The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 09, 1984
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1982
Roman A Pachovsky, Calgary, CA;
Texaco Canada Inc., Calgary, CA;
Abstract
Bitumen is recovered from a subterranean formation of heavy oil sands traversed by at least one injection well and at least one associated production well in fluid communication with each injection well. Air in admixture with a heating fluid selected from the group consisting of low quality steam, hot water, or mixtures thereof, and an alkalinity agent are injected into the formation by way of each injection well. The subterranean heavy oil sands are thereby raised to a temperature in the range of about 200.degree. to 350.degree. F. A portion of the bitumen at reduced viscosity is oxidized without burning to produce additional petroleum acids which are neutralized to form emulsifying agents. The condensed steam and/or hot water contacting the bitumen form with it a bitumen-water emulsion. By pressure from the injected mixture of air and heating fluid, the resulting bitumen-water emulsion is then recovered from each production well. Demulsification takes place at the surface and bitumen, hot water, and sand are separated. Increased oil recovery efficiency may be obtained by pressure controlled cycles.