SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MONITORING AND RECOVERY OF PETROLEUM FROM EARTH FORMATIONS

• US 20090283267A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Sponchia, Barton
• Granted Patent: US 8,776,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/272.300
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells

Abstract

A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation. The system includes: an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly; and a production assembly disposable within a second borehole for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a collector extending from a distal end of the assembly. At least one of the injector and the collector includes at least a first conduit and at least a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of at least one of the first and second borehole.

Claims

1. A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation, the system comprising:

an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly; and

a production assembly disposable within a second borehole for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a collector extending from a distal end of the assembly,

at least one of the injector and the collector including at least a first conduit and at least a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of at least one of the first and second borehole.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first conduit has a first outer diameter and a first inner diameter, and the second conduit has a second outer diameter that is smaller than the first inner diameter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the injector further comprises a plurality of injection ports, each of which is separately connected to one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a third conduit, the third conduit having a third outer diameter that is smaller than a second inner diameter of the second conduit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third conduit has a third distal end located at a toe end of the injector, the first distal end is located at a heel end of the injector, and the second distal end is located between the first distal end and the third distal end.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of openings located on a portion of the surface of each of the first conduit and the second conduit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to one of the first borehole and the second borehole.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is impermeable to the material to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the collector includes a production conduit and a mixing chamber formed in the first conduit, the mixing chamber being in fluid communication with the first conduit, the second conduit and the production conduit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal source is steam.

11. A method of producing petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

disposing an injection assembly in a first borehole, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly, the injector including a first conduit and a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of the first borehole;

disposing a production assembly in a second borehole, the production assembly including a production conduit extending between a distal location of the borehole and a proximal location of the borehole;

injecting a thermal source into the injector and through a plurality of openings on a portion of the first and second conduits to introduce thermal energy to a portion of the earth formation and reduce a viscosity of the material therein; and

recovering the material through the production assembly.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to the first borehole.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is solid to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein injecting includes separately injecting steam into each of the first and second conduits.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal source is steam.

16. A method of producing petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

disposing an injection assembly in a first borehole, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the injection assembly;

disposing a production assembly in a second borehole, the production assembly including a collector having a first conduit and a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of the second borehole;

injecting a thermal source into the injector to introduce thermal energy to a portion of the earth formation and reduce a viscosity of the material therein; and

recovering the material through a plurality of openings on a portion of the first and second conduits into a production conduit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to the second borehole.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is solid to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising combining the material from the first and second conduits via a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the first conduit, the second conduit and the production conduit.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the thermal source is steam.