Method for operating a production well in an oxygen driven in-situ combustion oil recovery process

Patent · Tue Jul 08 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5433799

Holmes, B G

A method is described for recovering viscous oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation penetrated by at least one injection well and one production well and having fluid communication therebetween comprising: a. establishing an in-situ combustion operation in the formation by injecting substantially pure oxygen into the formation via the injection well and recovering fluids including oil and an effluent gas from the formation via the production well; b. continuously injecting nitrogen at a predetermined low injection rate into the lower portion of the production well; c. continuously analyzing the effluent gas for oxygen concentration and monitoring the bottomhole temperature of the production well; d. increasing the injection rate of the nitrogen gas to a maximum rate in the event the oxygen concentration of the effluent gas increases to a predetermined concentration or the bottomhole temperature increases to a predetermined temperature indicating a hazardous condition; and e. continuing injection of the nitrogen at a maximum rate until the oxygen concentration of the effluent gas and the bottomhole temperature are reduced to a safe level.

• Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp., New York, NY
• Patent Number(s): US 4598772
• OSTI ID: 5433799
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS ANALYSIS
GAS INJECTION
HAZARDS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INJECTION WELLS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OIL WELLS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
PETROLEUM
PROCESSING
QUANTITY RATIO
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
SAFETY
STIMULATION
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VISCOSITY
WELL STIMULATION
WELL TEMPERATURE
WELLS