Creating and maintaining a gas cap in tar sands formations

• US 7,677,310 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Dinkoruk, Deniz Sumnu, Karanikas, John Michael, Vinegar, Harold J., Wellington, Scott Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US11/975,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/272.1
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/02 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4037 In-situ processes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/243 Combustion in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0228 using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor

Abstract

Methods for treating a tar sands formation are disclosed herein. Methods for treating a tar sands formation may include providing heat to at least part of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in the formation. Pressure may be allowed to increase in an upper portion of the formation to provide a gas cap in the upper portion. At least some hydrocarbons are produced from a lower portion of the formation.

Claims

1. A method for treating a tar sands formation, comprising:

providing heat to at least part of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in the formation;

increasing the pressure in an upper portion of the formation with heat provided from one or more of the heaters located in the upper portion, wherein increasing the pressure provides a gas cap in the upper portion; and

producing at least some hydrocarbons from a lower portion of the formation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the heaters are turned off and/or down after creating the gas cap.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least some heat to the formation using a drive fluid comprising water.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the heaters at substantially full power until the gas cap is provided.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the pressure in the formation below a fracture pressure of the formation by removing at least some fluids from the formation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing at least some mobilized hydrocarbons from the formation, at least some visbroken hydrocarbons from the formation, and/or at least some pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the formation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying the amount of mobilized hydrocarbons, visbroken hydrocarbons, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons produced from the formation to vary a quality of the fluids produced from the formation and/or to vary the total recovery of hydrocarbons from the formation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided heat mobilizes and/or pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons in the formation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbons produced from the lower portion of the formation include at least some hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the formation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing at least some fluids from the upper portion of the formation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the temperature and the pressure in at least a portion of the formation such that (a) at least a majority of the hydrocarbons in the formation are mobilized, (b) the pressure is below the fracture pressure of the portion of the formation, and (c) at least some hydrocarbons in the portion of the formation form a fluid comprising mobilized hydrocarbons that can be produced through a production well.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the produced fluids to make a transportation fuel.

13. A method for treating a karsted formation containing heavy hydrocarbons, comprising:

providing heat to at least part of one or more karsted layers in the formation from one or more heaters located in the karsted layers;

allowing a temperature in at least one of the karsted layers to reach a decomposition temperature of dolomite in the formation;

allowing the dolomite to decompose and produce carbon dioxide;

maintaining the carbon dioxide in the formation to provide a gas cap in an upper portion of at least one of the karsted layers; and

producing at least some hydrocarbons from at least one of the karsted layers of the formation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the heaters are turned off and/or down after creating the gas cap.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing at least some heat to the formation using a drive fluid.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising operating the heaters at substantially full power until the gas cap is provided.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining the pressure in the formation below a fracture pressure of the formation by removing at least some fluids from the formation.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising producing at least some mobilized hydrocarbons from the formation, at least some visbroken hydrocarbons from the formation, and/or at least some pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the formation.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising varying the amount of mobilized hydrocarbons, visbroken hydrocarbons, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons produced from the formation to vary a quality of the fluids produced from the formation and/or to vary the total recovery of hydrocarbons from the formation.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the provided heat mobilizes and/or pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons in the formation.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the hydrocarbons produced from the formation include at least some hydrocarbons from the upper portion of the karsted layers.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling the temperature and the pressure in at least a portion of the formation such that (a) at least a majority of the hydrocarbons in the formation are mobilized, (b) the pressure is below the fracture pressure of the portion of the formation, and (c) at least some hydrocarbons in the portion of the formation form a fluid comprising mobilized hydrocarbons that can be produced through a production well.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the produced fluids to make a transportation fuel.