Integrated enhanced oil recovery process

• US 8,479,834 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sure Champion Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: GreatPoint Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Preston, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DiTrani, Angela M
• Application Number:
  US12/906,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20110088896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/402
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0415 Purification by absorption in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0445 Selective methanation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/046 Purification by cryogenic separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0465 Composition of the impurity
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0485 the impurity being a sulfur compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/06 Integration with other chemical processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/066 with fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0883 by indirect heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0894 Generation of steam
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1047 Group VIII metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/146 At least two purification steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/84 : Energy production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 : by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 : followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0966 : Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0986 : Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/16 : Integration of gasification processes with another plant or parts within the plant
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1823 : for synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/00 : Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels destructive distillation processes C10B
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/003 : of acid contaminants, e.g. acid gas removal
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/04 : reducing the carbon monoxide content , e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/08 : Production of synthetic natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/101 : Removal of contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0064 : Carbon dioxide sequestration storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 : Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/40 : Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials E21B43/385 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/40 : using hybrid system, i.e. combining cryogenic and non-cryogenic separation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/04 : Mixing or blending of fluids with the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/30 : Compression of the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/80 : the fluid being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2260/80 : Integration in an installation using carbon dioxide, e.g. for EOR, sequestration, refrigeration etc.
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0223 : H2/CO mixtures, i.e. synthesis gas; Water gas or shifted synthesis gas production of carbon monoxide containing gas in general C01B32/40, C10J, C10K; production of hydrogen containing gas C01B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0233 : separation of CnHm with 1 carbon atom or more
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0252 : separation of hydrogen production of hydrogen containing gas in general C01B3/00, e.g. separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases form gaseous mixtures at low temperatures C01B3/506
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0266 : separation of carbon dioxide production of carbon dioxide in general C01B32/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/70 : Combining sequestration of CO2 and exploitation of hydrocarbons by injecting CO2 or carbonated water in oil wells

Abstract

An enhanced oil recovery process that is integrated with a synthesis gas generation process, such as gasification or methane reforming, involving combined capture and recycle of carbon dioxide from both processes.

Claims

1. An integrated process to (i) produce an acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product steam, (ii) produce a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and (iii) enhance production of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the process comprising the steps of:

(1) injecting a pressurized carbon dioxide stream into an underground hydrocarbon reservoir to enhance production of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the underground hydrocarbon reservoir via a hydrocarbon production well, the hydrocarbon-containing fluid comprising carbon dioxide;

(2) recovering the hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from the hydrocarbon production well;

(3) separating the hydrocarbon-containing fluid into (a) the liquid hydrocarbon product stream and (b) a gaseous hydrocarbon stream comprising carbon dioxide;

(4) producing a synthesis gas stream from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas stream comprising (a) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and (b) at least one of hydrogen and methane;

(5) co-treating the gaseous hydrocarbon stream and the synthesis gas stream in an acid gas removal system to produce the acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream; and

(6) pressurizing the carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream to generate the pressurized carbon dioxide stream.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is a gaseous methane-containing stream, and step (4) comprises the step of converting the gaseous methane-containing stream in a catalytic steam methane reforming process to a syngas as the synthesis gas stream.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the methane-containing stream comprises at least a portion of the acid-gas depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is a gaseous methane-containing stream, and step (4) comprises the step of converting the gaseous methane-containing stream in a non-catalytic gaseous partial oxidation process to produce a syngas as the synthesis gas stream.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the methane-containing stream comprises at least a portion of the acid-gas depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is a gaseous methane-containing stream, and step (4) comprises the step of converting the gaseous methane-containing stream in a catalytic autothermal reforming process to produce a syngas as the synthesis gas stream.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the methane-containing stream comprises at least a portion of the acid-gas depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is a non-gaseous carbonaceous material, and step (4) comprises the step of converting the non-gaseous carbonaceous material in a non-catalytic thermal gasification process to produce a syngas as the synthesis gas stream.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises hydrogen and one or both of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is a non-gaseous carbonaceous material, and step (4) comprises the step of converting the non-gaseous carbonaceous material in a catalytic hydromethanation process to produce a methane-enriched gas stream as the synthesis gas stream.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream comprises methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the synthesis gas stream is subject to a sour shift to generate a hydrogen-enriched stream.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the acid-gas depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises hydrogen, and at least a portion of the hydrogen is separated to generate a hydrogen product stream and a hydrogen-depleted gas stream.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the acid-gas depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and is subject to a methanation to produce a methane-enriched gas stream.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon stream are combined and subject to a dehydration prior to acid gas removal.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon stream are separately subject to a dehydration and combined prior to acid gas removal.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas stream and the gaseous hydrocarbon stream are combined and co-processed during acid gas removal.

18. A process to enhance production of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir via a hydrocarbon production well by injecting a pressurized carbon dioxide stream into an underground hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing fluid comprises carbon dioxide, and wherein the pressurized carbon dioxide stream is generated by a process comprising the steps of:

(I) recovering the hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from the hydrocarbon production well;

(II) splitting the hydrocarbon-containing fluid into (a) a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and (b) a gaseous hydrocarbon stream comprising carbon dioxide;

(III) producing a synthesis gas stream from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas stream comprising (a) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and (b) at least one of hydrogen and methane;

(IV) co-treating the gaseous hydrocarbon stream and the synthesis gas stream in an acid gas removal system to produce an acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream; and

(V) pressurizing the carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream to generate the pressurized carbon dioxide stream.

19. An apparatus for generating a liquid hydrocarbon product stream and an acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream, the apparatus comprising:

(A) a synthesis gas production system adapted for producing a synthesis gas from a carbonaceous feedstock, the synthesis gas comprising (i) at least one of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and (ii) at least one of hydrogen and methane;

(B) a carbon dioxide injection well in fluid communication with an underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the carbon dioxide injection well adapted for injecting a pressurized carbon dioxide stream into the underground hydrocarbon reservoir for enhanced oil recovery;

(C) a hydrocarbon production well in fluid communication with the underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the hydrocarbon production well being adapted for removing a hydrocarbon fluid from the underground hydrocarbon reservoir, the hydrocarbon fluid comprising carbon dioxide;

(D) a separation device in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon production well, the separation device adapted (i) to receive the hydrocarbon fluid from the hydrocarbon production well, and (ii) to separate the hydrocarbon fluid into the liquid hydrocarbon product stream and a gaseous hydrocarbon stream comprising carbon dioxide;

(E) an acid gas removal system in fluid communication with the synthesis gas production system and the liquid/gas separation device, the acid gas removal system adapted to (i) receive the synthesis gas from the synthesis gas production system and the gaseous hydrocarbon stream from the liquid/gas separation device, and (ii) co-treat the synthesis gas stream and gaseous hydrocarbon stream to remove acid gases and produce the acid gas-depleted gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream; and

(F) a compressor unit in fluid communication with the acid gas removal system and the carbon dioxide injection well, the compressor unit adapted to (i) receive the carbon dioxide-rich recycle stream, and (ii) compress the carbon dioxide recycle stream to generate the pressurized carbon dioxide stream, and (iii) provide the pressurized carbon dioxide stream to the carbon dioxide injection well.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a sour shift unit between the synthesis gas production system and the acid gas removal system.