Method and Apparatus for Enhanced Oil Recovery

1. Field

This invention relates to the recovery of viscous petroleum from earth formations using an enhanced oil recovery technique. The invention more particularly relates to apparatus useful, in injection well systems to selectively provide vapor and/or liquid simultaneously to one or more formations encountered by the well bore through a single conduit.

2. Prior Art

One technique of enhanced oil recovery known as flooding involves injecting a heated fluid (usually water) into a central well to carry heat to formations in the well having viscous petroleum deposits. The heat reduces the petroleum viscosity, making it more fluid, and the injected steam and/or hot water moves the petroleum through the formations into surrounding well bores for flow to the surface.

Several United States Patents have addressed multiple formation injection utilizing heated fluids. Ronald K. Churchman U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,302 discloses completion techniques and apparatus to enhance petroleum recovery from more than one formation in a well using heated liquid. This system is operable in one or more formations in a well containing the most viscous petroleum deposits known as tar sands and utilizes injection mandrels with retrievable injection controls.

John R. Deming et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,057 sets forth a system and method of multiformation injection to deliver steam or hot water to two formations simultaneously. This invention requires two tubing strings for injection and does not include means for controlling injected flow.

My copending application for U. S. Patent, Serial No. 793,842, filed Nov. 1, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,828, discloses mandrels useful in a single injection conduit in a steam injection well to direct wet and dry steam exterior of the mandrels for flow into formations encountered by the well bore.

As different formations have widely differing characteristics, steam injection for efficient and most recovery of petroleum from a formation may require low or high heat delivery from drier steam or wetter steam and hot water. For example, a formation into which steam injection has just begun probably will require great quantities of heat from drier steam for efficient recovery. A formation which has been injected into for years may require heat in the form of great quantities of wetter steam and hot water for efficicent recovery of most viscous petroleum.

This invention provides an injection well system and method and two embodiments of an injection mandrel for use in tubing in the invention well system.

This well system is the first system known to me to provide for heated vapor and liquid injection into one or more formations in a well simultaneously through a single conduit and permits delivery of vapor and/or liquid to each formation for efficient and greatest recovery of viscous petroleum from that formation. The invention system also utilizes control devices which control fluid injection into each formation. As the invention well system provides for injection into multiple formations through one injection well, an expensive injection well is not required for each formation. When designing each well system, careful consideration must be given to formation characteristics and requirements and overall system parameters, to provide an efficient injection system which includes monitoring instrumentation and injection control. Each injection mandrel has internal means for separating injected steam flow into mostly drier steam and mostly wetter steam and hot water. One preferred mandrel embodiment separates, mixes and directs drier steam vapor flow through an offset receptacle to outside the mandrel and mostly liquid flow is directed downwardly to flow through the mandrel. Another preferred mandrel embodiment separates and directs wet steam and hot water flow through the offset receptacle to outside the mandrel, while the drier steam flow is directed downward through the mandrel and mixed. A retrievable valve, regulator venturi or choke controlling flow to outside the mandrel may be installed in the offset receptacle in either mandrel. Either or both mandrels may be utilized in a single conduit in the steam injection well system of this invention, to simultaneously deliver drier steam or wetter steam and heated water as required for best recovery of petroleum from each formation in the well. More than one mandrel may be used for each formation and, obviously, more than one conduit may be run in the well.

An object of this invention is to provide a well system for enhanced oil recovery which provides simultaneous injection of vapor and liquid into one or more formations in a well through a single conduit.

An object of this invention is to provide a system for an enchanced oil recovery steam injection well which injects heated water in the proper state for efficient and greatest recovery of petroleum from a formation.

An object of this invention is to provide a mandrel for the invention well system which separates, collects and directs mostly steam into a formation and mostly hot water downwardly through the mandrel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mandrel for the invention well system which separates, collects and directs hot water into a formation and steam flow through the mandrel.

