Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
166245000 | Specific pattern of plural wells | 37 |
20080217003 | Gas injection to inhibit migration during an in situ heat treatment process - Methods of treating a subsurface formation are described herein. Methods for treating a subsurface treatment area in a formation may include introducing a fluid into the formation from a plurality of wells offset from a treatment area of an in situ heat treatment process to inhibit outward migration of formation fluid from the in situ heat treatment process. | 09-11-2008 |
20080217004 | Heating hydrocarbon containing formations in a checkerboard pattern staged process - Method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Methods may include providing heat to two or more first sections of the formation with one or more first heaters in two or more of the first sections. The provided heat may mobilize first hydrocarbons in two or more of the first sections. At least some of the mobilized first hydrocarbons are produced through production wells located in two or more second sections of the formation. The first sections and the second sections are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. A portion of at least one of the second sections proximate at least one production well is provided some heat from the mobilized first hydrocarbons, but is not conductively heated by heat from the first heaters. Heat may be provided to the second sections with one or more second heaters in the second sections to further heat the second sections. | 09-11-2008 |
20080271885 | Granular electrical connections for in situ formation heating - A method for heating a subsurface formation using electrical resistance heating is provided. In one aspect, the method includes creating a passage in the subsurface formation between a first wellbore located at least partially within the subsurface formation, and a second wellbore also located at least partially within the subsurface formation. An electrically conductive granular material is placed into the passage so as to provide electrical communication between the first wellbore and the second wellbore. Electrically conductive members are provided in the first wellbore and second wellbore so as to form an electrically conductive flow path comprised of the electrically conductive members, the granular material, and a power source. An electrical current is established through the electrically conductive flow path, thereby resistively heating at least a portion of the conductive members which in turn heats the subsurface formation. | 11-06-2008 |
20080283241 | Downhole burner wells for in situ conversion of organic-rich rock formations - A method for in situ heating of an organic-rich rock formation is provided. Preferably the organic-rich rock formation comprises kerogen. The method may include the steps of providing a first wellbore extending at least to a depth of the organic-rich rock formation, and providing a second wellbore also extending to a depth of the organic-rich rock formation and intersecting the first wellbore. The method may also include injecting air and a combustible fuel into the first wellbore, and providing a downhole burner in the wellbore so as to cause the air and the combustible fuel to mix and to combust at substantially the depth of the organic-rich rock formation. The method may further include, circulating combustion products into and up the second wellbore such that a pyrolysis zone is created from the first wellbore and second wellbores that provides substantially complete pyrolysis of the organic-rich rock formation between the first wellbore and the second wellbore. Operating conditions may be set or controlled so that the pyrolysis zones surrounding the first and second wellbore mate so to minimize underheated and overheated regions. | 11-20-2008 |
20090038792 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING FLUIDS FROM A SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION - The system of subterranean wells includes a subsurface flow line | 02-12-2009 |
20090056935 | GEOMETRICAL OPTIMIZATION OF MULTI-WELL TRAJECTORIES - A novel method is presented to automatically design a multi-well development plan given a set of previously interpreted subsurface targets. This method identifies the optimal plan by minimizing the total cost as a function of existing and required new platforms, the number of wells, and the drilling cost of each of the wells. The cost of each well is a function of the well path and the overall complexity of the well. | 03-05-2009 |
20090126927 | Method and Equipment for the Reduction of Multiple Dispersions - A method and equipment for reducing or avoiding multiple dispersions in fluid flows each consisting of two or more non-mixable fluid components with different specific gravities and viscosities, in particular fluid flows of oil, gas and water from different oil/gas production wells (B | 05-21-2009 |
20090200014 | Systems and Methods for Improved Positioning of Pads - Systems and methods for the automated positioning of pads and orienting of slot templates for the pads. The systems and methods also include automated adjsutment of well path plans from a pad to selected well targets. | 08-13-2009 |
