IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0526392
(2008-02-11)
|
등록번호 |
US-8561702
(2013-10-22)
|
국제출원번호 |
PCT/US2008/001896
(2008-02-11)
|
§371/§102 date |
20090807
(20090807)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2008/097666
(2008-08-14)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Wylie, Ian
- McGuire, L. Allan
- Hagen, David L.
- Ginter, Gary D.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Vast Power Portfolio, LLC
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
39 |
초록
▼
Combustion gases with relatively high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), steam, and/or hot water, may be used to improve recovery of heavy hydrocarbons from geologic formations and/or from surface mined materials. These gases reduce the viscosity and/or increase hydrocarbon extraction rates through imp
Combustion gases with relatively high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), steam, and/or hot water, may be used to improve recovery of heavy hydrocarbons from geologic formations and/or from surface mined materials. These gases reduce the viscosity and/or increase hydrocarbon extraction rates through improvements in thermal efficiency and/or higher rates of heat delivery for a given combustor an capital investment. Such high water/CO2 content combustion gases can be formed by adding water to combustion gases formed by burning fuel. The pressure to inject the combustion gases and extract heavy hydrocarbons may be provided by diverting high pressure expanded gases from wet combustion in a gas turbine, or by reducing the pressure drop across a turbine and using the expanded hot gases for extraction.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of extracting hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon material comprising hydrocarbon including heavy hydrocarbon, petroleum, or other carbonaceous materials, the method comprising: a) delivering a first fuel fluid comprising carbon or sulfur, an oxidant fluid comprising molecular oxygen, and a f
1. A method of extracting hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon material comprising hydrocarbon including heavy hydrocarbon, petroleum, or other carbonaceous materials, the method comprising: a) delivering a first fuel fluid comprising carbon or sulfur, an oxidant fluid comprising molecular oxygen, and a first aqueous diluent fluid comprising fluid water to a combustion system comprising a first combustor;b) combusting a fuel mixture comprising a portion of the first fuel fluid, a portion of the oxidant fluid, and a first portion of the first aqueous diluent fluid in the first combustor,wherein producing a first combustion VASTgas, prior to contacting the hydrocarbon material, comprising products of combustion, fluid water, and carbon dioxide, having a temperature greater than 400 degrees Celsius;c) diluting a first portion of the first combustion VASTgas with a first portion of a second aqueous diluent fluid, thereby increasing the volume percent of diluent fluid in the VASTgas, to form a first process VASTgas comprising fluid water and carbon dioxide, having a temperature between 50° C. and the temperature of the combustion VASTgas;wherein one of the first portion of the first aqueous fluid and the first portion of the second aqueous diluent fluid, comprises one of a particulate material and a dissolved material;d) separating a portion of evaporated solids from one of the combustion VASTgas or the process VASTgas formed by evaporating one of a particulate material and a dissolved material of the first or second aqueous fluid;e) delivering the first process VASTgas to a first portion of the hydrocarbon material, wherein the hydrocarbon has a first viscosity, and the first process VASTgas is delivered in sufficient amount to reduce the viscosity of the hydrocarbon to obtain a second viscosity; andf) extracting a portion of the hydrocarbon from the first portion of the hydrocarbon material. 2. The method of claim 1, further delivering the first process VASTgas to the hydrocarbon material within a separation vessel, and separating the heated hydrocarbon material into a heavy hydrocarbon portion and a non-heavy hydrocarbon portion. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein, as extraction increases, increasing the ox en content of the process VASTgas, or decreasing the nitrogen content of the process VASTgas, thereby changing the composition of the VASTgas delivered to the hydrocarbon material. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the process VASTgas comprises at least thirty three percent fluid water by volume (33v %). 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivered water to fuel ratio (omega) in the first aqueous diluent fluid and the first fuel fluid delivered to the first combustor is controlled to greater than about 10:1 by mass. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering VASTgas to the hydrocarbon material further comprises the step of mixing together the first process VASTgas and the hydrocarbon material whereby mobilizing hydrocarbon. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the process VASTgas comprises greater than 51.5% fluid water by mass. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of mixing comminuted alkali carbonate and the first combustion VASTgas fluid, wherein calcining a portion of the alkali carbonate, thereby forming alkali oxide, and separating out portion of the alkali oxide, thereby adding carbon dioxide CO2 to the first combustion VASTgas fluid to improve the recovery of the hydrocarbon when delivering a portion of process VASTgas fluid to the hydrocarbon material. