In situ recovery from a hydrocarbon containing formation

• US 8,627,887 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Vinegar, Harold J., Sumnu-Dindoruk, Meliha Deniz, Wellington, Scott Lee, Maher, Kevin Albert, Karanikas, John Michael, de Rouffignac, Eric Pierre, Messier, Margaret Ann, Roberts, Bruce Edmunds, Crane, Steven Dexter
• Primary Examiner(s): KRECK, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US12/329,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20100126727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 166/302, 166/248, 166/272.1
• US Class Current: 166/272.1
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/02 Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching , flotation
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/06 thermally
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 2101/00 In situ
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/24 by heating with electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/0285 characterised by electrically insulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/168 Injecting a gaseous medium
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2401 by means of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/243 Combustion in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0224 using seismic or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/26 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/40 Ethylene production
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/901 Specified land fill feature, e.g. prevention of ground water fouling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

An in situ process for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part. Hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.

Claims

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

providing heat from a first set of one or more heaters located in a first section of a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation such that the heat provided from the first set of heaters to the first section mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the first section;

providing heat from a second set of one or more heaters located in a second section of the hydrocarbon containing layer such that the heat provided to the second section from the second set of heaters mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the second section;

producing at least some fluids from the first section to create a pressure gradient such that at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons in the second section flow into the first section; and

providing fluid in the first section to drive hydrocarbons to the second section.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the pressure in the first section to control the flow of mobilized hydrocarbons from the second section to the first section.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing the fluids from the first section when an average temperature in the first section is below a pyrolysis temperature of hydrocarbons in the first section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the fluids produced from the first section comprise hydrocarbons.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the fluids produced from the first section comprise un-pyrolyzed hydrocarbons.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the fluids produced from the first section include hydrocarbons from the second section.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the fluids from the first section maintains a pressure in the second section below a fracture pressure of the formation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an average temperature in the first section above a hydrocarbon pyrolysis temperature after producing at least some fluids from the first section.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising producing at least some pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the first section.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising pyrolyzing at least some hydrocarbons from the second section in the first section.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon pyrolysis temperature is about 225°

C.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining an average temperature in the second section below a hydrocarbon pyrolysis temperature.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the heaters in the second set of heaters have larger heater spacing than at least some of the heaters in the first set of heaters.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the heaters in the second set of heaters have larger heater spacing than all of the heaters in the first set of heaters.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the heat output of the heaters in the first set of heaters and the second set of heaters to control the heat distribution in the hydrocarbon containing layer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing steam in the first section to drive hydrocarbons to the second section.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising turning on the second set of heaters in the second section a selected time after turning on the first set of heaters in the first section.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising turning down or off the first set of heaters in the first section after hydrocarbons from the second section flow into the first section.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing heat from a third set of one or more heaters located in a third section of the hydrocarbon containing layer such that the heat provided to the third section from the third set of heaters mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the third section, and producing at least some fluids from the second section to create a pressure gradient such that at least some of the hydrocarbons in the third section flow into the second section.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing fluid in the third section to drive hydrocarbons to the second section.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing fluid in the second section to drive hydrocarbons to the first section.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing at least some fluids from the second section through a production well located in the second section.

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

providing heat from a first set of one or more heaters located in a first section of a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation such that the heat provided from the first set of heaters to the first section mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the first section;

providing heat from a second set of one or more heaters located in a second section of the hydrocarbon containing layer such that the heat provided to the second section from the second set of heaters mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the second section, wherein at least some of the heaters in the second set of heaters have larger heater spacing than at least some of the heaters in the first set of heaters; and

producing at least some fluids from the first section to create a pressure gradient such that at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons in the second section flow into the first section.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein all of the heaters in the second set of heaters have larger heater spacing than all of the heaters in the first set of heaters.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing fluid in the second section to drive hydrocarbons to the first section.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein at least some of the fluids produced from the first section comprise hydrocarbons.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising producing at least some fluids from the second section through a production well located in the second section.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising maintaining an average temperature in the second section below a hydrocarbon pyrolysis temperature.

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

providing heat from a first set of one or more heaters located in a first section of a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation such that the heat provided from the first set of heaters to the first section mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the first section;

providing heat from a second set of one or more heaters located in a second section of the hydrocarbon containing layer such that the heat provided to the second section from the second set of heaters mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the second section;

producing at least some fluids from the first section to create a pressure gradient such that at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons in the second section flow into the first section; and

producing at least some fluids from the second section through a production well located in the second section.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing fluid in the second section to drive hydrocarbons to the first section.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein at least some of the fluids produced from the first section comprise hydrocarbons.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein at least some of the heaters in the second set of heaters have larger heater spacing than at least some of the heaters in the first set of heaters.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising maintaining an average temperature in the second section below a hydrocarbon pyrolysis temperature.