Conocophillips Company

Harris Corporation

Tawfik Noaman Nasr

David A Brown

Thomas James Wheeler

Dwijen Kumar Banerjee

Wayne Reid Dreher

Arelys Y Salazar Hernandez

Francis Eugene Parsche

Mark Alan Trautman

Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr

Wendell Peter Menard

John L Stalder

Victor Hernandez

Arelys Y Salazar

Wendell Menard

A steam-assisted gravity drainage method is described that includes a two stage solvent injection scheme, wherein steam plus solvent injection is followed by steam plus heavier-solvent injection. The two solvent injections improve recoveries of both the heavy oil and the injected solvent while limiting steam requirements, thus improving the economics of the method.

Hydrocarbon recovery with steam and solvent stages

A steam-assisted gravity drainage method includes a two stage solvent injection scheme, wherein steam plus solvent injection is followed by steam plus heavier-solvent injection. The two solvent injections improve recoveries of both the heavy oil and the injected solvent while limiting steam requirements, thus improving the economics of the method.

Hydrocarbons in a subterranean reservoir are recovered using Expanding Solvent-Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (ES-SAGD), including recovering hydrocarbons while reducing the solvent retention in the reservoir. Reducing solvent retention improves process economics.

Reducing solvent retention in ES-SAGD

A method of drilling a first well and a second well into the reservoir includes forming a conduit between the first well and the second well. The conduit is filled with a conduit material. Finally, a low viscosity fluid is injected into the conduit to establish fluid communication between the first well and the second well.

Method for accelerating heavy oil production

A method for recovering petroleum from a formation, wherein at least two injection wells and at least one production well are in fluid communication with said formation, comprising: introducing a gaseous mixture into a first and a second injection well at a temperature and a pressure, wherein said gaseous mixture comprises steam and non-condens able gas (NCG); and recovering a fluid comprising petroleum from said production well, wherein said injection wells and a production well are horizontal wells, and wherein said first injection well is disposed 1-10 meters above said production well, and said second injection well is disposed at least 5 meters above said first injection well.

Dual injection points in SAGD

Heavy oil recovery from oil sand reservoirs is enhanced through the creation of subsurface high permeability pathways distributed throughout the oil sand reservoirs. The high permeability pathways may be boreholes that extend through the oil sand reservoir. A portion of the high permeability pathway may be packed with high permeability particulate to provide structural support and allow for high permeability throughout the boreholes. After establishing the high permeability pathways throughout the oil sand reservoir, solvent may be introduced into the oil sand reservoir. The solvent has the beneficial effect of lowering the viscosity of the heavy oil, which aids in the extraction of the heavy oil. Thermal recovery processes and other enhancements may be combined with these methods to aid in reducing the viscosity of the heavy oil. Advantages of these methods include, accelerated hydrocarbon recovery, higher production efficiencies, lower costs, and lower extraction times.

Enhanced bitumen recovery using high permeability pathways

A method of producing heavy oil by first injecting water and sulfur hexafluoride molecules into a region. The method then introduces electromagnetic waves such as microwaves and/or radio frequencies into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the water and the sulfur hexafluoride molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the water and sulfur hexafluoride molecules within the region to produce heated water and sulfur hexafluoride molecules. At least a portion of the heavy oil is heated in the region by contact with the heated water and sulfur hexafluoride molecules to produce heated heavy oil. The heated heavy oil is then produced.

Heavy oil recovery using SF6 and RF heating

A process for utilizing microwaves to heat HO and sulfur hexafluoride within a subterranean region wherein the heated HO and sulfur hexafluoride contacts heavy oil in the subterranean region to lower the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve production of the heavy oil.

Process for enhanced production of heavy oil using microwaves

Methods relate to a steam-gas-solvent (SGS) process for recovery of heavy crude oil and bitumen. The methods include injecting a steam-gas-solvent mixture to mobilize hydrocarbons in a formation and producing from the formation the hydrocarbons that are mobilized. The steam-gas-solvent mixture includes steam, a gas non-condensable under reservoir operating conditions and a solvent condensable under reservoir operating conditions.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Tawfik Noaman Nasr