Also an object of this invention is to provide control of flow injected through a mandrel into each formation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mandrel in which a retrievable flow control may be installed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an enhanced oil recovery steam injection well utilizing the system of this invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B together are a sectioned drawing in elevation of an embodiment of a mandrel useful in the well system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of a cross section of FIG. 2 viewed along line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of another section of FIG. 2 viewed along line 4 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5A and 5B together are a sectioned drawing in elevation of another embodiment of a mandrel useful in the FIG. 1 system.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a cross section of the mandrel of FIG. 4 viewed along section line 6--6 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 shows a steam injection well having casing 10 in a bored hole, which passes through formations 11 and 12 into which heated water is to be injected. The casing has been perforated at 13 and 14 to provide pressure communication between the formations and casing interior. A tubing conduit 15, which includes packers 16 and injection mandrels 17 and 18, has been lowered into the casing and the packers have been operated to seal between the tubing and casing and establish sealed annular regions for each formation. Mounted on the surface tubing are a meter R, which will measure the rate of flow through the tubing, a temperature gage T and pressure gage P. Gages T and P are useful to determine the temperature and pressure of flow through the tubing for injection into the formations. Mandrels 17 and 18 are selected to supply heated water in the proper state and quantity for greatest recovery of petroleum from each formation through producing wells. Formation characteristics may require mandrel 18 to be above mandrel 17. Steam is supplied in the tubing in sufficient quantity and at sufficient pressure for flow down the tubing through and out of the mandrels, into the annular regions and each formation. FIG. 1 shows a well having two formations for injection and shows one injection mandrel for each formation. A well could have one formation for injection and, if required for greater injected quantities, more than one mandrel could be used for each formation. It should also be apparent that the well system of FIG. 1 is not limited to the injection of steam into formations. Other mediums such as CO.sub.2 or any combinations of gas vapor or liquid could be injected into well formations utilizing this system.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show one embodiment of the mandrel 17 of this invention, which separates mostly drier steam from the steam flow passing through the mandrel and directs drier steam exterior of the mandrel for injection into a formation requiring drier steam for best recovery. This mandrel has upper and lower threads 19 for connection in a well tubing string, a tube section 20 having an internal boss 20a, an upper body section 21, a lower body section 22 and a longitudinal flow passage 23. The lower body has a bore 22a concentric with the longitudinal flow passage, an offset receptacle having bore 22b communicating the inside of the body with the outside of the mandrel and a shoulder 22c. A retrievable flow control device 24 is shown installed in receptacle bore 22b in FIG. 2B. The control device has an inlet port 24a and a lower outlet 24b, and is sealed in the bore with upper and lower seals 25 and latched in place under shoulder 22c with releasable latch 26. This control device may contain any form of a valve, regulator venturi or a choke to control flow therethrough. Ports 27 provide communication between bores 22a and 22b in body 22.

Centrally disposed in body tube 20 is an inner tube 28 having an enlarged upper end 28a, an upper downwardly and inwardly inclined surface 28b, slots 28c, internal threads 28d and wall ports 28e. Tube 28 is connected in tube boss 20a with threads 29 to form an annulus 30 between tube section 20 and tube 28. Ports 31 are provided communicating the annulus with the inside of the upper body.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show another embodiment 18 of the mandrel useful in carrying out the present well system invention. Mandrel 18 separates mostly wet steam and liquid from the steam flow through, collects and directs the wetter steam and hot water flow exterior of the mandrel for injection into a formation requiring wetter steam and hot water injection for best recovery and directs the drier steam flow out the lower end of the mandrel.

This mandrel has upper and lower threads 32 for connection in a well tubing string, a tube section 33, an upper body section 34, a lower body section 35 and a longitudinal flow passage 36. Centrally disposed in tube section 33 is an inner tube 37, connected in tube section boss 33a with threads to form annulus 39 with the inside of tube 33. The inner tube is provided with an enlarged upper end 37a, a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface 37b and slots 37c. Optional ports 37d are shown in the wall of tube 37. Drain ports 33b are provided for draining annulus 39 into inside of upper body section 34 of mandrel 18.

The mandrel lower body section 35 has a bore 35a concentric with flow passage 36, an offset receptacle having bore 35b, an internal shoulder 35c and a surface 35d. Centrally positioned in bore 35a is a lower inner tube 40, connected in the lower body with thread 41 to form annulus 42 with bore 35a. Ports 35e are provided to communicate bore 35a and passage 36 with bore 35b. Tube 40 has an upper enlargement 40a, a downwardly and inwardly tapering surface 40b, slots 40c, internal threads 40d and wall ports 40e.

