Method and system for increasing oil production from an oil well producing a mixture of oil and gas
First Claim
1. A method for increasing oil production from an oil well producing a mixture of oil and gas at an elevated pressure through a wellbore penetrating an oil-bearing formation containing an oil-bearing zone and an injection zone, the method comprising:
- a) separating at least a portion of the gas from the mixture of oil and gas in an auger separator to produce a separated gas and an oil-enriched mixture;
b) utilizing energy from at least a portion of the mixture of oil and gas to compress at a surface at least a portion of the separated gas to produce a compressed gas having sufficient pressure to be injected into the injection zone;
c) injecting the compressed gas into the injection zone; and
d) recovering at least a major portion of the oil-enriched mixture.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for increasing oil production from an oil well producing a mixture of oil and gas at an elevated pressure through a wellbore penetrating an oil-bearing formation containing an oil-bearing zone and an injection zone, by separating at least a portion of the gas from the mixture of oil and gas to produce a separated gas and an oil-enriched mixture; utilizing energy from at least a portion of the mixture of oil and gas to compress at a surface at least a portion of the separated gas to produce a compressed gas having sufficient pressure to be injected into the injection zone; injecting the compressed gas into the injection zone; and recovering at least a major portion of the oil-enriched mixture.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method for increasing oil production from an oil well producing a mixture of oil and gas at an elevated pressure through a wellbore penetrating an oil-bearing formation containing an oil-bearing zone and an injection zone, the method comprising:
-
a) separating at least a portion of the gas from the mixture of oil and gas in an auger separator to produce a separated gas and an oil-enriched mixture; b) utilizing energy from at least a portion of the mixture of oil and gas to compress at a surface at least a portion of the separated gas to produce a compressed gas having sufficient pressure to be injected into the injection zone; c) injecting the compressed gas into the injection zone; and d) recovering at least a major portion of the oil-enriched mixture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system for increasing the production of oil from an oil well producing a mixture of oil and gas at an elevated pressure through a wellbore penetrating a formation containing an oil-bearing zone and an injection zone, the system comprising:
-
an auger separator in fluid communication with the oil-bearing zone; a turbine positioned at a surface of the earth and having an inlet in fluid communication with the separator for receiving fluids from the separator for driving the turbine; and a compressor drivingly connected to the turbine and positioned on the surface, the compressor having a gas inlet in fluid communication with a separated gas discharge outlet on the separator, the compressor further having a compressed gas discharge outlet in fluid communication through a passageway with the injection zone. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification