Abstract: A method of completing an injection well includes determining a volume of recoverable oil in each of a plurality of intervals along the injection well in a reservoir, and determining a target steam flow for respective ones of the intervals to facilitate recovery of the recoverable oil from the intervals. A quantity of steam outlets in devices along the injection well is determined for delivery of the target volume of steam determined for the ones of the intervals. The injection well is completed including steam injection tubing having the determined number of steam outlets for delivery of the target volume of steam to the ones of the intervals.

Abstract: Processes are provided for conformance control in the production of hydrocarbons from reservoirs, involving the distribution of mobilizing injection fluids into a formation through a number of injection fluid distribution points spaced apart along an injection well. The volume and/or position of mobilizing fluid outflows at the distribution points is adjusted based on criteria that include selected reservoir parameters measured at spatially distributed measurement points in the reservoir. An operational system is provided so that these measurements provide a proxy for recovery chamber conformance.

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for an end-of-life recovery of mobilized hydrocarbons from a stranded hydrocarbon pay zone within a subterranean reservoir by way of a recovery well. In some embodiments, the stranded pay zone is located between mobilized hydrocarbon zones of thermal recovery operations. In some embodiments, the stranded pay zone is an upper stranded pay zone located above a mobilized hydrocarbon zone of a thermal recovery operation. In some embodiments, the stranded pay zone is a lower stranded pay zone located below a mobilized hydrocarbon zone of a thermal recovery operation. The methods herein involve commencing end-of-life recovery at an end-of-life stage after a production threshold is achieved for thermal recovery operations.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir that is penetrated by an injection well and a production well. The methods comprise operating the injection well under a set of injection parameters and operating the production well under a set of production parameters to produce a production fluid that has an API gravity that changes over time (?API) as the method is advanced towards an ultimate recovery factor (RFo,u) for the reservoir. The methods further comprises modulating the injection parameters, the production parameters, or a combination thereof to decrease or increase the API gravity of the production fluid depending on whether ?API and RFo,u satisfy a set of requirements as disclosed herein.

Abstract: Methods are provided that facilitate the production of hydrocarbons from subterranean formations, involving the mobilization of an immobile heavy oil in situ by gravity displacement. In effect, heavy oil is mobilized by dense aqueous gravity displacement (DAGD), in a process that generally involves injecting a dense, heated aqueous injection fluid into the formation into an injection zone that is in fluid communication with immobile heavy oil. The injection well is operated so that the injection fluid mobilizes and displaces the immobile heavy oil, to produce an expanding upper zone of mobilized heavy oil amenable to production.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a treated feed slurry produced by a slurry reactor. The method and system include mixing a chemical separation feed with the treated feed slurry produced by the slurry reactor to chemically separate solid catalyst particles in the treated feed slurry by dissolving the solid catalyst particles using an acid or base in the chemical separation feed. A heavy oil upgrading process that includes the system and method is also described.

Abstract: A process includes injecting mobilizing fluid, including a solvent, through an injection well and into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Fluids are produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation to a surface through a well, and injection of the mobilizing fluid is discontinued. Gas flow to the surface from the well is inhibited by injecting a loss circulation material that inhibits solvent-vapor flow from exiting the formation through the well such that a fluid column that includes the well kill fluid, the loss circulation material, or a combination thereof is maintained within the well. The well is opened to perform work thereon After degradation of the loss circulation material, injecting the mobilizing fluid and producing the produced fluids is commenced.

Abstract: Low vapor pressure hydrocarbon blends are provided, comprising miscible and separable hydrocarbon fractions. A high-octane low-boiling point diluent fraction may be combined with a high-boiling point bitumen fraction. In select embodiments, and the blend may have a viscosity of less than about 350 cSt and a density of less than about 940 kg/m3 over a temperature range of from 7.5° C. to 18.5° C. After transportation, for example by pipeline, the high-octane low-boiling point diluent fraction may be recovered from the blend, and may for example be used as a high-octane gasoline blendstock.

Abstract: Methods, processes, and apparatuses for preparing and transporting bitumen. Bitumen may be prilled such that a bitumen product comprising a prill core and a non-stick coating is produced. The non-stick coating may comprise asphaltenes and the prill core may comprise bitumen, deasphalted oil, or both bitumen and deasphalted oil. The resultant non-stick coated prills have reduced adhesion to transportation vessels and other non-stick coated prills at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, facilitating transport.

Abstract: A caustic desulfonylation method and system comprising a reactor vessel with a solid carbonaceous selectivity promoter provided therein, a liquid feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of caustic, a hydrocarbon feed comprising oxidized sulfur containing compounds and a gas feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of hydrogen. The caustic desulfonylation method and system further includes an output of the reactor vessel releasing the caustic and an upgraded hydrocarbon product with sulfur content less than the sulfur content of the hydrocarbon feed received by the liquid feed of the reactor vessel.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir includes injecting a gas, at a pressure below a minimum miscibility pressure, into the reservoir through an injection well extending into the reservoir to form a gas zone in the reservoir. The gas injection pressure is suitable to provide a differential pressure between a bottom-hole production well pressure at a horizontal multi-lateral production well extending into the reservoir, and the gas injection pressure to facilitate sweeping the hydrocarbons toward the production well prior to gas breakthrough at the production well.