20100108310 | OFFSET BARRIER WELLS IN SUBSURFACE FORMATIONS - A plurality of first barrier wells are formed in a formation for a first barrier. A substantially constant spacing separates adjacent first barrier wells. The formation is analyzed to determine the principal fracture direction of at least one layer of the formation. An offset distance of second barrier wells relative to first barrier wells is determined based on the principal fracture direction to limit a maximum separation distance between a closest barrier well and a theoretical fracture extending between the first barrier and the second barrier along the principal fracture direction to a distance of less than one half of the spacing that separates adjacent first barrier wells. The second barrier wells are offset from the first barrier wells by a distance that is at least substantially the same as the offset distance. | 05-06-2010 |
20100170672 | METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR HYDROCARBON RECOVERY - A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir. The method includes drilling a substantially-vertical primary production well, drilling a plurality of offset production wells generally around the substantially-vertical primary production well in a radial orientation, and drilling a plurality of offset injection wells generally around the substantially-vertical primary production well in a radial orientation. The method further includes injecting, via the plurality of offset injection wells, a liquid to mobilize the hydrocarbons from the subterranean reservoir and inducing the mobilized hydrocarbons to migrate towards the plurality of offset production wells for secondary recovery and injecting, via the plurality of offset injection wells, a gas to mobilize the hydrocarbons from the subterranean reservoir and inducing the mobilized hydrocarbons to migrate towards the plurality of offset production wells for tertiary recovery. | 07-08-2010 |
20100206555 | DRAINING A RESERVOIR WITH AN INTERBEDDED LAYER - Methods and systems relate to recovering hydrocarbons from within formations in which hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs are separated from one another by a fluid flow obstructing natural stratum. Relative to the reservoirs, the stratum inhibits or blocks vertical fluid flow within the formation. Drilled bores arranged to intersect the stratum provide an array of fluid flow paths through the stratum. Fluid communication established by the drilled bores enables production utilizing a producer borehole deviated from vertical and processes that rely on techniques such as gravity drainage through the fluid flow paths and/or injection through the fluid flow paths. | 08-19-2010 |
20100319909 | Enhanced Shale Oil Production By In Situ Heating Using Hydraulically Fractured Producing Wells - A method for enhanced production of hydrocarbon fluids from an organic-rich rock formation such as an oil shale formation is provided. The method generally includes completing at least one heater well in the organic-rich rock formation, and also completing a production well in the organic-rich rock formation. The method also includes the steps of hydraulically fracturing the organic-rich rock formation from the production well such that one or more artificial fractures are formed, and heating the organic-rich rock formation from the at least one heater well, thereby pyrolyzing at least a portion of the organic-rich rock into hydrocarbon fluids Pyrolyzing the organic-rich rock formation creates thermal fractures in the formation due to thermal stresses created by heating. The thermal fractures intersect the artificial fractures. As an additional step, hydrocarbon fluids may be produced from the production well. Preferably, the organic-rich rock formation is an oil shale formation. | 12-23-2010 |
20110132600 | Optimized Well Spacing For In Situ Shale Oil Development - A method for spacing heater wells for an in situ conversion process includes the steps of determining a direction along which thermal energy will travel most efficiently through a subsurface formation, and completing a plurality of heater wells in the subsurface formation, with the heater wells being spaced farther apart in the determined direction than in a direction transverse to the determined direction. In one aspect, the step of determining a direction along which thermal energy will travel most efficiently is performed based upon a review of geological data pertaining to the subsurface formation. The geological data may comprise the direction of least horizontal principal stress in the subsurface formation. Alternatively, the geological data may comprise the direction of bedding in the subsurface formation, the tilt of the subsurface formation relative to the surface topography, the organic carbon content of the kerogen, the initial formation permeability, and other factors. | 06-09-2011 |
