT FLUID BY INJECTING FEED WATER INTO A HOT FLUID GENERATOR AND FIRING SAID HOT FLUID GENERATOR WITH A SULFUR-CONTAINING FUEL, SAID HOT FLUID GENERATOR EMITTING A FLUE GAS CONTAINING SULFUR OXIDES, B. INJECTING SAID HOT FLUID VIA SAID WELL MEANS INTO SAID PETROLEUM-BEARING FORMATION, C. PRODUCING PETROLEUM VIA SAID WELL MEANS FROM SAID PETROLEUM-BEARING FORMATION, D. PASSING SAID FLUE GAS CONTAINING SULFUR OXIDES THROUGH AN EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, E. INJECTING AN OXIDATION INHIBITOR INTO AN ALKALINE WATER CONTAINING CALCIUM IONS, F. PASSING SAID ALKALINE WATER CONTAINING CALCIUM IONS AND SAID OXIDATION INHIBITOR THROUGH SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL IN COUNTERFLOW WITH SAID FLUE GAS TO SCRUB SAID SULFUR OXIDES FRM SAID FLUE GAS, TO REDUCE THE ALKALINITY OF SAID ALKALINE WATER, TO FORM CALCIUM SULFITE AND TO INHIBIT THE OXIDATION OF SAID CALCIUM SULFITE, G. MAINTAINING THE PH OF SAID WATER OF REDUCED ALKALINITY AT A PH VALUE OF AT LEAST 6.0, H. DISCHARGING SAID SCRUBBED FLUE GAS FROM SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, I. DISCHARGING SAID WATR OF REDUCED ALKALINITY CONTAINING SAID CALCIUM SULFITE FROM SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, AND J. SEPARATING SAID CALCIUM SULFITE FROM SAID WATER OF REDUCED ALKALINITY.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
209 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM A PETROLEUMBEARING FORMATION PENETRATED BY A WELL MEANS COMPRISING: A. GENERATING A HOT FLUID BY INJECTING FEED WATER INTO A HOT FLUID GENERATOR AND FIRING SAID HOT FLUID GENERATOR WITH A SULFUR-CONTAINING FUEL, SAID HOT FLUID GENERATOR EMITTING A FLUE GAS CONTAINING SULFUR OXIDES, B. INJECTING SAID HOT FLUID VIA SAID WELL MEANS INTO SAID PETROLEUM-BEARING FORMATION, C. PRODUCING PETROLEUM VIA SAID WELL MEANS FROM SAID PETROLEUM-BEARING FORMATION, D. PASSING SAID FLUE GAS CONTAINING SULFUR OXIDES THROUGH AN EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, E. INJECTING AN OXIDATION INHIBITOR INTO AN ALKALINE WATER CONTAINING CALCIUM IONS, F. PASSING SAID ALKALINE WATER CONTAINING CALCIUM IONS AND SAID OXIDATION INHIBITOR THROUGH SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL IN COUNTERFLOW WITH SAID FLUE GAS TO SCRUB SAID SULFUR OXIDES FRM SAID FLUE GAS, TO REDUCE THE ALKALINITY OF SAID ALKALINE WATER, TO FORM CALCIUM SULFITE AND TO INHIBIT THE OXIDATION OF SAID CALCIUM SULFITE, G. MAINTAINING THE PH OF SAID WATER OF REDUCED ALKALINITY AT A PH VALUE OF AT LEAST 6.0, H. DISCHARGING SAID SCRUBBED FLUE GAS FROM SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, I. DISCHARGING SAID WATR OF REDUCED ALKALINITY CONTAINING SAID CALCIUM SULFITE FROM SAID EMISSION SCRUBBER VESSEL, AND J. SEPARATING SAID CALCIUM SULFITE FROM SAID WATER OF REDUCED ALKALINITY.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said oxidation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, formaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, phenol, and hydroquinone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 2 wherein steam is said hot fluid and a steam generator is said hot fluid generator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
244 words
In a method of producing petroleum from a formation containing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions, said formation being penetrated by an injection well and a production well, the steps comprising: a. generating a hot fluid by injecting feed water into a hot fluid generator and firing said hot fluid generator with a sulfur-containing fuel, said hot fluid generator emitting a flue gas containing sulfur oxides; b. injecting said hot fluid via said injection well into said formation containing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions; c. producing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions via said production well from said formation; d. clarifying at least a portion of said produced alkaline water having calcium ions; e. injecting an oxidation inhibitor into said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions; f. passing said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions and said oxidation inhibitor through an emission scrubber vessel; g. passing said flue gas containing sulfur oxides through said emission scrubber vessel in counterflow with said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions and said oxidation inhibitor to scrub said sulfur oxides from said flue gas, to reduce the alkalinity of said clarified alkaline water, to form calcium sulfite, and to inhibit the oxidation of said calcium sulfite; h. discharging said scrubbed flue gas from said emission scrubber vessel; i. discharging said water of reduced alkalinity from said emission scrubber vessel; and j. treating said discharged water of reduced alkalinity to separate therefrom said calcium sulfite.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
244 words
In a method of producing petroleum from a formation containing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions, said formation being penetrated by an injection well and a production well, the steps comprising: a. generating a hot fluid by injecting feed water into a hot fluid generator and firing said hot fluid generator with a sulfur-containing fuel, said hot fluid generator emitting a flue gas containing sulfur oxides; b. injecting said hot fluid via said injection well into said formation containing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions; c. producing petroleum and alkaline water having calcium ions via said production well from said formation; d. clarifying at least a portion of said produced alkaline water having calcium ions; e. injecting an oxidation inhibitor into said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions; f. passing said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions and said oxidation inhibitor through an emission scrubber vessel; g. passing said flue gas containing sulfur oxides through said emission scrubber vessel in counterflow with said clarified alkaline water having calcium ions and said oxidation inhibitor to scrub said sulfur oxides from said flue gas, to reduce the alkalinity of said clarified alkaline water, to form calcium sulfite, and to inhibit the oxidation of said calcium sulfite; h. discharging said scrubbed flue gas from said emission scrubber vessel; i. discharging said water of reduced alkalinity from said emission scrubber vessel; and j. treating said discharged water of reduced alkalinity to separate therefrom said calcium sulfite.
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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) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |