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Title: Thermal acidization and recovery process for recovering viscous petroleum

Abstract

A thermal acidization and recovery process for increasing production of heavy viscous petroleum crude oil and synthetic fuels from subterranean hydrocarbon formations containing clay particles creating adverse permeability effects is described. The method comprises injecting a thermal vapor stream through a well bore penetrating such formations to clean the formation face of hydrocarbonaceous materials which restrict the flow of fluids into the petroleum-bearing formation. Vaporized hydrogen chloride is then injected simultaneously to react with calcium and magnesium salts in the formation surrounding the bore hole to form water soluble chloride salts. Vaporized hydrogen fluoride is then injected simultaneously with its thermal vapor to dissolve water-sensitive clay particles thus increasing permeability. Thereafter, the thermal vapors are injected until the formation is sufficiently heated to permit increased recovery rates of the petroleum.

Inventors:
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Carmel Energy, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
OSTI Identifier:
865053
Patent Number(s):
4454917
Application Number:
06/317,338
Assignee:
Carmel Energy, Inc. (Houston, TX)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C09 - DYES C09K - MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21B - EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-78ET12355; ET-C-03-2046
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 1981 Nov 02
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
thermal; acidization; recovery; process; recovering; viscous; petroleum; increasing; production; heavy; crude; oil; synthetic; fuels; subterranean; hydrocarbon; formations; containing; clay; particles; creating; adverse; permeability; effects; described; method; comprises; injecting; vapor; stream; bore; penetrating; clean; formation; hydrocarbonaceous; materials; restrict; flow; fluids; petroleum-bearing; vaporized; hydrogen; chloride; injected; simultaneously; react; calcium; magnesium; salts; surrounding; form; water; soluble; fluoride; dissolve; water-sensitive; thereafter; vapors; sufficiently; heated; permit; increased; rates; synthetic fuels; hydrocarbon formations; hydrocarbonaceous materials; thermal vapor; water soluble; carbonaceous materials; method comprises; carbonaceous material; hydrogen chloride; vapor stream; recovery process; chloride salt; chloride salts; crude oil; sufficiently heated; bearing formation; method comprise; hydrogen fluoride; form water; formation surrounding; bore penetrating; recovering viscous; viscous petroleum; formations containing; thermal acidization; /166/

Citation Formats

Poston, Robert S. Thermal acidization and recovery process for recovering viscous petroleum. United States: N. p., 1984. Web.
Poston, Robert S. Thermal acidization and recovery process for recovering viscous petroleum. United States.
Poston, Robert S. Sun . "Thermal acidization and recovery process for recovering viscous petroleum". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865053.
@article{osti_865053,
title = {Thermal acidization and recovery process for recovering viscous petroleum},
author = {Poston, Robert S.},
abstractNote = {A thermal acidization and recovery process for increasing production of heavy viscous petroleum crude oil and synthetic fuels from subterranean hydrocarbon formations containing clay particles creating adverse permeability effects is described. The method comprises injecting a thermal vapor stream through a well bore penetrating such formations to clean the formation face of hydrocarbonaceous materials which restrict the flow of fluids into the petroleum-bearing formation. Vaporized hydrogen chloride is then injected simultaneously to react with calcium and magnesium salts in the formation surrounding the bore hole to form water soluble chloride salts. Vaporized hydrogen fluoride is then injected simultaneously with its thermal vapor to dissolve water-sensitive clay particles thus increasing permeability. Thereafter, the thermal vapors are injected until the formation is sufficiently heated to permit increased recovery rates of the petroleum.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1984},
month = {1}
}