Huff and puff fire flood process

Patent · Tue Jul 25 04:00:00 EDT 1967

OSTI ID:6323241

Trantham, J C

This process for producing relatively heavy viscous crude oil uses the huff and puff fire flood technique. The oil in the stratum to be produced is ignited around a single well and air is injected through the well to expand and move the ignited area into the stratum away from the well. A liquid bank of viscous oil builds up in the stratum beyond the combustion zone so as to plug the stratum and build up pressure above the stratum pressure at the time of initiation of the process. Injection of air is then terminated and the well is opened to production so that the fluid pressure in the stratum beyond the combustion zone forces liquid oil from the liquid bank back into the combustion zone and the hot burned-over area behind the combustion zone so as to upgrade the liquid oil by heating and cracking and force the upgraded oil into the well. After a period of production, the stratum around the well is again ignited. (9 claims)

• Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 3332482
• OSTI ID: 6323241
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
OIL WELLS
OXIDATION
PETROLEUM
PROCESSING
PYROLYSIS
RECOVERY
STIMULATION
THERMAL CRACKING
THERMAL RECOVERY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS