Other

Mt. Moriah Trust

Tetra Corporation

Gilman A Hill

Joseph A Affholter

Richard S Passamaneck

Kenell J Touryan

William M Moeny

Franklin C Ford

Coye T Vincent

A method of producing hydrocarbons in situ from a fixed-bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a higher permeability zone substantially parallel to, and between a top lower permeability zone and a bottom lower permeability zone. The steps include providing at least one injection well and first and second production wells in the higher permeability zone, injecting a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid (TECF) into the injection well, circulating the carrier fluid through the zone and creating a substantially horizontal situ heating element (ISHE) between the injection well and the production wells for mobilizing the hydrocarbons.

In situ retorting and refining of hygrocarbons

A method of producing hydrocarbons and a selected metal in situ from a fixed-bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a higher permeability zone substantially parallel to, and between a top lower permeability zone and a bottom lower permeability zone. The steps include providing at least one injection well and first and second production wells in the higher permeability zone, injecting a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid (TECF) into the injection well, circulating the carrier fluid through the zone and creating a substantially horizontal situ heating element (ISHE) between the injection well and the production wells for mobilizing the hydrocarbons and the selected metal.

In situ retorting of hydrocarbons and a selected metal

In situ retorting of hydrocarbons

An in-situ oil shale production system used for economically mobilizing and extracting hydrocarbons in an underground oil shale deposit. The production system includes a plurality of injection wells, a plurality of production wells and a thermal energy carrier, called herein 'TECF'. The TECF is injected through the injection wells into a naturally occurring, highly-permeable zone. The highly-permeable zone is used to create a porous heating element. The porous heating element, at high temperatures in the range of 900 to 1300 degrees F., mobilizes and retorts the hydrocarbons in the porous heating elements. The hydrocarbons with the TECF then flow from the porous heating element through the production wells to the ground surface for refining. The surface area of the large porous heating element provides a means for economic, in-situ retorting of hydrocarbons from a carbon-rich, oil shale geologic formation.

Oil shale production system using a thermal-energy-carrier fluid for creating a porous heating element in a highly permeable zone

A system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from a heavy-oil and tar sand fixed bed, hydrocarbon deposit distributed substantially within a porous formation. The system includes at least one injection well and at least one production well drilled into the formation. A heated thermal-energy carrier fluid is circulated into the injection well and through a hydraulic fracture in the formation. The fracture is disposed between the injection well and the production well. The carrier fluid mobilizes hydrocarbons in situ by heating the hydraulic fracture and producing mobilized hydrocarbons through the production well. The hydrocarbons are then divided into at least two fluid fractures having differing chemical compositions.

Integrated in situ retorting and refining of heavy-oil and tar sand deposits

A system and method for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone. The system includes at least one injection opening and at least one production opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone. A heated thermal-energy carrier fluid is injected into the injection opening and circulated horizontally through the higher permeability zone. The carrier fluid pyrolyzes the hydrocarbons in the lower and higher permeability zones in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between from the injection opening and the production opening and produces at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface.

Integrated in situ retorting and refining of oil shale

A method and system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from a heavy-oil and tar sand fixed bed, hydrocarbon deposit distributed substantially within a porous formation. The porous formation is disposed below a ground surface. The system includes at least one injection well drilled into the formation and spaced apart from at least one production well also drilled into the formation. A heated thermal-energy carrier fluid is circulated under pressure into the injection well, circulated under pressure through a hydraulic fracture in the formation. The hydraulic fracture is disposed between the injection well and the production well. The circulated carrier fluid mobilizes hydrocarbons in at least a portion of the hydrocarbon deposit in situ by heating the hydraulic fracture and surrounding formation and producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with mobilized hydrocarbons through the production well and fractionating the hydrocarbons to generate at least two fluid fractures having differing chemical compositions.

A downhole combustion unit for creating a high temperature, high pressure, thermal energy carrier fluid (TECF) inside a drill hole, which can be injected into a hydrocarbon, permeable zone for mining and producing hydrocarbons therefrom. The combustion unit includes an outer well-bore casing cemented in place in the drill hole. An inner well-bore casing, with injection holes in a lower portion thereof is used as a combustion chamber. The inner casing is suspended inside the outer casing. The configuration of the concentric outer and inner casings provide an outer annulus therebetween for receiving water from a ground surface and circulated downwardly under pressure. Compressed air and steam are circulated down the inside of the inner casing. A gas fuel tubing is disposed inside the inner casing for discharging the fuel into the combustion chamber. A glow plug may be attached to a lower end of an electric power cable and suspended inside the combustion chamber for better control in igniting the fuel and water mixture in the compressed air and steam mixture creating the TECF. The TECF is discharged out the bottom of the combustion unit into a permeable, hydrocarbon zone.

