Method of assisting the recovery of petroleum in vertically fractured formations utilizing carbon dioxide gas to establish gravity drainage
US5314017A · kind A · utility
8Cited by
4References
7Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 24, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/164
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The invention relates to assisting the recovery of petroleum from vertically fractured formations utilizing carbon dioxide gas to lower the interfacial tension between the gas and the petroleum in the vertical fractures and in the formation matrix adjacent the vertical fractures to cause vertical drainage of the petroleum down the fracture system. The invention also includes a method for identifying vertically fractured formations which may be particularly susceptible to such recovery with carbon dioxide gas using the capillary to gravity ratio (1/N.sub.B) to select formations having a value for such ratio of 0.2 or less.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.