Mobil Oil Corporation

James M McMillen

Lynn D Mullins

A method for removing emulsified water from a produced crude oil stream containing up to 65 volume percent water wherein the water-in-produced crude oil emulsion is passed through a bed containing a water saturated coalescing media, preferably sand or crushed quartz whereby the water coalesces to form a water phase and an oil phase essentially free of water. The two phases are allowed to separate by gravity forming an upper crude oil phase containing less than 3 volume percent water, and can be less than one-half volume percent water.

Method for removing water from produced crude oil

A method for the solvent stimulation of a well producing heavy oil containing large fractions of free water by injecting a solvent into the producing well, having a density and viscosity substantially less than the viscous formation oil and a viscosity equal to or slightly greater than water at formation conditions, shutting-in the producing well to allow a soak period, and returning the well to production with substantially less water production than prior to stimulation.

Solvent stimulation in heavy oil wells producing a large fraction of

This invention provides a method for cyclic solvent stimulation of production of heavy oil from an underground reservoir penetrated by a well which comprises:

Method of solvent stimulation of heavy oil reservoirs

This invention provides a method for recovering heavy crude oil from an underground reservoir penetrated by a well, which comprises (a) heating the reservoir surrounding the wellbore with steam at a temperature below coking temperature but sufficient to increase the temperature 40.degree.-200.degree. F. above the reservoir temperature; (b) producing the formation until most of the injected water is produced; (c) injecting a liquid solvent having a ratio of crude viscosity to solvent viscosity of at least about 10 and in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 25 barrels per foot of oil-bearing formation; (d) producing a solvent-crude mixture; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d).

Combined thermal and solvent stimulation

A method for recovering oil from a tilted oil-bearing reservoir having a water zone in fluid communication with and directly below an oil zone wherein a large amount of solvent is injected along the water-oil interface so that a part of the solvent fingers into the oil, lowering its viscosity and making the oil more mobile for production. The remainder of the solvent is driven through the reservoir by a water flood wherein the rate is controlled slow enough that gravity minimizes fingering of the water into the oil layer, sweeping oil toward the production well. Solvent stimulation of the producing well provides additional incremental recovery and encourages the flooded oil toward the production well.

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Arlington, TX, United States of America

James M McMillen