Abstract: Methods for preparing, converting, and/or transporting bitumen are provided. Asphaltene prills, prilling processes, and converted bitumen suitable for transport are disclosed. One method for preparing bitumen for transport comprises: separating asphaltene from the bitumen to generate a deasphalted oil and asphaltene; separating the asphaltene into a first asphaltene fraction and a second asphaltene fraction, the first asphaltene fraction being less soluble in deasphalted oil and the second asphaltene fraction being more soluble in deasphalted oil; and forming an asphaltene prill comprising an inner core comprising the second asphaltene fraction and an outer layer comprising the first asphaltene fraction. Asphaltene prills disclosed herein may comprise an inner core comprising an asphaltene fraction having more solubility in deasphalted oil, and an outer layer comprising an asphaltene fraction having less solubility in deasphalted oil. Methods for the transport of bitumen via a pipeline are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system in which foams are used (instead of, or in addition to, NCG) to maintain pressure in a mature chamber during blowdown operations of a SAGD process or other enhanced oil recovery process. The foam occupies the depleted void space within the mature chamber after injection ceases, maintaining pressure, and improving blowdown performance. This use of the foam in the method and system also improves the performance of less mature chambers that are being operated at higher pressure adjacent to the mature chamber in blowdown. Foaming agents, such as metal carbonates, bicarbonates, and hydroxides, surfactants or any other colloidal foams, aerosols, hydrosols, emulsions or dispersions can be utilized. The method and system can be utilized in conjunction with other known art, such as heat scavenging in the chamber, or enhanced oil recovery utilizing foams, to displace oil in the chamber.

Abstract: A caustic desulfonylation method and system comprising a reactor vessel with a solid carbonaceous selectivity promoter provided therein, a liquid feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of caustic, a hydrocarbon feed comprising oxidized sulfur containing compounds and a gas feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of hydrogen. The caustic desulfonylation method and system further includes an output of the reactor vessel releasing the caustic and an upgraded hydrocarbon product with sulfur content less than the sulfur content of the hydrocarbon feed received by the liquid feed of the reactor vessel.

Abstract: Systems, methods and compositions for reducing the heteroatom content of hydrocarbon feed using transition metal complexes and adsorption techniques. The transition metal complexes include titanyl, hafnyl and zirconyl complexes activated using one or more hydroperoxides or peracids. The activated adsorbents are incorporated into one or more vessels as an adsorption bed for adsorbing the heteroatoms present in hydrocarbon feeds. The systems, methods and compositions separate the heteroatoms passed through the system by contacting the adsorption compositions with the heteroatoms of the hydrocarbon feed, adsorbing the heteroatom to the adsorption material, further allowing for the retrieval of a hydrocarbon product having a reduced heteroatom content.

Abstract: The invention relates to the preparation of novel bi- or tri metallic silicate micro-porous and/or meso-porous materials based on cerium, nickel, copper and/or zinc on a porous silicate framework matrix to use its molecular sieve effect to target preferentially the acidic organic molecules present in hydrocarbon feedstocks like crude oil, bitumen, VGO and the like. The chosen metals are selected based on their ability to activate steam and transfer oxygen for completing the oxidation of carboxylic compounds or decarboxylating them. These composite materials can be prepared under hydrothermal synthesis conditions in order to produce suitable porous solids where the metals are well dispersed and preferentially distributed inside the channels of the silicate framework where they can interact only with the molecules that can go inside the channels.

Abstract: The invention relates to the preparation of novel bi- or tri-metallic silicate micro-porous and/or meso-porous materials based on cerium, nickel, copper and/or zinc on a porous silicate framework matrix to use its molecular sieve effect to target preferentially the acidic organic molecules present in hydrocarbon feedstocks like crude oil, bitumen, VGO and the like. The chosen metals are selected based on their ability to activate steam and transfer oxygen for completing the oxidation of carboxylic compounds or decarboxylating them. These composite materials can be prepared under hydrothermal synthesis conditions in order to produce suitable porous solids where the metals are well dispersed and preferentially distributed inside the channels of the silicate framework where they can interact only with the molecules that can go inside the channels.

Abstract: Systems, methods and compositions for reducing the heteroatom content of hydrocarbon feed using transition metal complexes and adsorption techniques. The transition metal complexes include titanyl, hafnyl and zirconyl complexes activated using one or more hydroperoxides or peracids. The activated adsorbents are incorporated into one or more vessels as an adsorption bed for adsorbing the heteroatoms present in hydrocarbon feeds. The systems, methods and compositions separate the heteroatoms passed through the system by contacting the adsorption compositions with the heteroatoms of the hydrocarbon feed, adsorbing the heteroatom to the adsorption material, further allowing for the retrieval of a hydrocarbon product having a reduced heteroatom content.

Abstract: Methods for preparing, converting, and/or transporting bitumen are provided. Asphaltene prills, prilling processes, and converted bitumen suitable for transport are disclosed. One method for preparing bitumen for transport comprises: separating asphaltene from the bitumen to generate a deasphalted oil and asphaltene; separating the asphaltene into a first asphaltene fraction and a second asphaltene fraction, the first asphaltene fraction being less soluble in deasphalted oil and the second asphaltene fraction being more soluble in deasphalted oil; and forming an asphaltene prill comprising an inner core comprising the second asphaltene fraction and an outer layer comprising the first asphaltene fraction. Asphaltene prills disclosed herein may comprise an inner core comprising an asphaltene fraction having more solubility in deasphalted oil, and an outer layer comprising an asphaltene fraction having less solubility in deasphalted oil. Methods for the transport of bitumen via a pipeline are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, processes, and apparatuses for preparing and transporting bitumen. Bitumen may be prilled such that a bitumen product comprising a prill core and a non-stick coating is produced. The non-stick coating may comprise asphaltenes and the prill core may comprise bitumen, deasphalted oil, or both bitumen and deasphalted oil. The resultant non-stick coated prills have reduced adhesion to transportation vessels and other non-stick coated prills at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, facilitating transport.