Conocophillips Company

Lee Chin

Michael E Vienot

Riley Bryan Needham

The proposed method is an improved method of flooding weak reservoirs and avoiding premature breakthrough of the displacing fluid used in the flooding operation by first modeling the performance of the reservoir under a rage of flooding pressures in a couple geomechanic and multiphase flow model. Ideal pressures are thus selected from use in a flooding operation, thus avoiding rock failure and fluid breakthrough.

Avoiding water breakthrough in unconsolidated sands

Methods and systems are provided for sulfur disposal through preparation of a micro-sized sulfur slurries. Micro-sized sulfur slurries are created for downhole disposal by forming sulfur particulates, which are then combined with a carrier fluid. The micro-sized sulfur slurries may be introduced to a subterranean formation, in some cases, to an unconsolidated sand formation by way of a dilation mechanism. Some embodiments comprise forming micro-sized sulfur slurries through a conversion process that converts molten sulfur to powder sulfur by gas cooling of atomized sprays of molten sulfur. Advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein as compared to many conventional methods include higher efficiencies, lower cost, and enhanced disposal of sulfur material. Furthermore, forming a micro-sized sulfur slurry allows for a more convenient form of transport. Additionally, high sulfur loading rates may be achieved, ultimately allowing for more economical sulfur transport.

Methods and systems for sulfur disposal

Methods and systems are provided for converting molten sulfur to powder sulfur by gas cooling of atomized sprays of molten sulfur. Certain embodiments contemplate a vertical tower that allows molten sulfur to produce an atomized spray or mist of molten sulfur descending from the top of the vertical tower. Gas introduced to the bottom of the vertical tower flows upward intimately interfacing with the descending atomized molten sulfur spray. The molten sulfur in the form of an atomized sulfur spray is cooled by the gas to form a sulfur powder. In certain embodiments, the sulfur powder formed is sufficiently small to be suitable for combination with a base fluid for producing a slurry for convenient transport of the sulfur particulates. Advantages of certain embodiments include higher efficiencies, lower cost, and production of much smaller solid sulfur average particulate sizes, which in turn allows for easier sulfur transport.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Lee Chin