Shell Oil Comapny

Kirk Samuel Hansen

Harold J Vinegar

John Michael Karanikas

Chia-Fu Hsu

Alexander Michiel Mollinger

Taixu Bai

A cyclic steam soak (CSS) stimulation method for producing heated hydrocarbons from a viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation comprises the steps of: a) drilling a well () having a substantially horizontal or inclined lower section () into the viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation () substantially along the trajectory of the minimum compressive horizontal stress Sh; b) cutting at selected intervals along the length of the lower well section () substantially disk-shaped cavities (A-D) into the viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation () by a rotating hydraulic jet cutting device (); c) completing the well (); d) injecting steam into the well () and disk-shaped cavities (A-D) at such an elevated pressure that the hydraulic pressure in at least one disk-shaped cavityA is above the formation fracturing pressure, thereby fracturing the formation () and permitting the steam to invade the formation surrounding the fracture and to heat hydrocarbons in the steam invaded zone; e) interrupting steam injection and producing heated hydrocarbons via the well (); and f) repeating steps (d) and (e) a number of times.

Cyclic steam stimulation method with multiple fractures

A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. At least one heater may be located in at least one wellbore in the formation. At least one wellbore may be sized, at least in part, based on a determination of formation expansion caused by heating of the formation so that formation expansion caused by heating of the formation is not sufficient to cause substantial deformation of one or more heaters in the sized wellbores. The ratio of the outside diameter of a heater to the inside diameter of a wellbore may be less than about 0.75. In certain embodiments, heat may transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation. In some embodiments, a mixture may be produced from the formation.

Inhibiting wellbore deformation during in situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation

A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation may include heating a first volume of the formation using a first set of heaters. A second volume of the formation may be heated using a second set of heaters. The first volume may be spaced apart from the second volume by a third volume of the formation. The first volume, second volume, and/or third volume may be sized, shaped, and/or located to inhibit deformation of subsurface equipment caused by geomechanical motion of the formation during heating.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Kirk Samuel Hansen