INTEGRATED ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY PROCESS

• US 20110146979A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sure Champion Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: GreatPoint Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Wallace, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,733,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/266
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/093 Coal
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0943 Coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0976 as steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0986 Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1653 integrated in a gasification combined cycle [IGCC]
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1662 to methane
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/00 Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels destructive distillation processes C10B
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/005 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/08 by washing with liquids; Reviving the used wash liquors gas washers B01D
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/12 alkaline-reacting including the revival of the used wash liquors
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/122 containing only carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides or oxides of alkali-metals (including Mg)
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/128 containing organic oxygen transferring compounds, e.g. sulfoxides
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/14 organic
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/143 containing amino groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/08 Production of synthetic natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/101 Removal of contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0064 Carbon dioxide sequestration storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/168 Injecting a gaseous medium
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/40 : Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials E21B43/385 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 : Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 : the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/70 : Combining sequestration of CO2 and exploitation of hydrocarbons by injecting CO2 or carbonated water in oil wells

Abstract

The present invention relates to an enhanced oil recovery process that is integrated with a synthesis gas generation process, such as gasification or reforming, involving capture and recycle of a sour carbon dioxide stream for EOR use.

Claims

1. An integrated process to (i) produce an acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream, (ii) produce a hydrocarbon-containing fluid from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir via a hydrocarbon production well, and (iii) enhance production of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the process comprising the steps of:

(1) injecting a pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream into the underground hydrocarbon reservoir to enhance production of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the underground hydrocarbon reservoir via the hydrocarbon production well;

(2) recovering the hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from the hydrocarbon production well;

(3) separating the hydrocarbon-containing fluid into (a) a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and (b) a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream optionally comprising hydrogen sulfide;

(4) producing a synthesis gas stream from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas stream comprising (a) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, (b) at least one of hydrogen and methane, and (c) optionally hydrogen sulfide;

(5) treating the synthesis gas stream and optionally the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream in an acid gas removal unit to produce the acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and a sour carbon dioxide stream;

(6) pressurizing the sour carbon dioxide stream to generate the pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream,

wherein (i) at least one of the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises more than a trace amount of hydrogen sulfide, and (ii) if the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises more than a trace amount of hydrogen sulfide, then both the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream are treated in the acid gas removal unit to produce the acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and the sour carbon dioxide stream.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream is produced by a catalytic steam methane reforming process utilizing a methane-containing stream as the carbonaceous feedstock.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream is produced by a non-catalytic gaseous partial oxidation process utilizing a methane-containing stream as the carbonaceous feedstock.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream is produced by a catalytic autothermal reforming process utilizing a methane-containing stream as the carbonaceous feedstock.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream is produced by a non-catalytic thermal gasification process utilizing a non-gaseous carbonaceous material as the carbonaceous feedstock.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

7. The process of claim 2, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

8. The process of claim 3, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

9. The process of claim 4, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

10. The process of claim 5, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream is produced by a catalytic hydromethanation process utilizing a non-gaseous carbonaceous material as the carbonaceous feedstock.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and optionally carbon monoxide.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and optionally carbon monoxide.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the synthesis gas stream is subject to a sour shift to generate a hydrogen-enriched stream.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the acid-gas depleted product gas stream comprises hydrogen, and at least a portion of the hydrogen is separated to generate a hydrogen product stream and a hydrogen-depleted gas stream.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream is treated in the acid gas removal unit.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the acid gas-depleted product gas stream comprises an acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and an acid gas-depleted synthesis gas stream.

18. A process to enhance production of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir via a hydrocarbon production well, by injecting a pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream into the underground hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream is generated by a process comprising the steps of:

(I) recovering the hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from the hydrocarbon production well;

(II) separating the hydrocarbon-containing fluid into (a) a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and (b) a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream optionally comprising hydrogen sulfide;

(III) producing a synthesis gas stream from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas stream comprising (a) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, (b) at least one of hydrogen and methane, and (c) optionally hydrogen sulfide;

(IV) treating the synthesis gas stream and optionally the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream in an acid gas removal unit to produce an acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and a sour carbon dioxide stream; and

(V) pressurizing the sour carbon dioxide stream to generate the pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream,

wherein (i) at least one of the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises more than a trace amount of hydrogen sulfide, and (ii) if the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises more than a trace amount of hydrogen sulfide, then both the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream are treated in the acid gas removal unit to produce the acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and the sour carbon dioxide stream.

19. An apparatus for producing a hydrocarbon-containing fluid and an acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream, the apparatus comprising:

(A) a synthesis gas production system adapted to produce a synthesis gas from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas comprising (i) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, (ii) at least one of hydrogen and methane, and (iii) optionally hydrogen sulfide;

(B) an injection well in fluid communication with an underground hydrocarbon reservoir comprising a hydrocarbon-containing fluid, the injection well adapted to inject a pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream into the underground hydrocarbon reservoir for enhanced oil recovery;

(C) a hydrocarbon production well in fluid communication with the underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the hydrocarbon production well adapted to remove hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the underground hydrocarbon reservoir;

(D) a separation device in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon production well, the separation device adapted (i) to receive the hydrocarbon fluid from the hydrocarbon production well, and (ii) to separate the hydrocarbon fluid into a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream optionally comprising hydrogen sulfide;

(E) an acid gas removal unit in fluid communication with the synthesis gas generation system and optionally the separation device, the acid gas removal unit adapted to (i) receive the synthesis gas from the synthesis gas generation system and optionally the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream from the separation device, and (ii) treat the synthesis gas and optionally the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream to remove acid gases and produce the acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and a sour carbon dioxide stream; and

(F) a compressor unit in fluid communication with the acid gas removal unit and the injection well, the compressor unit adapted to (i) receive the sour carbon dioxide stream, (ii) compress the sour carbon dioxide stream to generate the pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream, and (iii) provide the pressurized sour carbon dioxide stream to the injection well.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the acid gas removal unit is adapted to receive a combined stream of the synthesis gas and the gaseous hydrocarbon product stream, and treat the combined stream to remove acid gases and produce an acid gas-depleted hydrocarbon product gas stream and a sour carbon dioxide stream.