Method for Automatically Initiating in Situ Combustion for Enhanced Thermal Recovery of Hydrocarbons From a Well

Great improvements in oil recovery are necessary to satisfy the present and future energy requirements of the United States. Thus, improvements are needed in the field of enhanced thermal recovery, such as an improved in situ combustion ignition system for use in heavy oils, tar sands, and oil shale, particularly in deep wells.

Various types of ignition systems have been used and are in use for in situ combustion ignition. Electrical heaters have been used extensively but are limited to 3000 ft. or less due to the problem of supplying adequate electrical power to greater depths. The use of gas burning igntion systems becomes more difficult with depth because most designs include a multiplicity of air and gas conduits and electrical cables which complexes the placement of the systems as the depth becomes greater. A recently developed catalytic heater utilizes only a wireline for placement, but has the disadvantage of operating without a temperature monitoring system. Some gas ignition systems have the disadvantage of requiring complete removal from the well and re-running if flameout occurs. This becomes very expensive in rig time alone.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to present a method for automatically initiating in situ combustion which alleviates the above disadvantages and provides an elaborate method not heretofore practiced in the art.

Accordingly another primary object of this invention is to provide a method for initiating in situ combustion to recover petroleum from a hydrocarbon containing subterranean reservoir in which an air-fuel mixture in

Accordingly another primary object of this invention is to provide a method for initiating in situ combustion to recover petroleum from a hydrocarbon containing subterranean reservoir in which an air-fuel mixture in a burner having an ignitor and a thermocouple adjacent thereto is ignited automatically when the thermocouple indicates no combustion and the ignitor is extinguished automatically when the thermocouple indicates burning in a combustion chamber to provide a reliable and flame-out proof method for initiating in situ combustion deep in the well.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method for initiating in situ combustion with a burner in a hydrocarbon containing well including supplying air through an annulus around the fuel conduit and the air-fuel combustion chamber of the burner of the combustion chamber.

A further object of this invention is to provide, a method for initiating in situ combustion with a burner in a hydrocarbon containing well including supplying air from an annulus to the burner air-fuel combustion chamber through a plurality of transverse air ducts in the wall of the combustion chamber for ensuring a highly agitated combustible mixture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method for initiating in situ combustion operation deep in a well that is easy to operate, comprises simple method steps, is economical to carry out the method steps, and is of greater efficiency for the recovery of petroleum from the well in a subterranean reservoir.

Other objects and various advantages of the disclosed method for heating or for initiating in situ combustion to recover petroleum will be apparent from the following detailed description, together with the accompanying drawings, submitted for purposes of illustration only and not intended to define the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims.

The drawings diagrammatically illustrate by way of example, not by way of limitation, one form of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the downhole burner for an in situ combustion operation to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir for illustrating the method;

FIG. 2A is a schematic sectional view of the upper portion of the downhole burner;

FIG. 2B is a schematic sectional view of the lower portion of the downhole burner;

FIG. 3 is a section taken at 3--3 of FIG. 2B; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the electronics required to ignite and monitor the in situ combustion.

The invention disclosed herein, the scope of which being defined in the appended claims, is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described for carrying out other methods and being practiced or carried out in various other ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Further, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications and variations which are within the spirit and scope of the invention herein are included and only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

This invention comprises a method for heating or for initiating in situ combustion to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir.

A method is set forth for heating or for initiating in situ combustion to recover petroleum from a well in a hydrocarbon containing subterranean reservoir comprising the basic steps of,

(1) positioning an elongated open ended combustion chamber in the well at the depth of the subterranean reservoir,

(2) mounting a thermocouple adjacent an ignitor on the combustion chamber,

(3) mixing an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber,

(4) igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber with the ignitor responsive to the thermocouple detecting no burning in the combustion chamber and

(5) extinguishing the ignitor responsive to the thermocouple detecting burning in the combustion chamber to provide an automatic, reliable, and flame-out proof method for heating a well bore or initiating heat deep in a well for increased production by reducing the viscosity of the petroleum in the reservoir or by initiating in situ combustion deep in the well.

