초록 ▼

This invention contemplates a method of enhancing oil and/or gas recovery by properly drilling injection and production wells into a reservoir, incorporating flow control valves and sensors in both sets of wells, and connecting these valves and sensors to a surface computer. The computer compares th

This invention contemplates a method of enhancing oil and/or gas recovery by properly drilling injection and production wells into a reservoir, incorporating flow control valves and sensors in both sets of wells, and connecting these valves and sensors to a surface computer. The computer compares the fluid flow data from the valves and sensors to a theoretical flow model of the reservoir to determine actual fluid flow paths in the reservoir. The computer then determines the optimum fluid flow rates and paths and adjusts the valve open-close patterns and settings accordingly, to force the reservoir fluid flows into those paths. The computer continually performs these operations so as to constantly provide maximum sweep efficiency and therefore optimum reservoir productivity. In conjunction with the above methodology, the densities and viscosities of the injected fluids can be varied so that they can assist with the vertical movement of fluids within the reservoir. The method and means described can also be used for leaching or chemical extraction means used in mining or mineral deposit extraction processes.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for extracting a mineral from an earth formation comprising: determining the formation boundary and characteristics; establishing in a computr a model of the formation; drilling at least one production well bore into the formation spaced from said production well; drilling at least one inje

A method for extracting a mineral from an earth formation comprising: determining the formation boundary and characteristics; establishing in a computr a model of the formation; drilling at least one production well bore into the formation spaced from said production well; drilling at least one injection well bore into the formation; obtaining additional formation characteristics by use of the well bores; updating the computer model using the formation characteristics obtained from the (boreholes) well bores; installing spaced control valves in the injection and production well bores, which valves are controlled between open and closed conditions in response to information supplied by the computer in accordance with the model of the formation stored therein; introducing injection fluid into said at least one injection well bore; removing produced fluid from said at least one production well bore; continuing to update the computer model in response to detected formation characteristics; and operating said control valves in response to the computer model to control the flow paths of fluid movement through the formation.