20110192591 | METHOD FOR INCREASING FLUID RECOVERY FROM MULTIPLE LATERAL WELLBORES DRILLED THROUGH A SUBSURFACE FORMATION - A method for creating a drainage network in a subsurface rock formation includes drilling a first plurality of wellbores extending laterally in a first direction. Each wellbore includes a main portion and an extension portion extending therefrom. A second plurality of wellbores is drilled laterally in a second direction substantially opposed to the first direction. Each of the second plurality of wellbores includes a main portion and an extension portion extending therefrom. The extension portions of the first plurality of wellbores are disposed adjacent main portions of the second plurality of wellbores. The extension portions of the second plurality of wellbores are disposed adjacent main portions of the first plurality of wellbores. Each main portion is hydraulically isolated from each associated extension portion. Each main portion of each of the first and second plurality of wellbores is stimulated. | 08-11-2011 |
20110247802 | BARRIER METHODS FOR USE IN SUBSURFACE HYDROCARBON FORMATIONS - Systems and methods used in treating a subsurface formation are described herein. Some embodiments also generally relate to barriers that have novel components therein. Such barriers may be obtained by using the systems and methods described. Some embodiments also generally relate to systems, methods, and/or processes for treating fluid produced from the subsurface formation. | 10-13-2011 |
20120037359 | Systems and Methods for Improved Positioning of Pads - Systems and methods for the automated positioning of pads and orienting of slot templates for the pads. The systems and methods also include automated adjustment of well path plans from a pad to selected well targets. | 02-16-2012 |
20120103598 | SEQUENCING ALGORITHM FOR PLANNED DRILL HOLES - A method for sequencing drill holes for a mobile drill rig is disclosed. The method may include receiving a hole pattern having a plurality of planned holes and generating at least a first group of parallel pathways and a second group of parallel pathways between the plurality of holes of the hole pattern. The first group of pathways may be angled relative to the second group of pathways. The method may also include selecting between the first group of pathways and the second group of pathways based on which group of pathways includes fewer total pathways. The method may further include generating a combined pathway by linking at least one pathway from the selected group of pathways to at least a second pathway from the selected group of pathways and transmitting the combined pathway to a module configured to control movement of the mobile drill rig | 05-03-2012 |
20120205096 | METHOD FOR DISPLACEMENT OF WATER FROM A POROUS AND PERMEABLE FORMATION - A method and system for displacing water from a porous geological formation are provided. The zone to be displaced is defined by the injection of water into one or more barrier wells around the zone. One or more gas injection wells and water production wells are located within the zone. During pressurized gas injection within the zone, the barrier wells are operated to achieve a hydraulic pressure barrier surrounding the zone that is sufficient to prevent penetration therethrough by the injected gas. The well system is operated to concurrently limit gas entry into the water production well. Accordingly, the gas displaces water downward within the zone such that water is produced at the water production wells. | 08-16-2012 |
20120217006 | DRILLING RIG HAVING RIG OPERATION LOADS SUPPORTED ON PRESSURE CONTROL EQUIPMENT - Generally, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for using the pressure control equipment positioned at a wellbore location to support loads generated during rig operations. One illustrative system disclosed herein includes at least one first pressure control device positioned proximate a first wellbore location, the at least one first pressure control device being adapted to retain wellbore pressure at the first wellbore location. The system also includes a first machine positioned proximate the at least one first pressure control device, the first machine being adapted to perform a first rig operation on the first wellbore location. Furthermore, the disclosed system includes a first structural support that is adapted to transfer loads generated by the first machine during the first rig operation to the at least one first pressure control device, wherein the at least one first pressure control device is adapted to support the loads. | 08-30-2012 |
20130075084 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DRILLING MULTILATERAL WELLS USING MAGNETIC RANGING WHILE DRILLING - Systems and methods for drilling a multilateral well using magnetic ranging while drilling are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a method of drilling a multilateral well includes drilling and casing a mother wellbore, installing a multilateral junction, drilling and casing a first lateral well from the multilateral junction, and drilling a second lateral well from the multilateral junction using magnetic ranging while drilling such that the second lateral well has a controlled relationship relative to the first lateral well. The first and second lateral wells may form a SAGD well pair, in which case the first lateral well may be a producer well and the second lateral well may be an injector well. | 03-28-2013 |
