Liquid Material Injected Patents (Class 166/272.6)
  • Patent number: 7343971
    Abstract: A method and system for dissociating methane hydrate deposits in-situ is provided wherein an oxidizer fluid and a supply of fuel, both at a pressure higher than that of the methane hydrate deposit, are supplied and delivered to the methane hydrate deposit. The fuel is combusted downhole by reacting it with the oxidizer fluid to provide combustion products. The combustion products are placed in contact with a diluent fluid to produce a heated product fluid. The heated product fluid is injected into the methane hydrate deposit whereby methane is dissociated from the methane hydrate and made available for extraction. In addition, carbon dioxide may be made available to promote the formation of carbon dioxide hydrates from the liberated methane hydrate water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Pfefferle
  • Patent number: 7299868
    Abstract: A method and system for recovery of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. A gaseous component of the produced hydrocarbon-containing fluid is separated from the fluid. The gaseous component is combusted with air in a power plant. Mixing and compressing of the gaseous component and air are realized to produce a flammable and pressurized gas-air mixture prior to combustion. An exhaust gas resulting from combustion is injected into the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventor: Alexei Leonidovich Zapadinski
  • Publication number: 20070251686
    Abstract: A system comprising a carbon disulfide formulation storage; a mechanism for releasing at least a portion of the carbon disulfide formulation into a formation; and a mechanism for creating a pulse in the carbon disulfide formulation in the formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Ayca Sivrikoz, William E. Hickman
  • Patent number: 7093655
    Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbon trapped in a hydrate formation, comprising the steps of (a) contacting the hydrate formation with an aqueous solution comprising from 10% to 75% by weight of a salt such as potassium formate or acetate salt to liberate hydrocarbon from the hydrate formation and producing a mixture of hydrocarbon and water vapour; (b) transporting the hydrocarbon/water vapour mixture and the aqueous solution to a separator, whereby the said aqueous solution absorbs water vapour from the mixture during the transportation step, to form a more dilute aqueous solution of the alkali metal salt, thereby inhibiting formation of hydrocarbon hydrates; (c) separating hydrocarbon from said dilute aqueous solution; (d) regenerating the aqueous solution of step (a) by heating said dilute aqueous solution to remove absorbed water vapour; and (f) recycling the regenerated aqueous solution to step (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Inventor: Stephen Atkinson
  • Patent number: 7077199
    Abstract: An in situ process for treating an oil containing formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part. Hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Harold J. Vinegar, Ilya Emil Berchenko, Eric P. de Rouffignac, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan, Scott Lee Wellington, Etuan Zhang
  • Patent number: 6994168
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. A formation to be treated may produce a relatively large amount of condensable hydrocarbons and/or a relatively large amount of non-condensable hydrocarbons. The formation to be treated may be chosen based on initial hydrocarbon to carbon ratio of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Inventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Harold J. Vinegar, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, George Leo Stegemeier, Kevin Albert Maher, Etuan Zhang, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan
  • Patent number: 6973968
    Abstract: A method and system for dissociating methane hydrate deposits in-situ is provided wherein an oxidizer fluid and a supply of fuel, both at a pressure higher than that of the methane hydrate deposit, are supplied and delivered to the methane hydrate deposit. The fuel is combusted downhole by reacting it with the oxidizer fluid to provide combustion products. The combustion products are placed in contact with a diluent fluid to produce a heated product fluid. The heated product fluid is injected into the methane hydrate deposit whereby methane is dissociated from the methane hydrate and made available for extraction. In addition, carbon dioxide may be made available to promote the formation of carbon dioxide hydrates from the liberated methane hydrate water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Pfefferle
  • Patent number: 6951248
    Abstract: A method for separating oil from geological formations by application of an aqueous oxidant. The oxidant breaks the interfacial attraction between the oil phase and the geological formation and also produces ketone moieties which assist in separating the oil phase from the mineral phase and also dissolve into the oil phase, thereby decreasing the viscosity. The method is especially useful in recovering heavy oil from geological formations wherein oil has been previously extracted to exhaustion by prior art methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Continuum Environmental, LLC
    Inventors: Lawrence M. Conaway, Roger Noble, Michael Keller, David Caffey
  • Publication number: 20030062159
    Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprises injecting a heated injection fluid composition into the formation. The heated injection fluid composition comprises at least steam and/or hot water (“W”) and a solvent (“S”) into the formation. Suitable solvents include C1 to C30 hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and combinations thereof. The heated injection fluid composition has a first W to S volume ratio, (W:S)1. The W to S volume ratio is subsequently reduced, at least once, to a different W to S volume ratio, (W:S)n, wherein at least one (W:S)n is less than (W:S)1 but greater than or equal to about 1:1 and n is in the range of from about 2 to about 12,000.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventor: Tawfik Noaman Nasr
  • Patent number: 6531516
    Abstract: An integrated gas conversion and bitumen production process utilizes steam and light hydrocarbons produced from a natural gas fed gas conversion process, to stimulate the bitumen production and dilute it for transportation by pipeline. Hydrogen for hydroconversion of the bitumen and hydroisomerization of gas conversion hydrocarbons may be produced from part of the synthesis gas generated from the natural gas. The bitumen diluent is preferably naphtha produced by the gas conversion and the diluted bitumen is pipelined to a bitumen upgrading facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Stephen Mark Davis, Michael Gerard Matturro
  • Publication number: 20030000711
    Abstract: A process for recovery of hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir penetrated by an injection well and a production well spaced from the injection well, the process comprising:
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: A.M. Harold Gutek, Brian Harschnitz, Ronald D. Myers, Tadahiro Okazawa