Downhole combustion unit and process for TECF injection into carbonaceous permeable zones

A gas/air compressor system used for compressing a gas/air stream of air, oxygen, oxygen-enriched air and other combustible gases and delivering a moderate-to-high temperature, moderate-to-high pressure fluid to a pipeline connected to one or more injection wells. Fuel with cooling water is injected downhole for combustion in the compressed gas/air stream to be used for in-situ-retorting of oil shale, volatile coal beds, tar sands, heavy oil and other hydrocarbon or carbonaceous deposits. A preferred embodiment of the compressor system includes a compressor housing with a male screw rotor having helical lobes received in helical grooves in a female screw rotor. The housing includes a gas/air inlet for receiving the gas/air stream therein and a series of water/mineral injectors for injecting a water/mineral slurry into the rotating screw rotors. The water/mineral slurry acts as a sealant, a lubricant and also a coolant for male and female screw rotors during the compression cycle. The slurry is non-combustible and non-reactive to combustion-supporting gases. Also, the housing includes a gas/air outlet for discharging the compressed gas/air stream into the pipeline connected to the injection wells used in the in-situ-retorting process.

Steam-generator and gas-compressor systems using water-based evaporation coolants, sealants and lubricants

A method and system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed, hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface. The hydrocarbon formation having an upper A-Groove higher permeability aquifer zone disposed above a R-rated, kerogen rich, lower permeability zone and a lower B-Groove higher permeability aquifer zone disposed below the R-rated zone. The system includes a plurality of injection wells drilled into the formation and spaced apart from a plurality of production wells also drilled into the hydrocarbon formation. A heated thermal-energy carrier fluid is circulated under pressure into the injection wells, circulated under pressure through the A-Groove and B-Groove aquifer zones for mobilizing selected hydrocarbons in the R-rated zone and pumped from the A-Groove and the B-Groove aquifer zones upwardly under pressure through the production wells to the ground surface. Selected hydrocarbons are then removed from the carrier fluid. The carrier fluid can be recirculated back into the injection wells.

A downhole combustion unit for creating a high temperature, high pressure, thermal energy carrier fluid or TECF inside a drill hole, which can be injected into a hydrocarbon, permeable zone for mining and producing hydrocarbons therefrom. The combustion unit includes an outer well-bore casing cemented in place in the drill hole. An inner well-bore casing, with injection holes in a lower portion thereof is used as a combustion chamber. The inner casing is suspended inside the outer casing. The configuration of the concentric outer and inner casings provide an outer annulus therebetween for receiving a natural gas fuel and water mixture from a ground surface and circulated downwardly under pressure. Compressed air and steam are circulated down the inside of the inner casing. A glow plug may be attached to a lower end of an electric power cable and suspended inside the combustion chamber for better control in igniting the fuel and water mixture in the compressed air and steam mixture creating the TECF. The TECF is discharged out the bottom of the combustion unit and into a permeable, hydrocarbon zone.

A method for growth of a hydraulic fracture or a tall frac is described wherein the tall frac is disposed next to a well bore using a sandpacked annulus. Also, a method for creating a permeable well bore annulus is disclosed. The method for creating the tall frac includes creating a linear-sourced, cylindrical stress field by maneuvering the intersection of two independent friction-controlled pressure gradients of a frac pad fluid. The intersection of these two frac pad fluid pressure gradients can be controlled when the frac pad fluid traverses along a well bore sandpacked annulus. The first pressure gradient is created by controlling the fluid flow rate and the consequent, friction pressure loss in the frac pad fluid flow through a portion of the sandpacked annulus, located above the top of the upwardly propagating tall frac hydraulic fracture. The first pressure gradient must be significantly greater than the average gradient of the formation, frac-extension pressure gradient. The second pressure gradient is created by the friction loss of the volume flow rate of the frac pad fluid flowing through the combined parallel paths of the sandpacked annulus and the open hydraulic fracture which is propagating outward in the adjacent rock formation below the top of the upwardly propagating tall frac. The second pressure gradient, below the top of the upward-propagating tall frac, should be about equal to or less than the average gradient of the formation, frac-extension pressure gradient at this location.

Method for growth of a hydraulic fracture along a well bore annulus and creating a permeable well bore annulus

The present invention provides for pulsed powered drilling apparatuses and methods. A drilling apparatus is provided comprising a bit having one or more sets of electrodes through which a pulsed voltage is passed through a mineral substrate to create a crushing or drilling action.

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Englewood, CO, United States of America

Gilman A Hill