Hasdrive with multiple offset producers
US4696345A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 21, 1986 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 21, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/305
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The present invention is an improvement on the method of recovering viscous petroleum from a petroleum-containing formation by providing a steam injection well from the earth's surface through the formation, extending at least one lateral hole from the vicinity of the steam injection well through at least a portion of the formation, forming a flow path in the hole isolated from the formation for flow of fluid through the formation, circulating a hot fluid through the flow path to reduce the viscosity of the viscous petroleum in the formation adjacent the outside of the flow path to form a communication path for flow of petroleum in the formation outside of the flow path, and injecting a driving fluid into the formation through the steam injection well and the communication path to promote flow of petroleum in the formation to production wells penetrating the petroleum-containing formation for recovery from the formation. This improvement comprises having at least two of the production wells offset from the flow path by from 2% to 8% the distance from the steam injection well. Preferably, the offset production wells are located on both sides of the flow path and are offset from the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.