IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0068423
(2011-05-11)
|
등록번호 |
US-8261823
(2012-09-11)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Hill, Gilman A.
- Affholter, Joseph A.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
66 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A system and method for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone. The system includes at least one injection openi
A system and method for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone. The system includes at least one injection opening and at least one production opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone. A heated thermal-energy carrier fluid is injected into the injection opening and circulated horizontally through the higher permeability zone. The carrier fluid pyrolyzes the hydrocarbons in the lower and higher permeability zones in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between from the injection opening and the production opening and produces at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface.
대표청구항
▼
1. A system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone, the system comprising: at least one injection opening in
1. A system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone, the system comprising: at least one injection opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the injection well having a first vertical depth;at least one production opening in the higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the production opening having a second vertical depth, the first vertical depth of the injection opening approximately the same depth as to the second vertical depth of the production opening, the same depth of the injection opening and the production opening providing horizontal communication therebetween;a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid injected into the injection opening and circulated horizontally through the higher permeability zone and parallel thereto, the carrier fluid pyrolyzing hydrocarbons in the lower and higher permeability zones in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between the injection opening and the production opening, and producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface; andmeans for removing at least one selected hydrocarbon held in the carrier fluid. 2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid circulated through the higher permeability zone is circulated through a higher permeability aquifer zone. 3. The system as described in claim 2 wherein the carrier fluid circulated through the higher permeability aquifer zone includes displacing water in the higher permeability aquifer zone, the carrier fluid having a pressure greater than water pressure found in the higher permeability aquifer zone. 4. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid has an injection opening pressure in a range of 300 to 500 psi at a depth in a range of 400 to 600 feet below the ground surface. 5. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid has a production opening pressure from the higher permeability zone in a range of 100 to 300 psi at a depth in a range of 400 to 600 feet below the ground surface. 6. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid has a temperature in a range of 400 to 1400 degrees F. when injected under pressure from the injection opening through the higher permeability zone. 7. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid is circulated through the higher permeability zone disposed above the lower permeability zone and circulated horizontally through a second higher permeability zone disposed below the lower permeability zone. 8. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid is circulated through the higher permeability zone disposed below the lower permeability zone and circulated horizontally through a second higher permeability zone disposed above the lower permeability zone. 9. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid is also a recirculated carrier fluid circulated back into the injection opening after the means for removing has removed the selected hydrocarbon from the carrier fluid. 10. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the recirculated carrier fluid includes hydrocarbons, compressed air, combustion chamber exhaust products and non-condensed vapors and gases. 11. The system as described in claim 1 further including a first hydraulic fracture in the lower permeability zone and between an injection opening and a production opening and parallel to the higher permeability zone, the carrier fluid also circulated under pressure from the injection opening through the first hydraulic fracture to the production opening. 12. The system as described in claim 11 further including a second hydraulic fracture in the lower permeability zone and between an injection opening and a production opening and parallel to the first hydraulic fracture, the carrier fluid circulated under pressure from the injection opening through the second hydraulic fracture to the production opening. 13. The system as described in claim 12 wherein the first and second hydraulic fractures have a thickness in a range of % to 6 inches with hydraulic fracture proppants received therein, the first and second hydraulic fractures having a permeability in a range of 100 to 2000 darcys. 14. The system as described in claim 1 further including a catalyst for catalytic cracking of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon formation. 15. The system as described in claim 14 wherein the catalyst is at least one zeolite and/or one coordinated metal ion. 16. The system as described in claim 1 further including a catalyst for catalytic cracking of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in one or more bore holes within the hydrocarbon formation. 17. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the injection opening is an injection well in the hydrocarbon formation and the production opening is a production well in the hydrocarbon formation. 18. The system as described in claim 17 further including a downhole combustion chamber heating element disposed in the injection well for heating the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation. 19. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the injection opening is a plurality of injection wells in the hydrocarbon formation and the production opening is a plurality of production wells in the hydrocarbon formation. 20. The system as described in claim 1 further including an in situ heating element used in the hydrocarbon formation for thermal cracking of the hydrocarbons. 21. A system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone, the system comprising: at least one injection opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the injection opening having a first vertical depth;at least one production opening in the higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the production opening having a second vertical depth, the first vertical depth of the injection opening approximately the same depth as to the second vertical depth of the production opening, the same depth of the injection opening and the production opening providing horizontal communication therebetween;a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid injected into the injection opening and circulated horizontally through the higher permeability zone and parallel thereto, the carrier fluid pyrolyzing hydrocarbons in the lower and higher permeability zones in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between the injection opening and the production opening, and producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface;means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation; andmeans for removing at least one selected hydrocarbon held in the carrier fluid. 22. The system as described in claim 21 wherein the means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation is disposed in the injection opening. 23. The system as described in claim 21 wherein the means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation is disposed in a plurality of wells in the formation. 24. The system as described in claim 23 wherein the means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation is disposed in a plurality of injection wells in the formation. 25. The system as described in claim 23 wherein the means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation is disposed in a plurality of production wells in the formation. 26. The system as described in claim 21 wherein the means for controlling the fluid pressure, means for controlling the pressure gradient, means for controlling the flow rate, means for controlling the temperature, means for controlling the temperature gradient, means for controlling the potentiometric surface and means for controlling the potentiometric surface gradient of the carrier fluid circulated in the hydrocarbon formation is disposed in the production opening. 27. A system for producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale, fixed bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to a lower permeability zone, the system comprising: at least one injection opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the injection opening having a first vertical depth;at least one production opening in the higher permeability zone of the hydrocarbon formation, the production opening having a second vertical depth, the first vertical depth of the injection opening approximately the same depth as to the second vertical depth of the production opening, the same depth of the injection opening and the production opening providing horizontal communication therebetween;a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid injected into the injection opening and circulated horizontally through the higher permeability zone and parallel thereto, the carrier fluid pyrolyzing hydrocarbons in the lower and higher permeability zones in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between the injection opening and the production opening, and producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface, the carrier fluid displacing a formation fluid in the higher permeability zone between the injection opening and the production opening at a pressure greater than an existing hydrostatic formation fluid pressure found in the higher permeability zone; andmeans for removing at least one selected hydrocarbon held in the carrier fluid. 28. The system as described in claim 27 wherein an injection opening pressure of the carrier fluid circulated through the higher permeability zone is in a range from about an existing hydrostatic formation fluid pressure found in the higher permeability zone up to a geostatic rock pressure found in the higher permeability zone. 29. The system as described in claim 27 wherein a fluid pressure at the production opening in the higher permeability zone is in a range of about 5% to 95% the injection opening fluid pressure.
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