Shell Oil Comapny

Shell Western E&p Inc.

Aaron B Neely

Boyd B Moore

Warren W Walhaug

This invention relates to a method of producing supercritical carbon dioxide from a well along with minor amounts of kill water having formation salts dissolved therein. The salt water is the result of killing the well with fresh water during pump installation and/or removal operations at which time the water enters the CO.sub.2 producing formation and dissolves soluble salts which come into the well when the kill water returns to the well when it is put on production. Precipitation of salts carried by the kill water in the pump is prevented by continuously injecting water into the vicinity of the pump intake so as to dilute the returning kill water before it, or at least a portion of it, is vaporized into the water phase of the supercritical carbon dioxide. The volume of injected, substantially fresh water must be sufficient to handle the vaporization of water into the carbon dioxide in the pump as well as dilute the returning kill water so that the salts carried thereby remain in solution.

Method of producing supercritical carbon dioxide from wells

This invention relates to a method of producing supercritical carbon dioxide from a well along with minor amounts of water having formation salts dissolved therein. Precipitation of salts carried by the formation water in the pump is prevented by continuously injecting water into the vicinity of the pump intake so as to dilute the formation water before it, or at least a portion of it, is vaporized into the water phase of the supercritical carbon dioxide. The volume of injected, substantially fresh water must be sufficient to handle the vaporization of water into the carbon dioxide in the pump as well as dilute the formation water so that the salts carried thereby remain in solution.

Growing community of inventors

Tomball, TX, United States of America

Aaron B Neely