Thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus
Abstract
A thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus for exploiting deep well reservoirs utilizes electric downhole steam generators to provide supplemental heat to generate high quality steam from hot pressurized water which is heated at the surface. A downhole electric heater placed within a well bore for local heating of the pressurized liquid water into steam is powered by electricity from the above-ground gas turbine-driven electric generators fueled by any clean fuel such as natural gas, distillate or some crude oils, or may come from the field being stimulated. Heat recovered from the turbine exhaust is used to provide the hot pressurized water. Electrical power may be cogenerated and sold to an electric utility to provide immediate cash flow and improved economics. During the cogeneration period (no electrical power to some or all of the downhole units), the oil field can continue to be stimulated by injecting hot pressurized water, which will flash into lower quality steam at reservoir conditions. The heater includes electrical heating elements supplied with three-phase alternating current or direct current. The injection fluid flows through the heater elements to generate high quality steam to exit at the bottom of the heater assembly into the reservoir. The injectionmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Scotia, NY
- Houston, TX
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- CARBOTEK INC
- OSTI Identifier:
- 866366
- Patent Number(s):
- 4694907
- Assignee:
- Carbotek, Inc. (Houston, TX)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21B - EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F22 - STEAM GENERATION F22B - METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-86ER80378
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- thermally-enhanced; oil; recovery; method; apparatus; exploiting; deep; reservoirs; utilizes; electric; downhole; steam; generators; provide; supplemental; heat; generate; quality; hot; pressurized; water; heated; surface; heater; placed; bore; local; heating; liquid; powered; electricity; above-ground; gas; turbine-driven; fueled; clean; fuel; natural; distillate; crude; oils; field; stimulated; recovered; turbine; exhaust; electrical; power; cogenerated; sold; utility; immediate; cash; flow; improved; economics; cogeneration; period; units; injecting; flash; reservoir; conditions; elements; supplied; three-phase; alternating; current; direct; injection; fluid; flows; exit; bottom; assembly; tube; closed; radial; orifices; expanding; pressure; recovery method; steam generators; oil field; electrical heating; heater assembly; electric generator; heating elements; liquid water; pressurized liquid; pressurized water; oil recovery; heating element; natural gas; direct current; steam generator; electrical power; gas turbine; fluid flow; alternating current; enhanced oil; fluid flows; lean fuel; crude oil; downhole steam; phase alternating; turbine exhaust; electrical heat; electric heater; electric heat; hot press; crude oils; local heating; reservoir conditions; provide supplemental; clean fuel; heater element; utilizes electric; supplemental heat; thermally-enhanced oil; generation period; /166/
Citation Formats
Stahl, Charles R, Gibson, Michael A, and Knudsen, Christian W. Thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus. United States: N. p., 1987.
Web.
Stahl, Charles R, Gibson, Michael A, & Knudsen, Christian W. Thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus. United States.
Stahl, Charles R, Gibson, Michael A, and Knudsen, Christian W. Thu .
"Thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/866366.
@article{osti_866366,
title = {Thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus},
author = {Stahl, Charles R and Gibson, Michael A and Knudsen, Christian W},
abstractNote = {A thermally-enhanced oil recovery method and apparatus for exploiting deep well reservoirs utilizes electric downhole steam generators to provide supplemental heat to generate high quality steam from hot pressurized water which is heated at the surface. A downhole electric heater placed within a well bore for local heating of the pressurized liquid water into steam is powered by electricity from the above-ground gas turbine-driven electric generators fueled by any clean fuel such as natural gas, distillate or some crude oils, or may come from the field being stimulated. Heat recovered from the turbine exhaust is used to provide the hot pressurized water. Electrical power may be cogenerated and sold to an electric utility to provide immediate cash flow and improved economics. During the cogeneration period (no electrical power to some or all of the downhole units), the oil field can continue to be stimulated by injecting hot pressurized water, which will flash into lower quality steam at reservoir conditions. The heater includes electrical heating elements supplied with three-phase alternating current or direct current. The injection fluid flows through the heater elements to generate high quality steam to exit at the bottom of the heater assembly into the reservoir. The injection tube is closed at the bottom and has radial orifices for expanding the injection fluid to reservoir pressure.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987}
}