Methods and apparatus for recovery of hydrocarbons from underground water tables

Claim 1

Apparatus for recovery of underground liquid petroleum origin hydrocarbons lying on ground water of a ground water table from a well extending below ground surface level into the ground water table and below the level of the liquid hydrocarbons within the well on the ground water therein said apparatus comprising: a vessel having a liquid receiving chamber, said vessel including a liquid inflow port adjacent its upper end and liquid inflow permitting, static pressure responsive check valve means for said inflow port confining flow of the liquids through said inflow port to flow of same in an inflow direction into the vessel chamber, said vessel including a liquid outflow port disposed adjacent the lower end of said chamber and liquids outflow permitting, static pressure responsive check valve means for confining flow of the liquids from said chamber through said outflow port to flow of same in an outflow direction out of said chamber and having an outlet adjacent the upper end of said vessel, a source of gas under pressure, piping for conveying the liquids from the well to and including separator means for specific gravity separation of the hydrocarbon liquids from the water, said source of gas and said piping being located externally of the well and adjacent the ground surface level, conduit means connecting said gas source to said vesseI chamber and including fluid directional flow control valve means located exteriorly of the well including directional control means for venting said chamber to atmosphere therethrough and blocking off said gas source and forming the venting mode of said directional control valve means, and for communicating said gas source to said chamber free of venting of said chamber to the atmosphere and forming the chamber static pressurizing mode of said directional control valve means, pipe means for connecting said liquid outflow check valve means outlet to said piping with a corresponding liquid head, means for adjustably suspending said vessel in the well and holding same essentially stationary vertically with said inflow port thereof in said liquids, and means for switching said directional flow control valve means between said modes for establishing alternate vessel operation cycles of liquids inflow to said chamber with venting of said chamber to atmosphere, opening of said vessel inflow valve means under the static pressure of the liquids in the well, and closing of said vessel outflow check valve means under the head of said pipe means, and gas pressurization of said chamber to evacuate the liquids therefrom into said piping through said vessel outflow valve means against said head of said pipe means and free of venting of said chamber to atmosphere and mechanical pumping of the liquid hydrocarbons.

Claim 12

The method of removing both ground water and hydrocarbon liquids lying on same, of a ground water table, at a well extending below the ground surface level into the ground water table, said method comprising: disposing within the well and within both the ground water and the hydrocarbon liquids in the well a vessel defining a chamber that is open to freely receive both the liquids in which the vessel is disposed, admitting both the liquids of the well into the chamber and venting to atmosphere the air within the vessel displaced by the quantity of liquids admitted to the chamber, and thereby establishing a vessel chamber charging step and while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically, sealing the vessel chamber off from the atmosphere and the liquids that are external of the vessel, and exposing the vessel chamber to a source of compressed air and conducting the quantity to liquids solely under the static pressure of the compressed air applied directly thereto, and in an isolated flow that is free of mechanical pumping, to a ground level located site that is remote from said vessel, and thereby establishing a vessel chamber discharge step, and while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically, and alternately repeating said vessel chamber charging and discharging steps while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically to effect step by step withdrawal of both the liquids from the well substantially free of emulsification, and to effect conductance of both of the liquids to said site, and at said site specitfic gravity separating the hydrocarbon liquids from the water.

Claim 13

The method of removing both ground water and hydrocarbon liquids lying on same, of a ground water table, at a well extending below the ground surface level into the ground water table, said method comprising: disposing within the well and within both the ground water and the hydrocarbon liquids in the well a vessel defining a chamber that is open to freely receive both the liquids in which the vessel is disposed, admitting both the liquids of the well into the chamber and venting to atmosphere the air within the vessel displaced by the quantity of liquids admitted to the chamber, and thereby establishing a vessel chamber charging step and while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically, sealing the vessel chamber off from the atmosphere and the liquids that are external of the vessel, and exposing the vessel chamber to a source of compressed air and conducting the quantity to liquids solely under the static pressure of the compressed air applied directly thereto, and in an isolated flow that is free of mechanical pumping, to a ground level located site that is remote from said vessel, and thereby establishing a vessel chamber discharge step, and while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically, and alternately repeating said vessel chamber charging and discharging steps while holding the vessel essentially stationary vertically to effect step by step withdrawal of both the liquids from the well substantially free of emulsification, and to effect conductance of both of the liquids to said site, and at said site specitfic gravity separating the hydrocarbon liquids from the water.