IP Library Granted Patent US 8,776,881
Granted Patent B2
US 8,776,881 · App. 12/140,742 · Granted Jul 15, 2014

Systems, methods and apparatuses for monitoring and recovery of petroleum from earth formations

Inventor: Barton Sponchia (Cypress, TX)
Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
E21B34/06E21B43/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,776,881
App. No.
12/140,742
Granted
Jul 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation. The system includes: an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly; and a production assembly disposal within a second borehole for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a collector extending from a distal end of the assembly. At least one of the injector and the collector includes at least a first conduit and at least a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of at least one of the first and second borehole.

Claims (31)

1. A system for production of petroleum from an earth formation, the system comprising:

an injection assembly disposable within a first borehole for injecting a thermal source into the formation, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly; and

a production assembly disposable within a second borehole for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation, the production assembly including a collector extending from a distal end of the assembly,

at least one of the injector and the collector including at least a first conduit and at least a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of at least one of the first and second borehole.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first conduit has a first outer diameter and a first inner diameter, and the second conduit has a second outer diameter that is smaller than the first inner diameter.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the injector further comprises a plurality of injection ports, each of which is separately connected to one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a third conduit, the third conduit having a third outer diameter that is smaller than a second inner diameter of the second conduit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the third conduit has a third distal end located at a toe end of the injector, the first distal end is located at a heel end of the injector, and the second distal end is located between the first distal end and the third distal end.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of openings located on a portion of the surface of each of the first conduit and the second conduit.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to one of the first borehole and the second borehole.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is impermeable to the material to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the collector includes a production conduit and a mixing chamber formed in the first conduit, the mixing chamber being in fluid communication with the first conduit, the second conduit and the production conduit.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first conduit at least partially surrounds the second conduit.

11. A method of producing petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

disposing an injection assembly in a first borehole, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the assembly, the injector including a first conduit and a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of the first borehole;

disposing a production assembly in a second borehole, the production assembly including a production conduit extending between a distal location of the borehole and a proximal location of the borehole;

injecting a thermal source into the injector and through a plurality of openings on a portion of the first and second conduits to introduce thermal energy to a portion of the earth formation and reduce a viscosity of the material therein; and

recovering the material through the production assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to the first borehole.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is solid to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein injecting includes separately injecting steam into each of the first and second conduits.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermal source is steam.

16. A method of producing petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

disposing an injection assembly in a first borehole, the injection assembly including an injector extending from a distal end of the injection assembly;

disposing a production assembly in a second borehole, the production assembly including a collector having a first conduit and a second conduit concentric with the first conduit, the first conduit having a first distal end and the second conduit having a second distal end, the first and second distal ends located at different locations along a length of the second borehole;

injecting a thermal source into the injector to introduce thermal energy to a portion of the earth formation and reduce a viscosity of the material therein; and

recovering the material through a plurality of openings on a portion of the first and second conduits into a production conduit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of openings is located on a portion of the surface of each of the first and second conduit that is exposed to the second borehole.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a portion of the second conduit that is surrounded by the first conduit is solid to prevent a flow of the material between the first and second conduits.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising combining the material from the first and second conduits via a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the first conduit, the second conduit and the production conduit.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal source is steam.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2008
From: SPONCHIA, BARTON
To: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 021107/0324 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61052919 · May 13, 2008
Related Publication 20090283267A1 · Nov 19, 2009