DIRECT STEAM GENERATOR DEGASSING
First Claim
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1. A method of recovering hydrocarbons with steam, comprising:
- vaporizing water by direct contact of the water with combustion products to produce a resulting fluid including the steam and carbon dioxide;
cooling the fluid to provide a mixture of the carbon dioxide and water condensate;
separating a gas phase with the carbon dioxide from a liquid phase with the condensate;
regenerating the steam by reducing pressure and then heating the condensate in a heat exchanger for thermal transfer with the fluid; and
injecting into a formation the steam with the carbon dioxide removed for recovery of the hydrocarbons.
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Abstract
Systems and methods generate steam mixed with desired non-condensable gas concentrations using a direct steam generator. Injecting the steam into a reservoir may facilitate recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir. Cooling an output of the direct steam generator produces water condensate, which is then separated from the non-condensable gas, such as carbon dioxide. Reducing pressure of the condensate subsequently heated by cross-exchange with effluent of the direct steam generator regenerates the steam with the carbon dioxide removed for the injection.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of recovering hydrocarbons with steam, comprising:
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vaporizing water by direct contact of the water with combustion products to produce a resulting fluid including the steam and carbon dioxide; cooling the fluid to provide a mixture of the carbon dioxide and water condensate; separating a gas phase with the carbon dioxide from a liquid phase with the condensate; regenerating the steam by reducing pressure and then heating the condensate in a heat exchanger for thermal transfer with the fluid; and injecting into a formation the steam with the carbon dioxide removed for recovery of the hydrocarbons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for recovering hydrocarbons with steam, comprising:
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a steam generator in which water vaporizes by direct contact with combustion products to produce a resulting fluid including the steam and carbon dioxide; a cooler coupled to receive the fluid from the steam generator for reducing temperature of the fluid to form a mixture of the carbon dioxide and water condensate; a separation vessel coupled to the cooler for removing a gas phase with the carbon dioxide from a liquid phase with the condensate; a pressure reducer coupled between an outlet for the condensate from the vessel and a heat exchanger forming at least part of the cooler to regenerate the steam at less pressure than the steam output from the steam generator using heat from the fluid output by the steam generator; at least one injection well coupled to the pressure reducer for introducing into a formation the steam with the carbon dioxide removed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of degassing an output from direct steam generation, comprising:
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vaporizing water by direct contact of the water with combustion products to produce a resulting fluid including steam and carbon dioxide; cooling the fluid in a heat exchanger and then a cooling unit to liquefy the steam into a water condensate at a first pressure; separating the carbon dioxide in a gaseous phase from the condensate; and regenerating the steam at a second pressure lower than the first pressure by passing the condensate through a pressure reducer and then the heat exchanger for thermal transfer with the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification