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Method of assisting the recovery of petroleum in vertically fractured formations utilizing carbon dioxide gas to establish gravity drainage

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1531821

The invention relates to assisting the recovery of petroleum from vertically fractured formations utilizing carbon dioxide gas to lower the interfacial tension between the gas and the petroleum in the vertical fractures and in the formation matrix adjacent the vertical fractures to cause vertical drainage of the petroleum down the fracture system. The invention also includes a method for identifying vertically fractured formations which may be particularly susceptible to such recovery with carbon dioxide gas using the capillary to gravity ratio (1/N.sub.B) to select formations having a value for such ratio of 0.2 or less.

Research Organization:
Leland Stanford Junior Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FG21-89MC26253
Assignee:
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford, CA)
Patent Number(s):
5,314,017
Application Number:
07/957,043
OSTI ID:
1531821
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (1)

Capillary Imbibition and Gravity Segregation in Low IFT Systems conference April 2013

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