Systems, methods and apparatuses for monitoring and recovery of petroleum from earth formations

• US 7,819,190 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Sponchia, Barton
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates; Zakiya W.
• Application Number:
  US12/140,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20090283268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/272.3
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells

Abstract

A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation includes: an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a first thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly; a production assembly disposable within a second borehole for recovering the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a production conduit and a collector extending from the distal end of the assembly; and a thermal injection conduit extending through at least a portion of the production conduit and the collector for regulating a thermal property of the petroleum.

Claims

1. A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation, the system comprising:

an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a first thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly;

a production assembly disposable within a second borehole for recovering the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a production conduit and a collector extending from the distal end of the assembly; and

a thermal injection conduit extending through at least a portion of the production conduit and the collector for regulating a thermal property of the petroleum at least when the petroleum is disposed in the production assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal injection conduit extends through an interior of the portion of the production conduit.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a source of thermal energy in fluid communication with the thermal injection conduit for injecting a second thermal source into the thermal injection conduit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the source of thermal energy is located at a surface location.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the thermal injection conduit is disposed in an interior of the production conduit and the collector, and extends from the surface location to a distal end of the collector.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the second thermal source is selected from at least one of steam, a heated gas and a heated liquid.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the second thermal source has a temperature selected to maintain a selected viscosity of the petroleum.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device for assisting in production, the device selected from a gas lift and a pump.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal injection conduit is impermeable to the second thermal source.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first thermal source is steam.

11. A method of producing petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

disposing an injection assembly in a first borehole, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the injection assembly;

disposing a production assembly in a second borehole, the production assembly including a production conduit and a collector extending from a distal end of the production assembly;

disposing a thermal injection conduit through at least a portion of at least one of the production conduit and the collector;

injecting a first thermal source into the injector to introduce thermal energy to a portion of the earth formation and reduce a viscosity of the material therein;

recovering the material through the collector and the production conduit; and

injecting a second thermal source into the thermal injection conduit to regulate a thermal property of the material at least when the material is disposed in the production assembly.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein disposing the thermal injection conduit includes extending the thermal injection conduit through an interior of the portion of the production conduit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein recovering the material includes injecting a gas in the material.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein recovering the material includes pumping the material through the conduit via a pump.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pump is an electric submersible pump.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein disposing the thermal injection conduit includes disposing the thermal injection conduit in an interior of the production conduit and the collector.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein disposing the thermal injection conduit includes extending the thermal injection conduit from a surface location to a distal end of the collector.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second thermal source is selected from at least one of steam, a heated gas and a heated liquid.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting a temperature of the second thermal source to maintain a selected viscosity of the petroleum.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first thermal source is steam.