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:
Sep. 27, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2007
Kirk Samuel Hansen, Rijswijk, NL;
Chia-fu Hsu, Rijswijk, NL;
Alexander Michiel Mollinger, Rijswijk, NL;
Kirk Samuel Hansen, Rijswijk, NL;
Chia-Fu Hsu, Rijswijk, NL;
Alexander Michiel Mollinger, Rijswijk, NL;
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A cyclic steam soak (CSS) stimulation method for producing heated hydrocarbons from a viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation comprises the steps of: a) drilling a well () having a substantially horizontal or inclined lower section () into the viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation () substantially along the trajectory of the minimum compressive horizontal stress Sh; b) cutting at selected intervals along the length of the lower well section () substantially disk-shaped cavities (A-D) into the viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation () by a rotating hydraulic jet cutting device (); c) completing the well (); d) injecting steam into the well () and disk-shaped cavities (A-D) at such an elevated pressure that the hydraulic pressure in at least one disk-shaped cavityA is above the formation fracturing pressure, thereby fracturing the formation () and permitting the steam to invade the formation surrounding the fracture and to heat hydrocarbons in the steam invaded zone; e) interrupting steam injection and producing heated hydrocarbons via the well (); and f) repeating steps (d) and (e) a number of times.