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises heavy hydrocarbon consisting of one of, shale oil, heavy oil, bitumen, and kerogen. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising recapturing and separating a portion of carbon dioxide from the hydrocarbon being extracted, and delivering a portion of the recovered carbon dioxide in the first process VASTgas fluid being delivered to the hydrocarbon material. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cooling the process VASTgas fluid and recovering condensed liquids therefrom. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fuel fluid comprises a slagging fuel, whereby forming non-fuel materials; the method further comprising separating the portion of evaporated solids and a portion of non-fuel materials from the first combustion VASTgas or the first process VASTgas, using gravity separation and one of cyclonic separation and electrostatic separation. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the first portion of first aqueous fluid and the first portion of the second aqueous fluid has a dissolved or suspended calcium or magnesium salt, the method comprising delivering sufficient aqueous fluid to cool one of the combustion fluid and the process fluid below a water condensation temperature, thereby forming a respective steam saturated fluid with carbon dioxide; separating out unevaporated aqueous fluid, and removing solids therefrom; and delivering a portion of the remaining unevaporated aqueous fluid with one of the first aqueous fluid and the second aqueous fluid. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising electric resistive heating of the process fluid. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the process VASTgas to local wells in a first well pad and in a second well pad. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of expanding through an expander one of a second portion of the first combustion VASTgas, anda first portion of a second combustion VASTgas formed by combusting, in a second combustor, a first portion of a second fuel fluid, a second portion of the oxidant fluid, and a first portion of a second aqueous fluid comprising fluid water,wherein controlling the respective combustion VASTgas upstream of the expander to less than a prescribed turbine inlet temperature, thereby forming an expanded VASTgas, andproducing at least one of shaft power and electricity. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising delivering a portion of the expanded VASTgas to a second portion of the hydrocarbon material, thereby enhancing the extraction of the hydrocarbon. 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising expanding the first portion of the first combustion VASTgas through a second expander before forming the first process VASTgas and delivering it to the hydrocarbon material. 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising recovering heat from the expanded VASTgas to heat aqueous diluent fluid, and delivering heated aqueous diluent fluid to the first process VASTgas. 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising diluting a portion of the expanded VASTgas with a second portion of the first aqueous fluid and delivering the diluted expanded VASTgas fluid to the hydrocarbon material. 21. The method of claim 16, wherein delivering the first process VASTgas or the expanded VASTgas with sufficient pressure to extract the hydrocarbon fluid, the method further comprising separating a fluid comprising carbon dioxide from the extracted hydrocarbon fluid and mixing it with one of the combustion VASTgas and the process VASTgas. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the VASTgas is expanded with an expansion ratio less than the compression ratio in pressurizing the oxidant fluid, to deliver the process VASTgas to the first portion of the hydrocarbon material. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of first fuel fluid delivered to the first combustor has greater than 5% sulfur by mass of one of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen polysulfide, the method further comprising mixing and reacting with one of aqueous fluid and alkali carbonate, the products of combustion comprising sulfur in the first combustion VASTgas to generate one of heat and carbon dioxide. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first combustion VASTgas comprises an oxide of sulfur consisting of one of sulfur dioxide, disulfur dioxide, and sulfur trioxide, the method further comprising controlling the temperature of the first combustion VASTgas to avoid condensation of a fluid comprising a sulfur compound at a prescribed location downstream of the combustor. 25. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating one of the process VASTgas and the hydrocarbon material with radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation near the hydrocarbon material using an RF excitor. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising cooling the radio-frequency excitor by a cooling fluid comprising one of water, steam, and carbon dioxide, and delivering the heated cooling fluid to the hydrocarbon resource. 