Steam-channel-expanding steam foam drive
US4086964A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 27, 1977 |
| Grant date | May 2, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 27, 1997 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/16
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
In a viscous oil reservoir in which the stratification of the rock permeability is insufficient to confine steam within the most permeable strata, oil can be produced by forming and expanding a steam channel through which steam is flowed and oil is produced. Steam is injected and fluid is produced at rates causing a steam channel to be extended between locations that are horizontally separated. A foam-forming mixture of steam, noncondensable gas and surfactant is then injected into the steam channel to provide foam and a relatively high pressure gradient within the channel, without plugging the channel. A flow of steam-containing fluid through the steam channel is continued in a manner such that the magnitudes of the pressure gradient, the rate of oil production, and the rate of steam channel expansion exceed those which could be provided by steam alone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.