In situ oxidation of subsurface formations

• US 7,866,386 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Beer, Gary Lee, Shen, Chonghui, Li, Busheng, Mo, Weijian
• Primary Examiner(s): Suchfield; George
• Application Number:
  US12/250,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20090194282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/258
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/04 having provision for tap-changing without interrupting the load current
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type

Abstract

Methods and systems for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation described herein include providing heat to a first portion of the formation from a plurality of heaters in the first portion, producing produced through one or more production wells in a second portion of the formation, reducing or turning off heat provided to the first portion after a selected time, providing an oxidizing fluid through one or more of the heater wells in the first portion, providing heat to the first portion and the second portion through oxidation of at least some hydrocarbons in the first portion, and producing fluids through at least one of the production wells in the second portion. The produced fluids may include at least some oxidized hydrocarbons produced in the first portion.

Claims

1. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

heating a first portion of the formation from one or more heaters located in the first portion;

producing hydrocarbons from the first portion;

reducing or turning off the heat provided to the first portion after a selected time;

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause a temperature of the first portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the first portion and a third portion of the formation, the third portion being substantially below the first portion;

heating a second portion of the formation from heat transferred from the first portion and/or third portion and/or one or more heaters located in the second portion such that an average temperature in the second portion is at least about 100°

C., wherein the second portion is substantially adjacent to the first portion;

allowing hydrocarbons to flow from the second portion into the first portion and/or third portion;

discontinuing or reducing injection of the oxidizing fluid in the first portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons from the first portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons comprising hydrocarbons oxidized in the first portion, at least some hydrocarbons from the second portion, at least some hydrocarbons from the third portion of the formation, or mixtures thereof, and wherein a temperature of the first portion is below 600°

C.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third portion is directly below the first portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion is directly adjacent to the first portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein producing comprises producing a majority of the hydrocarbons from the formation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting steam in the first portion of the formation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting a drive fluid in the second portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the second portion to the first portion of the hydrocarbon layer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting a drive fluid in the second portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the second portion to the first portion of the hydrocarbon layer, and wherein the drive fluid is selected from a group consisting of steam, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, pyrolyzed hydrocarbons, air, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the average temperature of the third portion ranges from 270°

C. to 450°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing hydrocarbons to flow from the second portion into the first portion and/or third portion comprises mobilizing at least some hydrocarbons in the second portion using heat provided from heaters located in the second portion, heat transferred from the first portion, and/or heat transferred from the third portion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the temperature and the pressure in the first portion and/or the third portion such that at least some of the additional hydrocarbons in the first portion and/or the third portion are visbroken.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the in situ diluent comprises aromatic hydrocarbons, and further comprising solubilizing bitumen and/or heavy hydrocarbons in the third portion.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling pressure in the first portion, second portion, and/or the third portion such that the pressure is below the fracture pressure of the first portion, second portion, and/or the third portion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the average temperature of the first portion ranges from 350°

C. to 600°

C.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a catalyst system to the third portion; and

contacting the hydrocarbons in the third portion with the catalyst system to produce an in situ diluent.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxidizing fluid is selected from a group consisting of air, hydrocarbons, and a mixture thereof produced from the first portion, second portion, and/or the third portion.

16. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

producing a majority of hydrocarbons from a first portion of the formation and/or a third portion of the formation by in situ heat treatment of the portions,

heating a second portion of the formation with one or more heaters to an average temperature of at least about 100°

C., the first portion and third portion being separated by the second portion;

reducing or turning off the heat provided to the first portion and/or the third portion after a selected time;

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause a temperature of the first portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the first portion;

injecting an oxidizing fluid and/or a drive fluid and/or creating a drive fluid in the third portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the third portion through the second portion to the first portion of the formation;

reducing or discontinuing injection of the oxidizing fluid in the first portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas from the first portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas comprising at least some hydrocarbons from the second and third portions of the formation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the oxidizing fluid comprises air produced from the first portion and/or the second portion.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the drive fluid is selected from a group consisting of steam, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, pyrolyzed hydrocarbons, air, and mixtures thereof.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the average temperature of the third portion ranges from 270°

C. to 450°

C.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising heating to create sufficient drive fluid in the third portion such that injecting drive fluid and/or oxidizing fluid in the third portion can be discontinued.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

heating a fourth portion and a fifth portion of the formation with heaters, wherein the fourth portion is between the first portion and the fifth portion, and wherein a temperature of the fourth portion is less than a temperature of the first portion and a temperature of the fifth portion; and

producing hydrocarbons from the fifth portion.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

reducing or discontinuing production in the fifth portion; and

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the fifth portion to cause a temperature of the fifth portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the fifth portion, wherein injecting occurs during moving hydrocarbons from the third portion to the first portion and producing additional hydrocarbons from the first portion.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a temperature of the first portion is below 450°

C., a temperature of the fourth portion is at least about 100°

C., and a temperature of the fifth portion is at least 450°

C.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

reducing or discontinuing production of additional hydrocarbons from the first portion;

injecting and/or creating a drive fluid and/or an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the first portion through the fourth portion to the fifth portion of the hydrocarbon layer;

reducing injection of the oxidizing fluid into the fifth portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas from the fifth portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas comprising at least some hydrocarbons from the first and fourth portions of the formation.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the formation has a horizontal permeability that is higher than a vertical permeability of the formation so that the majority of hydrocarbons that move are moving substantially horizontally through the formation.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein a volume of the second portion is larger than a volume of the first portion and/or a volume of the third portion.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein at least some of the heaters in the first portion are turned down and/or off after injecting oxidizing fluid in the first portion.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling the temperature and the pressure in the first portion and/or the third portion such that (a) at least a majority of the hydrocarbons in the first portion and/or the third portion are visbroken, (b) the pressure is below the fracture pressure of the first portion and/or the third portion, and (c) at least some hydrocarbons produced from the first portion and/or the third portion comprise visbroken hydrocarbons.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising mobilizing at least some hydrocarbons in the second portion using heat provided from heaters located in the second portion, heat transferred from the first portion, and/or heat transferred from the third portion.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a catalyst system to the third portion prior to injecting and/or creating a drive fluid; and

contacting the hydrocarbons in the third portion with the catalyst system to produce an in situ diluent.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the in situ diluent comprises aromatic hydrocarbons, and further comprising solubilizing bitumen and/or heavy hydrocarbons in the third portion.

32. The method of claim 16, further comprising injecting steam in the first portion of the formation.

33. The method of claim 16, wherein the drive fluid comprises hydrocarbons produced from the first portion and/or the second portion.

34. The method of claim 16, wherein the oxidizing fluid is selected from a group consisting of air, hydrocarbons, and a mixture thereof produced from the first portion and/or the second portion.