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising one of directionally heating the hydrocarbon resource, and controlling the frequency of the radio-frequency heating to heat one of water, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbon. 28. A method of enhancing hydrocarbon recovery, the method comprising: a) delivering, mixing, and combusting a fuel fluid having carbonaceous fuel, and an oxidant fluid having molecular oxygen,thereby forming a combustion fluid comprising CO2;wherein a relative stoichiometric ratio of oxidant fluid to fuel fluid is controlled in the range from 1.0 to 1.5, andthe combustion fluid comprises greater than 3% CO2 by volume;b) mixing and heating comminuted or pulverized alkali carbonate with a portion of the combustion fluid, wherein calcining a portion of the alkali carbonate, thereby generating carbon dioxide, forming solids comprising an alkali oxide, and forming a process fluid;c) delivering and mixing an aqueous fluid comprising water with one or more of fuel fluid, oxidant fluid, the combustion fluid, and the process fluid with a ratio of total delivered water to fuel, thereby evaporating a portion of the water;d) controlling the ratio of total delivered water to fuel to control a delivery temperature of the process fluid to less than a prescribed temperature;wherein the ratio of total delivered water to fuel is greater than four to one by mass and less than twenty to one by mass;e) removing a portion of the solids from one of the combustion fluid and the process fluid;f) delivering the process fluid to a hydrocarbon containing material, thereby increasing the temperature of the hydrocarbon and the CO2 concentration in the hydrocarbon; andg) extracting a portion of hydrocarbon from said hydrocarbon containing material after delivering the process fluid. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising adding, to one of the combustion fluid and the process fluid, carbon dioxide produced by combusting a high carbon fuel consisting of coal, bitumen, or a derivative of coal or bitumen, or by chemical reaction of an acidic material with the carbonate. 30. The method of claim 28, further comprising expanding a second portion of the combustion fluid through an expander, and delivering additional CO2 to the hydrocarbon material from one of the second portion of the combustion fluid, and carbon dioxide recovered from the extracted hydrocarbon fluid comprising CO2. 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the process fluid contains at least about three point two percent carbon dioxide by volume (3.2v %), thereby decreasing the viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein delivering comminuted limestone in an aqueous slurry to one of the combustion fluid, the process fluid, and the hydrocarbon resource. 33. The method of claim 28, wherein the fuel fluid comprises sulfur and the combustion fluid has at least two percent (2%) sulfur by mass, thereby forming a sulfur salt in the combustion fluid, the process fluid, or in carbonate proximate to the hydrocarbon containing material. 34. The method of claim 28, wherein the fuel comprises greater than five percent (5%) by mass of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide or hydrogen polysulfide. 35. The method of claim 28, wherein a portion of the aqueous fluid delivered upstream of the process fluid comprises a portion of hydrocarbon extracted from the hydrocarbon containing material. 36. The method of claim 28, wherein mixing sufficient aqueous fluid with one of calcium oxide and a sulfur salt of calcium to form one of calcium hydroxide and a hydrated salt of calcium. 37. The method of claim 28, further comprising pressurizing and separating a portion of CO2 from the extracted fluid, and delivering a portion of the CO2 to one of the combustion fluid, the process fluid, enhanced oil recovery, and sequestration. 38. The method of claim 28, wherein the combustion fluid comprises an oxide of sulfur consisting of one of sulfur dioxide, disulfur dioxide, and sulfur trioxide, and wherein the step of forming the process fluid comprises mixing the combustion fluid comprising sulfur oxide with alkali carbonate containing material at a temperature greater than eight hundred and twenty five Celsius (825° C.), thereby forming CO2 and an alkali solid comprising sulfur and one of calcium and magnesium. 39. The method of claim 28, further comprising controlling the delivered water to fuel ratio to control the delivery temperature of the process fluid to within the range of about 50° C. to about 482° C. 40. The method of claim 28, wherein the aqueous water comprises a portion of contaminated water, waste water, or recovered water obtained from the hydrocarbon containing material, and comprises one of a particulate material and a dissolved material, thereby forming evaporated solids. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein removing the portion of the solids from the combustion fluid or the process fluid comprises using one of gravity, cyclonic, and electrostatic separation. 42. The method of claim 38, further comprising separating a portion of the alkali solid from one of the combustion fluid and the process fluid. 