The above basic method may include the following additional steps:

(5) supplying fuel to the combustion chamber from a fuel conduit extending from the surface down to the combustion chamber;

(6) supplying primary air to the combustion chamber through an annulus around the fuel conduit and around the upper end of the combustion chamber,

(7) supplying secondary air around the combustion chamber for carrying heat to the reservoir for initiating and propagating in situ combustion, and

(8) the step of supplying primary air comprising passing the air through a plurality of transverse air ducts extending from the annulus around the fuel conduit and connected to the combustion chamber for mixing therein with the fuel from the fuel conduit for ensuring a highly agitated combustible mixture.

While various devices may be utilized for carrying out or practicing the inventive methods FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate at least one inventive apparatus for practicing the methods described above.

This gas fired burner 10 is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, and in more details in FIGS. 2A and 2B in cross section as being suspended from hollow cable 11, FIGS. 1 and 2A, in the well tubing 13, FIGS. 1 and 2B, the well tubing being centered in and spaced from the well casing 33, with spacers 50, FIG. 1. The gas burner 10 comprises a combustion chamber 14, an air inlet cylinder 19, FIGS. 1 and 2B and an electrical chamber 15, FIGS. 1 and 2A, having an ignitor relay 16, FIG. 2A, and a hollow cable-electrical and natural gas connecting chamber 17, FIGS. 1 and 2A.

Well tubing 13, FIG. 1 is centered in the well casing 33 with the spacers 50, only two spacers or centralizers being shown for clarity of disclosure. A pump seating nipple 12, FIGS. 1 and 2B, is formed on the internal surface of the well tubing 13 for supporting a liquid pump for producing crude oil, as in a reverse or counter-current flow well, for example. After flow of all liquid petroleum has ceased and heat is desired to reduce the viscosity of the remaining petroleum for increased flow for increased production, the pump is removed and the gas fired burner 10 lowered into well tubing 13 to rest on the pump seating nipple 12 or the lower end of the air inlet cylinder. Seals are provided between a reduced diameter portion 18, FIGS. 1 and 2B, of the thick walled air inlet cylinder 19, such as, but not limited to, o-rings 21a, 21b.

Hollow cable 11, FIG. 1, centered in well tubing 13 forms a primary downhole or combustion air supply annulus duct 51. Well tubing 13 centered in well casing 33 forms a secondary air supply annulus duct 52 in which air is pumped down from the surface in annulus 52 for being heated by the flame 53. Hollow cable 11 per se forms the fuel natural gas supply duct, a fuel supply duct 24 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B being deleted in FIG. 1 for clarity of disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B, enlarged vertical sectional schematic views of the burner 10, provide more details thereof. The combustion chamber 14, FIG. 2B, comprises a hollow, open-ended cylinder sheath (such as a ceramic sheath) with one end tightly fitted over the reduced diameter portion 18 of a thick walled air inlet cylinder 19 and secured thereto with pins 20, or the like. The reduced diameter portion 18 fits down inside the pump seating nipple until the burner comes to rest on the beveled portion where the diameter of the thick walled air inlet cylinder 19 increases to full size. An ignitor 22 shown schematically in FIG. 1, actually comprises three nicrome wire heater elements connected in delta as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Connected to the three intersections of each of the three elements of the ignitor are wires 23a, 23b and 23c, each wire being in an electrical insulator 26a, 26b and 26c, respectively, FIG. 3. All three insulators and their respective wires are mounted in the end of the cylinder reduced diameter portion 18, FIG. 2B, which extends internally of the combustion chamber ceramic sheath 14. The wires 23a, 23b and 23c, pass up through the thick walled cylinder, through the relay 16, FIG. 2A in the electrical chamber 15, through the hollow cable-electrical and natural gas connecting chamber 17, and into the walls of the insulated wire sheathed hollow cable 11 as electrical wires 25 to the surface where they are connected to the burner ignitor control system disclosed hereinafter. The hollow cable 11 is a reelable armored type hose having an armor outer covering, a coiled-spring inner wall stiffener, and at least three separately insulated electrical conductors embedded between two layers of impervious plastic material forming the walls of the hose, such as, but not limited to assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,870. This hose or cable is capable of withstanding high pressure, particularly in its use of supplying natural gas, or the like, from the surface down to the combustion chamber. Thus the cable carries the necessary electrical wiring for the ignitor and the thermocouples.

Natural gas is supplied directly to the combustion chamber 14, FIGS. 1 and 2B, at the location of the ignitor heater 22 from the gas supply tube or fuel supply conduit 24, FIG. 2B, which extends down through the burner 10 and the hollow cable 11 from a suitable supply (not shown) at the surface.

