Abstract:
Resolving or breaking oil field emulsions involving bituminous petroleum is more difficult than emulsions involving conventional petroleum because the specific gravity of bituminous petroleum is approximately equal to the specific gravity of water. Demulsification of bituminous petroleum emulsions is aided by adding a solvent for the bitumen whose specific gravity is substantially greater than the specific gravity of water to the emulsion. Examples of suitable solvents include carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, and certain halogenated hydrocarbons which are essentially insoluble in and unreactive with water.
Abstract:
Apparatus including a well logging tool and surface equipment provides an output substantially corresponding to the expected subsidence of a frozen earth formation upon thawing.
Abstract:
Many oil recovery techniques for viscous oil recovery such as recovery of bitumen from tar sand deposits, including steam injection and in situ combustion, require establishment of a high permeability interwell fluid flow path in the formation. The method of the present invention comprises forming an initial entry zone into the formation by means such as noncondensible gas sweep or hydraulic fracturing and propping, or utilizing high permeability streaks naturally occurring within the formation, and expanding the zone by injecting steam and a noncondensible gas into the gas swept zone, propped fracture zone or high permeability streak. The mixture of steam and noncondensible gas is injected into the formation at a pressure in pounds per square inch not exceeding numerically the overburden thickness in feet, and the steam-noncondensible gas-bitumen mixture is produced either from the same or a remotely located well. The operation may be repeated through several cycles in order to enlarge the flow channel. Suitable noncondensible gases include nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, flue gas, exhaust gas, methane, natural gas, ethane, propane, butane and mixtures thereof. Saturated or supersaturated steam may be used.
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.
Abstract:
Apparatus including a well logging tool and surface equipment provides an output substantially corresponding to the expected subsidence of a frozen earth formation upon thawing.