43. A method of extracting hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon material resource comprising heavy hydrocarbon or petroleum proximate to alkali carbonate material, the method comprising: a) combusting a fuel fluid comprising sulfur with an oxidant fluid comprising molecular oxygen in a combustion system, thereby forming products of combustion comprising oxidized sulfur compounds;b) mixing aqueous fluid with the products of combustion, thereby forming a combustion fluid;c) contacting together the combustion fluid and a portion of the alkali carbonate to form a process fluid comprising carbon dioxide;d) contacting together the hydrocarbon material and the process fluid, thereby forming mobilized hydrocarbon; ande) extracting a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbon;wherein the fuel comprises at least five percent of the fuel by mass (5 mass %) sulfur in the form of one or more of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen polysulfide; andwherein the sulfur is substantially oxidized to oxidized sulfur, consisting substantially of one or more of sulfur dioxide, disulfur dioxide, and sulfur trioxide. 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising mixing the hydrocarbon material with an aqueous slurry comprising a portion of the alkali carbonate material. 45. The method of claim 43, further comprising extracting hydrocarbon material from the resource; delivering the hydrocarbon material and the process fluid to a vessel; and contacting the hydrocarbon material and the process fluid within the vessel, wherein mobilizing hydrocarbon. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein delivering a portion of the alkali carbonate material and the sulfur oxide to the vessel and reacting them within the vessel, whereby forming the process fluid comprising CO2 and heating the aqueous fluid and hydrocarbon material within the vessel. 47. The method of claim 45, wherein the process fluid locally boils water and agitates the mixture of hydrocarbon material and aqueous fluid in the vessel. 48. The method of claim 46, further comprising delivering an aqueous fluid to the vessel; and controlling the delivery rate of hydrocarbon material and aqueous fluid, wherein boiling a portion of the aqueous fluid within the vessel and controlling the temperature of the aqueous fluid and hydrocarbon fluid mixture to above a flotation temperature of bitumen, and below the aqueous fluid boiling point. 49. The method of claim 43, wherein mixing with in situ heaving hydrocarbon material an aqueous alkali fluid comprising a portion of the alkali carbonate material used to generate carbon dioxide. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the step of delivering the process fluid comprises mixing the oxide of sulfur with an aqueous fluid and delivering the process fluid to the portion of the alkali carbonate material, thereby forming CO2 and a salt comprising sulfur and heating the hydrocarbon. 51. The method of claim 43, wherein a portion of the oxide of sulfur reacts with a portion of the alkali carbonate material to form CO2 and a salt comprising sulfur. 52. The method of claim 51, further comprising separating the salt comprising sulfur from the hydrocarbon. 53. A method of enhancing hydrocarbon extraction from hydrocarbon material proximate to alkali carbonate, the method comprising: a) pressurizing and combusting a fuel fluid that has carbon and sulfur, with an oxidant fluid comprising molecular oxygen, whereby forming products of combustion including oxidized sulfur;b) contacting together a portion of the products of combustion and a portion of the alkali carbonate, wherein generating carbon dioxide by one of calcining the alkali carbonate to form an alkali oxide, and reacting the oxidized sulfur with the alkali carbonate to form an alkali salt,c) pressurizing and mixing an aqueous fluid comprising fluid water with one or more of the portion of the products of combustion, a portion of the alkali oxide, and a portion of the alkali salt, wherein hydrating a portion of the alkali oxide or alkali salt and forming a mobilizing fluid comprising carbon dioxide and heated aqueous fluid ;d) contacting together the hydrocarbon material and the mobilizing fluid, thereby increasing the mobility of hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon material;wherein the fuel fluid is formed by mixing a carbonaceous fluid with a sulfur fluid comprising one of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen disulfide, or the fuel fluid on a dry basis has more sulfur by mass than the meal sulfur in regionally available coal or bitumen;wherein the mobilizing fluid comprises more than three percent carbon dioxide by volume (3 v %); andwherein the mobilizing fluid has a temperature greater than 50 degrees Celsius and less than 600 degrees Celsius. 54. The method of claim 53, wherein the products of combustion comprises greater than 5% by mass of one of sulfur, phosphorus, nitrogen, and a halogen. 55. The method of claim 53, wherein a major portion of the fuel fluid consists of one of methane, natural gas, sour gas, producer gas, syngas, powdered coke or combinations thereof. 56. The method of claim 53, wherein forming the mobilizing fluid to contact with the hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon material, comprises contacting a portion of the products of combustion comprising oxidized sulfur in a gaseous state, with portion of the alkali carbonate, thereby forming an alkali sulfur salt. 57. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of forming the mobilizing fluid with the portion of the alkali carbonate, further comprises separating a portion of the alkali oxide or a portion of the alkali salt from the mobilizing fluid. 58. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of reacting the oxidized sulfur comprises mixing a diluent fluid comprising carbon dioxide with at least one of the fuel fluid, the oxidant fluid, and the products of reaction upstream of contacting together the mobilizing fluid and the hydrocarbon material. 59. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of reacting the oxidized sulfur with alkali carbonate is performed in an aqueous fluid comprising a portion of the hydrocarbon material. 60. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of contacting the hydrocarbon material comprises delivering the mobilizing fluid having carbon dioxide to an underground hydrocarbon material. 61. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of reacting the oxidized sulfur comprises delivering alkali carbonate in an aqueous slurry to an underground hydrocarbon material. 62. The method of claim 53, wherein reacting oxidized sulfur with alkali carbonate comprises alternatively delivering products of combustion and an aqueous alkali carbonate slurry to an underground hydrocarbon bearing material, wherein delivering oxidized sulfur and carbonate in a ratio sufficient to generate carbon dioxide. 63. The method of claim 53, wherein the mixed carbonaceous fuel comprises greater than 5% by mass of one of elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, or hydrogen polysulfide. 64. The method of claim 63, wherein controlling the oxidation of sulfur material within the temperature range between nine hundred degrees Celsius (900° C.) and one thousand one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius (1150° C.). 65. A calcining method of extracting hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon material including heavy hydrocarbon, petroleum, or other carbonaceous materials, the method comprising: a) delivering a first fuel fluid comprising carbon, a first portion of an oxidant fluid comprising molecular oxygen, and a comminuted or pulverized alkali carbonate comprising calcium or magnesium, to a combustion system comprising a first combustor;b) combusting a fuel mixture, comprising a portion of the first fuel fluid, a portion of the oxidant fluid, and calcining a portion of the alkali carbonate, in the first combustor; thereby producing a first combustion fluid comprising carbon dioxide and an alkali oxide;c) delivering and mixing a first aqueous fluid with one or more of the first fuel fluid, the first portion of oxidant fluid, the alkali carbonate, and a first portion of the first combustion fluid, thereby forming a first process fluid comprising fluid water, carbon dioxide, and solids;wherein the first process fluid temperature is controlled to less than 600 degrees Celsius, and wherein hydrating a portion of alkali oxide to an alkali hydroxide;d) separating a portion of the solids, comprising a portion of one of the alkali oxide and a portion of the alkali hydroxide, from one of the first combustion fluid and the first process fluid, using one of gravity and cyclonic separation;e) delivering the first process fluid to the hydrocarbon material;f) producing an aqueous hydrocarbon fluid from the hydrocarbon material;g) separating the aqueous hydrocarbon fluid into a recovered hydrocarbon fluid and ah) delivering a portion of the recovered aqueous fluid with a portion of the first aqueous fluid. 66. The method of claim 65, wherein the portion of the recovered aqueous fluid delivered upstream of the first process fluid comprises one of a soluble part, an organic part, and a hydrocarbon part of the produced aqueous hydrocarbon fluid. 67. The method of claim 65, further comprising varying the concentration of molecular oxygen in the process fluid during the hydrocarbon extraction process by varying one of the concentration of molecular oxygen in the oxidant fluid, and the relative oxidant ratio lambda. 68. The method of claim 65, further comprising cooling and pressurizing one of the process VASTgas, carbon dioxide separated from process VASTgas, and carbon dioxide recovered from the aqueous hydrocarbon fluid, sufficiently to form an enhancing fluid comprising liquid carbon dioxide, and delivering the cooled enhancing fluid to the hydrocarbon material, to market, or to sequestration. 69. The method of claim 65, further comprising forming a VASTgas by combusting, in a second combustor, a second fuel fluid, a second portion of the oxidant fluid, and a second aqueous fluid comprising fluid water; expanding the VASTgas through an expander to generate power, thereby forming an expanded VASTgas;using a portion of the power generated to deliver one of the oxidant fluid, the first or second fuel fluids, or the first or second aqueous fluid, or to produce the aqueous hydrocarbon fluid;wherein controlling the second portion of oxidant fluid and second fuel fluid in the range from a relative stoichiometric ratio (lambda) of 1.0 to 90% of the Cheng point. 70. The method of claim 65, further comprising generating power, using the power for one of delivering a fluid, producing the aqueous hydrocarbon fluid, or pulverizing or recovered aqueous fluid, and comminuting the alkali carbonate; recovering heat from the power generator exhaust; and using the recovered heat to heat one of the oxidant fluid, the fuel fluid, the aqueous fluid, and the alkali carbonate.
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