Hydrocarbon extraction through carbon dioxide production and injection into a hydrocarbon well

• US 9,915,136 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisaman, Matthew D., Cooper, Kathleen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Runyan, Silvana C
• Application Number:
  US15/165,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20170342813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 1663051
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 7/00 Electrophoretic production of compounds or non-metals separation or purification of peptides, e.g. of proteins, by electrophoresis C07K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594

Abstract

A method of extracting hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon well includes receiving an aqueous solution including dissolved inorganic carbon, and extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution to create CO₂ by changing a pH of the aqueous solution. The method also includes pumping the CO₂ into the hydrocarbon well and, in response to pumping the CO₂ into the hydrocarbon well, extracting the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon well.

Claims

1. A method of extracting hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon well, comprising:

receiving an aqueous solution including dissolved inorganic carbon with a carbon extraction unit;

extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution to create CO₂ by changing a pH of the aqueous solution, wherein changing the pH includes receiving, with the carbon extraction unit, aqueous NaOH or aqueous HCl from an electrodialysis unit coupled to the carbon extraction unit;

pumping the aqueous solution from the carbon extraction unit into the hydrocarbon well after extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution;

pumping the CO₂ into the hydrocarbon well; and

in response to pumping the CO₂ into the hydrocarbon well, extracting the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon well.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon includes:

increasing the pH of the aqueous solution to precipitate salts containing carbon; and

applying acid to the salts to evolve CO₂ gas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein increasing the pH includes adding aqueous NaOH to the aqueous solution, and wherein applying the acid to the salts includes applying aqueous HCl to the salts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon includes decreasing the pH of the aqueous solution to remove CO₂ gas from the aqueous solution.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein decreasing the pH includes adding aqueous HCl to the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous HCl is produced by an electrodialysis unit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising removing N₂ and O₂ from the aqueous solution before decreasing the pH of the aqueous solution.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the CO₂ from the carbon extraction unit with a compression and dehydration unit coupled to the carbon extraction unit; and

altering the density of the CO₂ with the compression and dehydration unit to be greater than a density of CO₂ gas by adjusting at least one of a temperature or a pressure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein pumping the CO₂ into the hydrocarbon well includes outputting the CO₂ from the compression and dehydration unit into the hydrocarbon well, wherein the compression and dehydration unit is coupled to the hydrocarbon well, and the CO₂ pumped into the hydrocarbon well is at least one of a liquid or a supercritical fluid.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the CO₂ is greater than 95% pure.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the aqueous solution, including sea water, with a treatment unit coupled to the electrodialysis unit to remove ions and organic matter from the sea water.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodialysis unit is coupled to perform operations comprising:

receiving the aqueous solution with a brine solution compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying a voltage across electrodes in the electrodialysis unit;

outputting the aqueous solution from the brine solution compartment with a lower salt concentration in response to the voltage applied across the electrodes;

receiving the aqueous HCl with an acidified solution compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit; and

outputting the aqueous HCl, with a higher HCl concentration, from the acidified solution compartment, wherein chlorine ions in the brine solution compartment traveled to the acidified solution compartment in response to the voltage across the electrodes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrodialysis unit is coupled to perform operations further comprising:

receiving the aqueous NaOH with a basified compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit; and

outputting the aqueous NaOH from the basified solution compartment with a higher NaOH concentration in response to the voltage applied across the electrodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to the voltage, the chlorine ions flow through an anion exchange membrane disposed between the brine solution compartment and the acidified solution compartment, and wherein in response to the voltage, hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions flow through a bipolar membrane disposed between the acidified solution compartment and the basified solution compartment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit includes collecting sodium ions at a negatively charged terminal, and wherein the brine solution compartment, the acidified solution compartment, and the basified solution compartment are included in a first cell in a plurality of cells in the electrodialysis unit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising neutralizing the aqueous solution, in a pH and alkalinity adjustment unit coupled to the electrodialysis unit, with the aqueous NaOH or the aqueous HCl, after extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising directly outputting the CO₂ from the compression and dehydration unit into the hydrocarbon well without degassing O₂ gas or N₂ gas from the CO₂.