Conocophillips Company

Harris Corporation

Wendell Peter Menard

Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr

Thomas James Wheeler

Francis Eugene Parsche

Mark Alan Trautman

Curtis G Blount

Qing Chen

John L Stalder

David A Brown

Daniel R Sultenfuss

Dwijen Kumar Banerjee

Wayne Reid Dreher

Tawfik Noaman Nasr

Partha S Sarathi

Siluni L Gamage

T J Wheeler

Maylin A Carrizales

Chris Lehecka

Daniel R Sultenfus

David Andrew Brown

Single well SAGD is improved by having one or more injection segments and two or more production segments between the toe end and the heel end of a flat, horizontal well. The additional injection points improve the rate of steam chamber development as well as the rate of production, as shown by simulations of a central injection segment bracketed by a pair of production segments (-P-I-P-), and by a pair of injection segments with three production segments (-P-I-P-I-P). Although the completion of the single well costs more, this configuration allows the development of thin plays that cannot be economically developed with traditional SAGD wellpairs.

SW-SAGD with between heel and toe injection

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

The present disclosure relates to a particularly effective well configuration that can be used for single well cross steam assisted gravity drainage (SW-XSAGD) wherein a single well has multiple injection sections each separated by a production segment that is completed with passive FCDs to control steam flashing.

Single well cross steam and gravity drainage (SW-XSAGD)

Methods and systems relate to recovering hydrocarbons from within formations in which hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs are separated from one another by a fluid flow obstructing natural stratum. Relative to the reservoirs, the stratum inhibits or blocks vertical fluid flow within the formation. Lateral bores divert from lengths of injector and producer wells along where extending in a horizontal direction. These bores pass upward through the formation to intersect the stratum and provide an array of fluid flow paths through the stratum. In a side direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the wells, the lateral bores from the injector well pass through the stratum inside of where the lateral bores from the producer well pass through stratum. Fluid communication established by the bores limits counter-current flow through the bores in processes that rely on techniques such as gravity drainage.

Lateral wellbore configurations with interbedded layer

Heavy oil recovery using downhole radio frequency radiation heating accelerates SAGD thermal recovery processes. In one embodiment, one or more SAGD well pairs traverse a subterranean formation for recovering heavy oil. The SAGD well pairs each create a steam chamber which, over time, expands to allow each steam chamber to interact with one another and in this way, increases the recovery heavy oil from the formation. One or more antennas may be interposed between the steam chambers to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the formation to heat the fluids therein to accelerate expansion of the steam chambers, particularly where antennas are judiciously situated to optimize steam chamber expansion. Where an infill production well is present, the antennas may be situated to accelerate steam chamber communication with the infill production well. Advantages include lower cost, higher efficiencies, quicker and increased hydrocarbon recovery.

Acceleration of heavy oil recovery through downhole radio frequency radiation heating

A method of heating stacked pay zones in a hydrocarbon formation by radio frequency electromagnetic waves is provided. In particular, radio frequency antenna array having multiple antenna elements are provided inside a hydrocarbon formation that has steam-impermeable structure. The antenna elements are so positioned and configured that the hydrocarbons in the place where conventional thermal methods cannot be used to heat due to the steam-impermeable structure can now be heated by radio frequency electromagnetic waves.

In situ RF heating of stacked pay zones

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 process for utilizing microwaves to heat HO within a subterranean region wherein the heated HO 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

A method of producing heavy oil from a heavy oil formation with steam assisted gravity drainage. The method begins by drilling a borehole into a heavy oil formation comprising a steam barrier between a first pay zone and a second pay zone, wherein the steam barrier prevents a steam chamber to be formed between the first pay zone and the second pay zone. The steam barrier is then heated with a radio frequency. The steam barrier is then fractured to permit a steam chamber to be formed within the first pay zone and the second pay zone. Heavy oil is then produced from the heavy oil formation with steam assisted gravity drainage.

RF fracturing to improve SAGD performance

An underground reservoir is provided comprising an injection well and a production well. The production well has a horizontal section oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well. The method relates to controlling location of inflow into a production well during in situ combustion. The horizontal section of the production well includes blocking agents to prevent well failure.

Completion method for horizontal wells in in situ combustion

Methods and systems relate to recovering hydrocarbons from within formations in which hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs are separated from one another by a fluid flow obstructing natural stratum. Relative to the reservoirs, the stratum inhibits or blocks vertical fluid flow within the formation. Drilled bores arranged to intersect the stratum provide an array of fluid flow paths through the stratum. Fluid communication established by the drilled bores enables production utilizing a producer borehole deviated from vertical and processes that rely on techniques such as gravity drainage through the fluid flow paths and/or injection through the fluid flow paths.

Draining a reservoir with an interbedded layer

Methods and systems relate to in situ combustion utilizing configurations of injection and production wells to facilitate the in situ combustion. The wells define vertically deviated lengths that have different orientations from one another. Further, heating processes such as resistive heating and cyclic steam stimulation may take place in one or both of the injection and production wells to precondition a reservoir prior to the in situ combustion.

In situ combustion processes and configurations using injection and production wells

Methods and apparatus relate to in situ combustion. Configurations of injection and production wells facilitate the in situ combustion. A first production well disposed in a first oil bearing reservoir is spaced from a second production well disposed in a second oil bearing reservoir separated from the first oil bearing reservoir by a stratum having lower permeability than the first and second oil bearing reservoirs. The stratum isolates one of the first and second production wells from one of the first and second oil bearing reservoirs. In situ combustion through the first oil bearing reservoir generates heat that irradiates into the second oil bearing reservoir to enable producing hydrocarbon with the second production well.

In situ combustion as adjacent formation heat source

Methods and apparatus relate to controlling location of inflow into a production well during in situ combustion. The production well includes intervals closable to the inflow at identified times. Once a combustion front from the in situ combustion passes one of the intervals, a blockage conveyed from surface into the production well forms a barrier to the inflow at the interval that has been passed by the combustion front. An example of the blockage includes a cement plug delivered through coiled tubing into the production well, which may include production tubing that defines the intervals based on at least two consecutive alternating lengths of solid wall sections and slotted or perforated sections of the production tubing.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Wendell Peter Menard