When mandrel 17 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) is connected into a well tubing string and steam is injected into the tubing, some steam condenses into hot water on the cool tubing walls and runs down the tubing clinging to the inside forming a fluid film or "sheath". The hot water from tubing above runs down between the outside of enlargement 28a and the inside of tube 20, through slots 28c and collects on boss 20a to run through ports 31 or around on boss 20a and then through ports 31. As shown in FIG. 3, angle A may extend from a minimum of about 20.degree. either side of a diameter opposite offset bore 22b, to a maximum of about 90.degree. either side the diameter. The number and diameter of ports 31 and angle A may be varied as conditions require.

The central steam flow downwardly into mandrel 17 impinges on tube surface 28b and the bottoms of slots 28c to be deflected inwardly, mixed and continue downwardly into the inner tube section having threads 28d and ports 28e. Rotation is imparted to the outer steam column by the thread helix as it flows through the threads and any wetter steam or liquid moved outwardly by the rotational forces may flow through ports 28e into annulus 30 and downward through ports 31. Threads 28d may vary in profile, pitch, length and level of threaded section and ports 28e may be varied in size, number and placement for best separation of water from steam flowing down through tube 28 and for flow through ports 28e into annulus 30. As ports 31 are opposite offset receptacle bore 22b in the mandrel 17, the hot water down flow clings to the wall away from the receptacle bore and flow is directed to pass the receptacle in longitudinal flow passage 23 and downward out the lower mandrel end. Any steam vapor flowing downwardly from the lower end of inner tube 28 will be displaced laterally by hot water flow and flow toward and through offset receptacle bore 22b to exterior of the mandrel. When there is a flow control device 24, as shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 4, latched and sealed in the receptacle bore, steam will flow through ports 27 and inlet port 24a through the device and out outlet 24b into bore 22b and exterior of the mandrel. Of course, if the control device houses a valve opened by pressure or contains an orifice, the injected steam must have sufficient pressure to flow through the orifice exterior of the mandrel or to open the valve to flow into bore 22b and exterior of the mandrel.

When mandrel 18 of FIGS. 5A & 5B is connected into a well tubing string and steam is injected into the tubing, some steam condenses into hot water on the cool tubing walls and runs down the tubing clinging to the walls in the form of a film or "sheath". The hot water sheath from the tubing above runs down between the outside of enlargement 37a and the inside of tube 33, through slots 37c into annular region 39 and drains through 360.degree. around ports 33b into flow passage 36. Central steam flow entering the upper end of mandrel 18 and tube 33 impinges on tube surface 37b and the bottoms of slots 37c to be deflected inwardly, mixed and continue downwardly in tube 37. Optional ports 37d may be included in tube 37 in a desired number, diameter and placement to aid in draining any condensed hot water from the inside of tube 37 into annulus 39.

As drain ports 33b are 360.degree. around, the sheath of hot water drains into flow passage 36 through ports 33b and runs downwardly clinging to the inside walls of body section 34 or falling through flow passage 36 into the annular opening between tube enlargement 40a and lower body section bore 35a and through slots 40c into annulus 42.

The number, spacing and diameter of ports 33b may be varied to direct hot water toward the offset receptacle. Larger ports on the offset receptacle side will direct more hot water toward the receptacle. Some hot water will fall into receptacle bore 35b and flow out of the mandrel if there is no flow control in the receptacle. If there is a control device such as 24 set in the receptacle bore 35b, hot water will fall or run down the body wall onto surface 35d (shown in FIGS. 5B and 6) and then into annulus 42.

Central steam flow downwardly through flow passage 36 impinges on tube surface 40b and the bottoms of slots 40c to be deflected inwardly, mixed and continue downwardly into the inner tube section having threads 40d and ports 40e. Rotation is imparted to the outer steam column by the thread helix as the steam column flows through the threads, mixing the steam and any wetter steam or liquid moved outwardly by the rotational forces flows through ports 40e into annulus 42 and later through ports 35e into the offset receptacle. The drier steam flows out the lower end of tube 40 and of mandrel 18 and downwardly in the injection tubing.

Of course, threads 40d may be varied in profile, pitch, length and placement of threaded section in tube 40 and ports 40e may also be varied in size, number and placement in the tube for best mixing and hot water separation.