Methods for treating hydrocarbon formations based on geology

• US 8,701,769 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Beer, Gary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Zakiya W
• Application Number:
  US13/083,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/302
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. Some method include providing heat to a section of the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation, allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the section to a selected temperature to generate an in situ deasphalting fluid in the section, contacting at least a portion of the in situ deasphalting fluid with hydrocarbons in the section to remove at least some asphaltenes from the hydrocarbons in the section, and producing at least a portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbons from the formation. The in situ deasphalting fluid may include hydrocarbons having a boiling range distribution between 35° C. and 260° C. at 0.101 MPa. A majority of the hydrocarbons in the section may have a boiling point greater than 260° C. at 0.101 MPa.

Claims

1. A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing heat to a first section of the hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation;

allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the first section to mobilize formation fluid;

maintaining an average temperature in a second section of the formation below a pyrolysis temperature of hydrocarbons in the second section, wherein the second section comprises inorganic sulfur compounds, and wherein the inorganic sulfur compounds comprise metal sulfide compounds; and

producing mobilized formation fluid from the formation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first section is substantially above the second section.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first section is substantially below the second section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first section is substantially vertically displaced relative to the second section.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic sulfur compounds comprise iron sulfide compounds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic sulfur compounds comprise pyritic sulfur.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the heaters is substantially vertical in the first and second sections, and allowing transfer of heat comprises inhibiting heat transfer from at least a portion of the heater in the second section to the formation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the heaters in the first section are substantially horizontal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an average temperature of the second section is less than 230°

C.

10. A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing heat to a first section of the hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation;

allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the first section to mobilize hydrocarbons in the section, wherein the mobilized hydrocarbons comprises mercury and/or mobilized hydrocarbons;

mobilizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in the first section towards a second section comprising one or more inorganic sulfur compounds;

contacting at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons comprising mercury and/or mercury compounds with at least a portion of the inorganic sulfur compounds in the second section to remove at least a portion of the mercury and/or mercury compounds from the mobilized hydrocarbons.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the inorganic sulfur compounds comprises pyrite.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the inorganic sulfur compounds comprises troilite.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first section is substantially horizontally displaced relative to the second section.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first section is substantially vertically displaced relative to the second section.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein an average temperature of the second section is below a pyrolysis temperature.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobilized hydrocarbons comprise hydrocarbon gases.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising producing hydrocarbons from a third section of the formation, wherein the produced hydrocarbons hydrocarbons mobilized from the first section and the produced hydrocarbons contain less mercury, on a weight percent, than mobilized hydrocarbons in the first section.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein contact of the mobilized hydrocarbons with the inorganic sulfur compound removes substantially all of the mercury from the mobilized hydrocarbons, and producing hydrocarbons from the formation, wherein the produced hydrocarbons comprise substantially none or no mercury.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the inorganic sulfur compounds comprises pyrite, and the method further comprises heating the second section to a temperature sufficient to convert at least some of the pyrite to troilite.

20. A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing heat to a first section of the hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation;

allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the first section to mobilize formation fluid;

maintaining an average temperature in a second section of the formation below a pyrolysis temperature of hydrocarbons in the second section, wherein the second section comprises inorganic nitrogen compounds, and wherein the inorganic nitrogen compounds comprise ammonium feldspar; and

producing mobilized formation fluid from the formation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the inorganic nitrogen compounds comprise ammonia.