Primary air for the gas fired burner 10, FIGS. 1 and 2B is pumped down in the primary air annulus or primary air supply conduit 51 formed between the well tubing or air supply tube 13 and the hollow cable 11. As this pressurized air, arrives at the top of the thick walled air inlet cylinder 19, it passes through transverse and downwardly sloping orifices or air inlet ports 27a, 27b and 27c, FIG. 2B, to a large axial cylindrical duct 28 in the air inlet cylinder 19. This duct 28 has the fuel supply tube 24, FIG. 2B, mounted in the center thereof as it traverses the full length of the air inlet cylinder 19 from which the fuel supply length of the air inlet cylinder 19 from which the fuel supply tube protrudes a substantial distance to eject the natural gas into the ignitor heater 22. The air from the inlet ports 27a, 27b and 27c, FIG. 2B, empties into the duct 28 or annulus formed therein by the centered fuel supply conduit 24. The pressurized air from these ports if forced down the annulus, expands into combustion chamber 14 while mixing with the natural gas at ignitor heater 22, FIGS. 1 and 2B, thereby providing a combustible mixture.

A thermocouple support tube 29, FIG. 2B, extends downwardly from the lower end of the air inlet cylinder 19 close to and past the ignitor heater 22. One thermocouple 30 is mounted on thermocouple support tube 29 below the ignitor heater 22 at the end of the support tube and a second thermocouple 31 is mounted on the thermocouple support tube at the base of the tube adjacent the air inlet cylinder 19. Wires 32a, 32b and 32c, FIG. 4, from the two thermocouples 30 and 31 pass up the relay 16 of the burner 10. From the relay 16, wires L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and L.sub.3 extend to control relay 35 at the surface.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view at 3--3 on FIG. 2B illustrating the ignitor heater 22 and thermocouple 30 mounted on thermocouple support tube 29 in the combustion chamber ceramic sheath 17.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically the electrical system for the burner ignition system. Three conductors in the wall of the hollow cable provide current for ignition of the burner followed by temperature monitoring of the burner after ignition has been sustained.

More specifically, a three phase electrical power source 34, FIG. 4, having 3 output leads 23a, 23b and 23c supplies 208 volt ac 3-phrase current, for example, to the three wires L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and L.sub.3 respectively in the walls of the hollow gas supply cable 11 through relay 35 having three, 3 pole, double throw, latching switches 36, 37 and 38.

Relays 16 and 35, FIG. 4, are current pulse activated step relays, such as but not limited to, the series 50 manufactured by Ledex Inc. of Dayton, Ohio 45402. Capacitor c is discharged through the relay coils when push button switch 44 is pressed. Latching switches 36, 37 and 38 of step relay 35 switches electrical lines L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and L.sub.3 between the heater wires 23a, 23b and 23c, respectively, and the recorder wires 32a, 32b and 32c, respectively. Cable 11 is lowered over pulley 39, for example, into the well to the desired depth as indicated by the depth indicator 40 and the pump seating nipple 12, FIG. 2B. Relay 35 is connected in parallel with relay 16. Relay 16 down in the burner likewise is illustrated on FIG. 4 having latching switches 41, 42 and 43, for connecting wires L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and L.sub.3 respectively, to either the nicrome wire heater 22 through wires 23a, 23b and 23c or to the two thermocouples 30 and 31 through wires 32a, 32b and 32c. Recorders 45 and 46 show instant readouts of the temperatures encountered in the burner 10. Manual push button switch 44 thus may connect the electrical power 34 to the ignitor heater 22 with the relays 16 and 35 set as illustrated in FIG. 4, or it may connect the recorders 45, 46 to the thermocouples 30 and 31, by actuation of the relays to their other position. Thermocouple 30 detects the temperature of the flame below the ignitor while thermocouple 31 detects the temperature of the upper portion of of the rest of the ignitor sensitive to excessive heat. This manual operation is disclosed in greater detail in our copending patent application Ser. No. 669,127, filed Mar. 22, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,784, issued Mar. 21, 1978.

