Gas-assisted gravity drainage (GAGD) process for improved oil recovery

Patent · Tue Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 2012

OSTI ID:1069107

Rao, Dandina N ^[1]

---

1. Baton Rouge, LA

A rapid and inexpensive process for increasing the amount of hydrocarbons (e.g., oil) produced and the rate of production from subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs by displacing oil downwards within the oil reservoir and into an oil recovery apparatus is disclosed. The process is referred to as "gas-assisted gravity drainage" and comprises the steps of placing one or more horizontal producer wells near the bottom of a payzone (i.e., rock in which oil and gas are found in exploitable quantities) of a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and injecting a fluid displacer (e.g., CO.sub.2) through one or more vertical wells or horizontal wells. Pre-existing vertical wells may be used to inject the fluid displacer into the reservoir. As the fluid displacer is injected into the top portion of the reservoir, it forms a gas zone, which displaces oil and water downward towards the horizontal producer well(s).

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC26-02NT15323
• Assignee: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University And Agricultural and Mechanical College (Baton Rouge, LA)
• Patent Number(s): 8,215,392
• Application Number: 11/399,831
• OSTI ID: 1069107
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM