Portable and modular system for extracting petroleum and generating power

• US 7,650,939 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Zubrin, Robert M., Berggren, Mark H., Bruinsma, Douwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell; David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harcourt; Brad
• Application Number:
  US11/751,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 982 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.15, 166/250.07, 166/268, 166/402, 166/305.1, 166/369, 166/266, 166/261
• US Class Current: 166/266
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0064 Carbon dioxide sequestration storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/168 Injecting a gaseous medium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

An embodiment is a portable, modular apparatus, having one or more modules, for recovering oil from an oil well and generating electric power, and including a chassis to support a fuel reformer, a gas separator, a power generator, and/or a compressor. The fuel reformer module is adapted to react a fuel source with water to generate driver gas including a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas. The gas separator module is operatively coupled to the reformer module and is adapted to separate at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the rest of the driver gas. The power generator module is operatively coupled to the gas separator module and is adapted to generate electric power using a portion of the separated hydrogen gas. The compressor module is operatively coupled to the reformer module and is adapted to compress a portion of the driver gas, and to eject the driver gas at high pressure into the oil well for enhanced oil recovery. The chassis may be mounted and carried by a truck, boat, airplane, or other vehicle to the location of the oil well.

Claims

1. A portable, modular apparatus, having one or more modules, for recovering oil from an oil well and generating electric power, the apparatus comprising:

a reformer module adapted to react a fuel source, the fuel source transported to a site of the oil well, with water in an absence of air to generate driver gas, the driver gas comprising at least carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas, wherein sufficient water is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the fuel source is reformed directly into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas in a single step;

a gas separator module operatively coupled to the reformer module and adapted to receive a portion of the driver gas from the reformer module and to separate at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the driver gas;

a power generator module operatively coupled to the gas separator module and adapted to generate electricity using a portion of the hydrogen gas separated by the gas separator module; and

an injection module operatively coupled to the reformer module and adapted to receive a portion of the driver gas from the reformer module and to eject the driver gas from the apparatus and into the oil well.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a chassis adapted to support the reformer module, the gas separator module, the power generator module, and the injection module.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chassis is capable of being transported by a truck, a boat, or an airplane.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chassis includes one or more wheels for surface transportation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control module adapted to control the apparatus based on sub-surface data.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sub-surface data is selected from the group consisting of total pressure, carbon dioxide partial pressure, hydrogen partial pressure, temperature, oil flow rate, gas flow rate, and viscosity.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control module adapted to control the apparatus based on user input.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a compressor module, operatively coupled to the reformer module and the injection module, and adapted to compress the driver gas to a pressure appropriate for injection into the oil well.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heat exchange module operatively coupled to the reformer module and adapted to enhance thermal efficiency of the reformer module.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gas capture module, operatively coupled to the reformer module and the injection module, and adapted to capture at least a portion of the driver gas emerging from the oil well and relay it to the injection module for injection back into the oil well.

11. A portable, modular apparatus, having one or more modules, for recovering oil from an oil well, the apparatus comprising:

a reformer module adapted to react a fuel source, the fuel source transported to a site of the oil well, with water in an absence of air to generate driver gas, the driver gas comprising at least carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas, wherein sufficient water is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the fuel source is reformed directly into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas in a single step; and

an injection module operatively coupled to the reformer module and adapted to receive the driver gas from the reformer module and to eject the driver gas from the apparatus and into the oil well.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a chassis adapted to support the reformer module and the injection module.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the chassis is capable of being transported by a truck, a boat, or an airplane.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a control module adapted to control the injection module based on sub-surface data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sub-surface data is selected from the group consisting of total pressure, carbon dioxide partial pressure, hydrogen partial pressure, temperature, oil flow rate, gas flow rate, and viscosity.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a compressor module, operatively coupled to the reformer module and the injection module, and adapted to compress the driver gas to a pressure appropriate for injection into the oil well.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a heat exchange module, operatively coupled to the reformer module and the injection module, and adapted to enhance thermal efficiency of the reformer module.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a gas capture module, operatively coupled to the compressor module and the injection module, and adapted to capture at least a portion of the driver gas emerging from the oil well and relay it to the compressor module for compression and injection back into the oil well.

19. A method of extracting oil from an oil field, comprising:

bringing a portable reforming apparatus having one or more modules to the oil field;

converting an existing production well into an injection well;

generating a driver gas from a fuel source, the fuel source transported to a site of the oil field, and water in an absence of air using the portable reforming apparatus, the driver gas including at least hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, wherein sufficient water is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the fuel source is reformed directly into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas in a single step;

pressurizing the driver gas to a pressure appropriate for the oil well;

injecting a portion of the pressurized driver gas into the injection well; and

recovering the oil from the oil field.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

separating at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the driver gas.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

generating electricity using a portion of the hydrogen gas separated in the separating step.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

controlling the gas separating step and the electricity generating step based on local market prices of crude oil and electricity.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

capturing at least a portion of the driver gas emerging from the injection well.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

re-injecting at least a portion of the captured driver gas into the injection well.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the oil is recovered from the injection well.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein injection of the driver gas is terminated before recovering oil from the injection well.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein the oil is recovered from a second well.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein the portable reforming apparatus is brought to the oil field by a truck, a boat, or an airplane.

29. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

controlling the injection step based at least on sub-surface data.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the sub-surface data is selected from the group consisting of total pressure, carbon dioxide partial pressure, hydrogen partial pressure, temperature, oil flow rate, gas flow rate, and viscosity.

31. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

enhancing thermal efficiency of the driver gas generating step by adding a heat exchange module to the portable reforming apparatus.