Texaco Inc.

Donald L Hoyt

Alfred Brown

Wann-Sheng Huang

Issam S Bousaid

Donald S Mims

Robert B Alston

Ralph J Korstad

Sami Bou-Mikael

The invention comprises injecting about 5% to about 25% pore volumes of a recovery fluid simultaneously into an underground formation through at least two wells. One well which is destined to be the production well is shut-in for a soak period of about one to about 60 days while injection of the recovery fluid is continued through the second well. The shut-in well is then converted to a production well and hydrocarbons and other fluids are produced from the production well while recovery fluid is injected through the second well. The shut-in well is then converted to a production well and hydrocarbons and other fluids are produced from the production well while recovery fluid is injected through the second well.

Modified push/pull flood process for hydrocarbon recovery

The invention is a method of recovering oil bypassed by a steam override zone. First, the production well is drilled below the oil producing zone into an underlying interval. The well perforations in the oil producing zone are closed off. The underlying interval is fractured to establish fluid communication between the underlying interval and the oil producing zone. The production well is completed for production through the fractured portion of the underlying interval. Finally, the steamflood is controlled to increase the pressure in the oil producing zone and drive the oil and steam downward to the new perforations in the underlying for production.

Recovering oil bypassed by a steam override zone

The disclosed invention is a method of producing horizontal wells in the most efficient manner at an optimum fluid production rate, which is the maximum rate at which fluids may be produced from a horizontal well while maintaining the downward velocity of formation fluids towards the horizontal well at a velocity which will avoid fingering of the fluids through the formation.

Optimum production rate for horizontal wells

The disclosed invention is a method of conducting a miscible flood with a flooding medium predominantly composed of carbon dioxide or nitrogen in a shorter period of time with acceptable hydrocarbon recovery. The invention is practiced by injecting a predominantly carbon dioxide or nitrogen medium into the underground hydrocarbon reservoir at such a rate as to produce a frontal advance velocity in the reservoir of about 2 to about 15 times the critical velocity of flow for that flooding medium through the instant reservoir. This high flooding velocity, substantially above critical velocity, is maintained until the flooding front has traveled about 60% to about 90% of the distance from the injection to the production systems. At this time, the frontal advance velocity is reduced to a value approximately equal to or less than the critical velocity for the remainder of the miscible flood.

Miscible oil flooding at controlled velocities

An in-situ combustion method for oil recovery from a subterranean oil-bearing formation traversed by a plurality of wells comprising a series of well pattern units wherein air permeability is established sequentially in the individual well pattern units pior to the initiation of in-situ combustion, thereby resulting in an increase in overall sweep efficiency.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Donald L Hoyt