Conocophillips Company

T J Wheeler

Siluni L Gamage

Robert Scott Redman

Wendell Peter Menard

Robert S Redman

The present disclosure relates to a particularly effective well configuration that can be used for heat based oil recovery methods. Fishbone multilateral wells are combined with inline electric heaters and a thermally conductive proppant. Preferably, an array of overlapping fishbone wells cover the pay, allowing more complete production of the pay, and the use of the proppants prevents the open-hole fishbone laterals from collapsing. These methods can be applied in variety of configurations, including traditional vertically spaced well-pairs, laterally spaced well-pairs, producers only, and combinations thereof.

Fishbones, electric heaters and proppant to produce oil

A method starts wells with electrical downhole heating and injects solvent(s) or NGL mixes as a preconditioning for a steam injection process. The downhole electrical heating and solvent injection recovers oil and reduces the reservoir pressure. Once oil has been recovered for a period of time and the operating pressure and temperature has been reduced, steam or steam and solvent(s) may be injected to produce high oil recoveries at faster production rates than downhole heating or downhole heating and solvent(s) injection alone. The method reduces heat losses due to steam injection at lower pressure and temperature and therefore, improves efficiency and lowers operating costs. Operating at lower pressure and temperature also reduces the risk of melting the permafrost and consequent well failure issues.

Electric heat and NGL startup for heavy oil

A proposed methodology to startup wells with electrical downhole heating as a preconditioning method for a steam injection process. The downhole electrical heating recovers oil which results in a reduction in the reservoir pressure. Once oil has been recovered for a period of time and the operating pressure and temperature has been reduced, SAGD well pairs are provided between the downhole heater wells, and SAGD or a SAGD-like method used to produce oil. The method reduces heat losses due to steam injection at lower pressure and temperature and therefore, improves efficiency and lowers operating costs. Operating at lower pressure and temperature will also reduce the risk of melting the permafrost and consequent well failure issues. When oil production drops below an economical level, remaining oil can be collected at the DHH wells using the SAGD wellpair for gas or solvent or steam sweeps, or combinations thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

T J Wheeler