Abstract: Natural gas is reinjected into an earth formation for storage and/or stimulating the recovery of hydrocarbon liquids by mixing the gas with water at a pressure sufficient to maintain bubble flow of gas dispersed in a water flowstream in a range of volumetric gas fraction up to about twenty percent of total flow. A water and gas distribution system includes static flow mixers for maintaining uniform distribution of gas bubbles in the water flow stream through the distribution conduits. The mixers may comprise multi-stage bladed mixing elements of the same or opposite pitch and extending across the intersection of branch conduits with the main conduit of the distribution system. The water and gas may be mixed in an injection well having a tubing string extending within the well and having a distal end below the point of injection into an earth formation so that a uniform gas and water mixture enters the formation through the well perforations.

Abstract: A well tool for delivering fluid (e.g. sand or gravel slurry) to different levels within a wellbore which is comprised of a delivery conduit which, in turn, has a plurality of exit ports spaced along its length. Each exit port has an exit tube connected thereto. Each exit tube includes a portion whose length lies substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the delivery conduit which permits larger exit ports to be used which, in turn, substantially reduces the likelihood of an exit port becoming blocked prior to completion of a well operation. Also, where at least a portion of an exit tube is inside the delivery conduit, the concentration of the sand flowing through the exit tube will be substantially the same as the original concentration in the slurry since sand particles will not tend to by-pass an exit port and remain in the slurry. This prevents the premature dehydration of the slurry and the resulting buildup of sand within the delivery conduit which is normally associated therewith.