20130098603 | Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Processes With The Addition of Oxygen Addition - A process to recover hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir, namely bitumen (API<10; in situ viscosity >100,000 c.p.), said process comprising;
| 04-25-2013 |
20130105147 | Recovery From A Hydrocarbon Reservoir | 05-02-2013 |
20130112402 | Method for Forming a Geothermal Well - Methods for forming a geothermal well are provided. A method for forming a geothermal well can include drilling a first wellbore having a substantially linear segment connected to an arcuate segment. A second wellbore can be drilled to connect to a terminating end of the arcuate segment, thereby forming a wellbore loop. A thermally conductive tube can be disposed through the wellbore loop. | 05-09-2013 |
20130175029 | METHOD OF FORMING SUBTERRANEAN BARRIERS WITH MOLTEN WAX - A method of permeating and infusing a formation around the borehole with wax by heating a formation surrounding a borehole and pumping molten wax into the formation, wherein the molten wax flows into and fills voids the formation without disrupting the formation is described. Also, a method of permeating and infusing a formation around the borehole with wax by heating a formation surrounding a borehole, pumping molten wax into the borehole, heating and circulating the molten wax vertically within the borehole for an extended period using a heater and pump attached to a circulation pipe extended to the bottom of a zone of the borehole to be heated, and recovering molten wax from the borehole by displacing it back to the surface with another material of different density is described. Additionally, a method of forming subterranean barriers by drilling multiple closely-spaced boreholes along a subterranean boundary, treating the boreholes with infusions of molten wax, and forming a hydraulic barrier along said boundary is described. | 07-11-2013 |
20140034296 | WELL CONFIGURATIONS FOR LIMITED REFLUX - Methods and systems produce petroleum products by steam assisted gravity drainage with dual producers separated vertically and laterally from at least one injector. Placement of the producers limits temperature rise of draining fluids and hence reflux of non-condensable gases injected with steam. In particular, the fluids drain along a steam chamber boundary for recovery at positions that are not in a direct downward path from where the injector is introducing heat. | 02-06-2014 |
20140124194 | SAGD OIL RECOVERY METHOD UTILIZING MULTI-LATERAL PRODUCTION WELLS AND/OR COMMON FLOW DIRECTION - Improved SAGD methods for recovering heavy oil from underground formations. In a first aspect a method is provided for drilling, using multi-lateral drilling techniques, a series of horizontal collector wells from a vertical shaft of a production well, below and parallel to an injection well. In a further alternative to the typical SAGD configuration having injector and producer well drilled from the same end of a region under development, the production well is instead drilled at an end of a region of development opposite to an end of such region at which an injector well is drilled. Lastly, in yet another aspect, the invention comprises a method for rejuvenating an existing SAGD well pair, comprising drilling a further production well or wells at an opposite end of said formation at which an existing injector well was drilled, preferably using multi-lateral drilling techniques. | 05-08-2014 |
20140262220 | Cellar Oil Recovery Techniques for In Situ Operations - Techniques for recovering hydrocarbons, such as heavy hydrocarbons or bitumen, from a cellar region below a horizontal production well can include providing a cellar well section that extends from the horizontal production well into the cellar region. The horizontal production well can be part of a Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) in situ recovery system, which forms a hydrocarbon depleted region and a hydrocarbon bearing cellar region. The cellar region includes hydrocarbons that have been pre-heated by SAGD operations. One or more cellar well sections are provided from the SAGD production well to extend into the cellar region, in order to form a branched production well. A pressurizing gas can be injected into the hydrocarbon depleted region from a SAGD injection well, in order to provide sufficient pressure to promote production of pre-heated hydrocarbons from the cellar region through the cellar well section. A branch well section can also be provided from a horizontal production well into a pre-heated adjacent region. | 09-18-2014 |
20140345855 | RADIAL FISHBONE SAGD - The present disclosure relates to a particularly effective well configuration that can be used for SAGD and other steam based oil recovery methods. A central wellpad originates injector and/or producer wells, arranged in a radial pattern, and either or both provided with multilateral wells, thus effectively expanding the coverage. | 11-27-2014 |
