Separation of oil-well fluid mixtures
US6719048B1 · kind B1 · utility
80Cited by
5References
30Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/121
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method and apparatus for the separation of the water from the oil/gas in the well itself, down-hole, in which gravity is allowed to work on the mixture in a non-vertical section of the well, and then, using separated flow paths, the gravity-separated components pumped to the surface or into a subterranean discharge zone. Detectors are used to control the pumping so as to keep the unsettled/unseparated mixture away from the flow paths. Preferably the discharge zone is chosen to have a formation pressure which is lower than the pressure of the producing zone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.