Processes for producing bitumen from tar sands and methods for forming a gravel pack in tar sands

Patent · Tue Jan 03 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:5151121

Harnsberger, B G

A process for producing bitumen from a subterranean reservoir of tar sands comprises heating the casing for melting the bitumen from the tar sands adjacent the casing for forming a passage in the reservoir from upper perforations at the top of the reservoir to lower perforations at the bottom of the reservoir, setting a packer in an annulus between the casing and a tubing therein between the upper and lower perforations, circulating hot fluids from the upper perforations and back into lower perforations for melting more bitumen from the tar sands for forming a predetermined size cavity around the casing, adding a packer and a screen to the tubing, ejecting a gravel pack material slurry into the cavity around the screen, ejecting more hot fluids into the cavity for melting more bitumen from the tar sands, and flowing the melted bitumen through the gravel pack, lower perforations, and screen for filtering out the sand and gravel from the melted bitumen for recovering the melted bitumen at the surface. A modification of the above process is disclosed. Two new methods for forming a gravel pack in a subterranean reservoir of tar sands are disclosed.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4066127
• OSTI ID: 5151121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FILTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID INJECTION PROCESSES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
HOT-WATER PROCESSES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PACKINGS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
TAR
TUBES
WELLS