METHOD OF CREATING CARBONIC ACID WITHIN AN OIL MATRIX

• US 20120261142A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Syagd Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agosto Inc.
• Inventors: Lourenco, Jose J.P., Murphy, John Gordon
• Application Number:
  US13/235,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/403
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/168 Injecting a gaseous medium

Abstract

A system and method for cracking, hydrogenating and extracting oil from underground deposits is presented. A system includes injecting syngas into a oil deposit to crack and hydrogenate the oil to produce upgraded oil with a reduced density and viscosity. An acid is created to increase the geological matrix within the oil deposit to allow an increase volume of upgraded oil to flow through the geological matrix. For example, condensing the syngas in the oil deposit produces condensed syngas and this can be combined with combining carbon dioxide with the condensed syngas to produce carbonic acid. The upgraded oil with reduced density and viscosity is extracted from the underground deposit to transport the upgraded oil aboveground.

Claims

1. A method for extracting oil from an underground oil deposit comprising:

injecting syngas into a oil deposit to crack and hydrogenate the oil to produce upgraded oil with a reduced density and viscosity;

creating an acid to increase the geological matrix within the oil deposit to allow an increase volume of upgraded oil to flow through the geological matrix; and

extracting the upgraded oil with reduced density and viscosity from the underground deposit to transport the upgraded oil aboveground.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the creating an acid further comprises:

creating carbonic acid.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the creating carbonic acid further comprises:

condensing the syngas in the oil deposit to produce condensed syngas; and

combining carbon dioxide with the condensed syngas to create carbonic acid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid dissolves cement bridges between quartz particles to increase poor space of the geological matrix.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating high pressure, high temperature syngas.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

generating the syngas by incompletely combusting oil with oxygen and steam.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing the temperature of the syngas before the syngas is injected to the oil deposit.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

flowing the reduced density and viscosity oil to a production well beneath the earth'"'"'s surface; and

pumping the reduced density and viscosity oil from the production well as part of a syngas assisted gravity drainage (SYAGD) method of oil recovery.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

pumping the syngas to an injection well that outputs the syngas above an input of the production well so that the reduced density and viscosity oil can be assisted by gravity to flow downward into an input of the production well.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the syngas is comprised primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is about 2 to 1.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the syngas is comprised primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is about 3 to 1.

12. A method of recovering oil from a heavy oil deposit comprising:

injecting syngas through an injection well to crack, hydrogenate and reduce the viscosity the heavy oil to produce upgraded oil;

generating an acid to increase a geological matrix of the oil deposit for allowing more of the upgraded oil to flow; and

recovering the upgraded oil and bringing the upgraded oil aboveground through a production well.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the creating an acid further comprises:

creating carbonic acid.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the creating carbonic acid further comprises:

condensing the syngas in the oil deposit to produce condensed syngas; and

combining carbon dioxide with the condensed syngas.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

controlling the temperature of the syngas before the syngas is sent below the surface of the earth.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

cooling the syngas before the syngas is sent to the injection well.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating power with heat removed from the syngas.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

separating the upgraded oil into oil for sale and oil for gasification.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

generating the syngas by at least partially combusting the oil for gasification.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the syngas is comprised primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide where the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is about 2.5 to 1.