Viscous oil recovery method

Patent · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5513470

Shu, W R; Hartman, K J

A steam slug method is described for the recovery of oil from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation penetrated by at least one injection well and a spaced apart production well comprising: (a) injecting a predetermined amount of steam having a quality of 50% to 90% at an injection rate within the range of 4 to 7 barrels of steam (cold water equivalent) per day per acre-foot of formation into the formation via the injection well and recovering fluids including oil from the formation via the production well; (b) thereafter shutting-in the injection well and continuing to recover fluids including oil from the production well but without steam breakthrough until the pressure at the production well declines to a value within the range of one-third to two-thirds of the pressure at the time the injection well is shut-in; (c) thereafter injecting a predetermined amount of a thermal recovery fluid comprising hot water or low quality steam into the formation via the injection well; and (d) continuing to recover fluids including oil from the formation via the production well until the recovered fluids contain an unfavorable amount of steam or water.

• Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp., New York, NY
• Patent Number(s): US 4597443
• OSTI ID: 5513470
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HOT WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INJECTION WELLS
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PRESSURE DROP
RECOVERY
STEAM
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
VISCOSITY
WATER
WELL SPACING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS