Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Imperial Oil Resources

Chen Fang

William P Meurer

Federico G Gallo

Michael W Lin

Nazish Hoda

Jianlin Wang

Weidong Guo

Lu Dong

Mathew D Suitor

Nima Saber

Tom Boone

Methods to optimize solvent use in solvent-dominated processes for recovery of hydrocarbons. Methods include injecting a solvent composition into a reservoir at a pressure above a liquid/vapor phase change of the solvent composition; injecting a chaser into the reservoir at a pressure above the liquid/vapor phase change of the solvent composition; allowing the solvent composition to mix with hydrocarbons in the reservoir and at least partially dissolve into the hydrocarbons to produce a solvent/hydrocarbon mixture; reducing the pressure in the reservoir below the liquid/vapor phase change pressure of the solvent composition thereby flowing at least a fraction of the solvent/hydrocarbon mixture from the reservoir; and repeating these steps as required.

Chasing solvent for enhanced recovery processes

A method for pyrolyzing organic matter in a subterranean formation includes powering a first generation in situ resistive heating element within an aggregate electrically conductive zone at least partially in a first region of the subterranean formation by transmitting an electrical current between a first electrode pair in electrical contact with the first generation in situ resistive heating element to pyrolyze a second region of the subterranean formation, adjacent the first region, to expand the aggregate electrically conductive zone into the second region, wherein the expanding creates a second generation in situ resistive heating element within the second region and powering the second generation in situ resistive heating element by transmitting an electrical current between a second electrode pair in electrical contact with the second generation in situ resistive heating element to generate heat with the second generation in situ resistive heating element within the second region.

Systems and methods for in situ resistive heating of organic matter in a subterranean formation

Systems and methods of detecting an intersection between a wellbore and a subterranean structure that includes a marker material. The systems and methods include drilling the wellbore and determining that the wellbore has intersected a portion of the subterranean structure that includes the marker material by detecting the marker material. The systems and methods also may include distributing the marker material within the subterranean structure, aligning the marker material within the subterranean structure, determining one or more characteristics of the marker material, ceasing the drilling, repeating the method, and/or producing a hydrocarbon from the subterranean structure. The systems and methods further may include forming an electrical connection between an electric current source and a granular resistive heater that forms a portion of the subterranean structure, forming the granular resistive heater, and/or forming the subterranean structure.

Systems and methods of detecting an intersection between a wellbore and a subterranean structure that includes a marker material

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Chen Fang