Briefly, in manual operation, for introducing heat to the formation in order to reduce the viscosity of the petroleum so that it will flow more readily for recovery, the burner 10 is lowered down into the well to rest on the pump seating nipple 12, FIG. 2B, and to be sealed therein by o-rings 21a, 21b. Natural gas is pumped down at a predetermined pressure through the hollow cable 11 to the combustion chamber 14 while the precise amount of primary air is pumped down the annulus around the hollow cable to inside the combustion chamber to provide an explosive mixture therein. Power source 34, FIG. 4, also at the surface, is then actuated with the manual push button switch 44 and relays 35 and 16 set as illustrated in FIG. 4, to activate the heater ignitor wire coil element 22 for a few seconds to ignite the combustion mixture in the combustion chamber 14, FIG. 2B, deep in the well. After a sufficient time period has lapsed to ensure ignition of the burner 10, push button switch 44 is actuated momentarily for a few seconds. Instantly relays 35 and 16 flip their respective three switches to the other position from that illustrated on FIG. 4 to thereby disconnect the power source 34 from the ignitor 22 and to interconnect the temperature recorders 45 and 46 with their respective thermocouples 30 and 31.

After the heater is lighted deep in the well, additional air is required to heat the formation or reservoir. This additional air is pumped down from the surface in larger annulus or secondary air supply conduit annulus 52, FIG. 1 formed between the well tubing 13 and the well casing 33. As this air passes down and around the full length of the heater 14 and a portion of the flame, it becomes very hot. This heated air is then transferred to the formation interval, as illustrated on FIG. 1, and with continued burning, in due course in situ combustion results and is contained for as long as desired.

Recorder 45 would then be indicating the temperature of combustion in the combustion chamber and recorder 46 would be indicating the temperature at which the upper portion of the burner is being exposed to, as the vulnerable electronic equipment therein. When the combustion chamber temperature drops below combustion temperature, a flame-out is noted immediately and after it is determined that the gas and air supplies are adequate, then the switch 44, FIG. 4, is manually actuated or pushed to flip both relays 35 and 16 and their respective 3 switches each to disconnect the recorders 45 and 46 from the thermocouples 30, 31 and to interconnect the power source 34 with the ignitor 22 to relight the burner. After adequate time has lapsed for ignition, the process is repeated by actuating push-button switch 44 again.

Automatic operation of the ignitor 22 occurs as follows. Amplifier 47, FIG. 4, passes signal to limit set 48. This electronics samples the signals from thermocouple 30. If the signal indicates that the fire is out or the temperature is less than set, a signal will go to the time module 49. The output signal from the timer module 49 will pass a signal to the electronic switch 54. The signal passed from timer 49 will exist for a setable period of time, then revert back to a sample mode and remain until a temperature sample can be taken. If at that time the heat has not risen to within limits set on 48 timer, 49 will repeat its cycle.

The electric switch 54 electronically by-passes the manual push button switch. If too high a temperature is recorded on recorder 46 from thermocouple 31 indicating the electrical portion of the burner may be approaching a too high or critical temperature, the air velocity in primary air annulus 51 may be automatically increased for cooling of the burner.

This increase in secondary air flow is accomplished by Amplifier 55, FIG. 4, transmitting signals from temperature Recorder 2, or 46 to limit set 56. A temperature that is above the set limit is detected and annulus control valve 57 causes compressor 58 to force more air down secondary air annulus 52.

As an improved modification, automatic operation as also illustrated in FIG. 4 is obtained by the manual switch 44 being by-passed by electronic switch 54 which is responsive to a predetermined low temperature in thermocouple 30 for switching power to the ignitor burner for a predetermined period of time as explained in greater detail hereinbefore. Similarly secondary air and fuel is automatically increased for cooling when thermocouple 31, FIGS. 2B and 4, senses too high a temperature.

Obviously other methods may be utilized for heating and for initiating in situ combustion and other embodiments than that of FIG. 1, may be utilized, depending on the particular subsurface lithology or petrography at the various depths.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the production of hydrocarbons from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation is stimulated by the above method and by the above downhole burner, and the disclosed burner will operate in a manner which meets each of the objects set forth hereinbefore.

While the above disclosed burner is described for use in a producing wellbore in a counter-current in situ combustion process, it may also be used in an air injection wellbore for a forward in situ combustion process.

While only one basic method of the invention and one mechanism formed thereby have been disclosed, it will be evident that various other methods and modifications are possible in the arrangement and construction of the disclosed methods and systems without departing from the scope of the invention and it is accordingly desired to comprehend within the purview of this invention such modifications as may be considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims.