Method for recovery of crude oil from oil wells

Details

Inventors: Johnson, Charles M.;
Assignee: Baisch; J. Carroll (Whittier, CA)
Primary Examiner: Novosad; Stephen J.
Assistant Examiner: Suchfield; George A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Baisch; J. Carroll

Method of recovery of crude oil from oil bearing formations and/or sands especially where the oil in such formations have been partly exhausted or depleted and will flow into the wells drilled into such formations at a very slow rate or not at all due to the high degree of viscosity of the oil. The method comprises thinning the crude oil in the formation by introducing into the oil well a thinning fluid, such as a solvent or mixture of solvents that will flow into the formation and thin the oil in the formation sufficiently so that it will flow into the well. A further step is heating the solvent either before the solvent is introduced into the well or after it is in the well and pressurizing the well to increase the penetration of the solvent into the formation. One method of heating the solvent in the well is to introduce water into the well, allow the solvent to rise to the surface of the water and introduce sodium into the well to cause a reaction with the water for producing heat and pressure. Heating the solvent increases its thinning action on the crude oil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With the present invention, an oil well that has been reduced to a well having little or no production is treated by introducing a solvent, such as naphtha, benzene, kerosene, gasoline or the like, into the well.
The solvent will pass from the well into the formation into which the well has been drilled and will thin out the viscous crude oil in the formation.
The solvent may be a single chemical or a combination of them.
Heating the solvent makes it more effective and the solvent, with or without being heated, may be forced into the formation by pressurizing the well.
The heating may be either before or after the solvent is introduced into the well.
If the solvent is heated before it is introduced into the well, the solvent is put into a tank or the like and warmed or heated and then introduced into the well.
In order to force the solvent into the oil bearing formation, gas or other fluid pressure is introduced into the well so that the well will be effectively pressurized.
To heat the solvent in the well, water is introduced into the well and also the solvent, and since the solvent is lighter than water, it will flow on the surface of the water.
By dropping sized sodium pellets into the well, they will settle through the solvent and into the water.
The reaction of the sodium and water produces a high temperature and pressure.
The water becomes extremely hot and heats the solvent, and at the same time there is produced sodium hydroxide and hydrogen.
The heat and pressure will force steam, water and solvent into the oil bearing formation and since a solvent, particularly a hot solvent, is highly effective in reducing the viscosity of the oil in the formation, the oil, upon release of pressure in the well, will flow into the well and be pumped out.
The above actions and reactions will also cause beneficial hydro-forming and alkalization of the crude oil thus enriching it.
There can be a modification of the above process by leaving out the solvent.
With only water in the well, the sodium is dropped into it and the reaction of the sodium with the water will raise the water temperature to a very high degree

Related patents

0.014
Archive: All patents - Links Copyright (c)2006 Eipa-patents.org - All rights reserved