Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Imperial Oil Resources

George R Scott

Thomas J Boone

Brian C Speirs

Darrel L Perlau

William C Carlson

Brian P Head

Tapantosh Chakrabarty

Kai Sun Chan

Daryl Gordon Youck

Russell McNeill Bacon

Russell M Bacon

A method of establishing fluid communication between a first point and a second point within a subterranean reservoir includes injecting a first penetrating liquid at a first injection pressure and at a first injection temperature into the subterranean reservoir at the first point, and establishing fluid communication through a heavy-oil containing region by allowing the first penetrating liquid to penetrate into and completely through the heavy-oil containing region between the first point and the second point. The first penetrating liquid temperature of the first penetrating liquid remains at or below the first injection temperature within the subterranean reservoir, and the first penetrating liquid is configured to dilute heavy oil, and comprises a first penetrating liquid polar compound that is at least partially miscible with water.

Recovery from a hydrocarbon reservoir

Methods and systems for improving recovery from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir are described. A method includes drilling a horizontal well in a zone proximate to a contiguous section of cap rock over a reservoir interval. A refrigerant is flowed through the horizontal well to freeze water in the zone, forming a freeze wall in contact with the contiguous section of cap rock. A chamber is formed above the reservoir interval, wherein the chamber includes the contiguous section of cap rock and at least one freeze wall.

Recovery from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir

A system for enhancing steam distribution in a thermal stimulation phase, and for reducing the production of particulate matter with hydrocarbon fluids in a production phase, has a base pipe with a limited number of spaced-apart holes. The spaced-apart holes are sized and located so that steam is uniformly distributed in the reservoir. A collar is disposed around each hole to deflect the steam into an annulus between the base pipe and a wire-wrap screen section to avoid erosion and deterioration of the wire-wrap screen, which is required in the production phase. Mobilized hydrocarbon fluids flow to the wire-wrap screen section, which acts to filter particulate matter so that the production of particulate matter with hydrocarbon fluid is limited. The open area in the base pipe is significantly reduced, as compared with conventional methods, so that at the design injection rates, the pressure drop through the spaced-apart holes is larger than the pressure drop along the base pipe. During hydrocarbon fluid production, the pressure drop from the reservoir to the spaced-apart holes is low due to the presence of the wire-wrap screens. The open area in the base pipe while significantly reduced at the design production rates, as compared with conventional methods, should not unduly limit production rates.

Steam distribution and production of hydrocarbons in a horizontal well

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Calgary, Canada

George R Scott