20140345856 | METHOD OF DRILLING A WELL - The invention relates to a method of extracting oil from a reservoir. The method comprises the following steps: drilling of a first well; mounting and cementing of well pipes in the first well; mounting of a Blow Out Preventer or Lubricator in the top of the well. At a distance from this well, a second well is drilled against a section of the first well such that the second well gets into operational contact with the first well. Hereafter well pipes are mounted and cemented in the second well; a Blow Out Preventer or Lubricator is mounted in the top of the second well; where after the drilling from the first or the second well is continued down into the reservoir. | 11-27-2014 |
20150007981 | Processing and Transport of Stranded Gas to Conserve Resources and Reduce Emissions - A method of gas production from a field containing natural gas processing particularly for transport of stranded gas to conserve resources and reduce emissions includes extracting gas a gas supply from a plurality of individual gas wells in the field and initially at the individual gas wells providing a recovery unit having a production capacity matching that of the well for carrying out liquid recovery from the gas supply and compression of the natural gas. When a production rate of the well declines to a low level, typically to about 20% of the original, | 01-08-2015 |
20150013967 | HYDROCARBON RESOURCE HEATING SYSTEM INCLUDING RF ANTENNAS DRIVEN AT DIFFERENT PHASES AND RELATED METHODS - A system for heating hydrocarbon resources in a subterranean formation having spaced-apart wellbores therein aligned in a plane may include radio frequency (RF) antennas to be positioned within respective ones of the spaced apart wellbores aligned in the plane. The system may also include a plurality of discrete RF sources each coupled to one of the RF antennas and configured so that the RF antennas are driven at a same frequency as each other RF antenna but at different phases. | 01-15-2015 |
20150047832 | Targeted Oriented Fracture Placement Using Two Adjacent Wells in Subterranean Porous Formations - A method is taught of creating one or more targeted fractures in a subterranean formation. The method comprises the steps of drilling and completing two wells in the formation, conditioning said wells to create a stress condition favorable for forming a fracture zone connecting said two wells and initiating and propagating the fracture zone in said formation. | 02-19-2015 |
20150047833 | THERMALLY ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE (TAGD) - A method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir, the method comprising: defining at least one lateral section of the reservoir for placement of patterns of heater wells above a producer well; placing the producer well at a substantially centered location at or adjacent to the bottom of the reservoir within each of the lateral sections; placing a triangular pattern of heater wells above the producer well; placing a regular or non-regular pentagonal pattern of heater wells, or a portion thereof, at or above the triangular pattern of heater wells; heating the reservoir with the triangular and pentagonal patterns of heater wells to conductively heat the reservoir and reduce the viscosity of the bitumen or heavy oil; and producing bitumen or heavy oil with the producer well. | 02-19-2015 |
20150075775 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING REGIONS FOR STIMULATION ALONG TWO PARALLEL ADJACENT WELLBORES IN A HYDROCARBON FORMATION - A method for determining along relatively uniformly spaced apart parallel first and second wellbores situated in an underground hydrocarbon-containing formation, regions within the formation, including in particular regions between such wellbores, where injection of a fluid at a pressure above formation dilation pressure may be advantageous in stimulating production of oil into the second of the two wellbores, and subsequently injecting fluid at pressures above formation dilation pressures at the discrete regions along such wellbores determined to be in need. An initial information-gathering procedure is conducted, wherein fluid is supplied under a pressure less than formation dilation or fracture pressure, to discrete intervals along a first wellbore, and sensors in the second wellbore measure and data is recorded regarding the ease of penetration of such fluid into the various regions of the formation intermediate the two wellbores. Regions of the formation exhibiting poor ease of fluid penetration are thereafter selected for subsequent dilation, at pressures above formation dilation pressures. Where initial fluid pressures and/or formation dilation pressures are provided in cyclic pulses, as novel downhole tool is disclosed for such purpose. | 03-19-2015 |
20150083398 | PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS - A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. A first well is provided in the formation, the first well being separated by an isolating material into at least a first and second zone, the first zone being substantially isolated from the second zone. A second well is provided in the formation. The second well is separated by an isolating material into at least a first and second zone, the first zone being substantially isolated from the second zone. A first fracture is provided in the formation, the first fracture extending substantially between the first zones. A second fracture is provided in the formation, the second fracture extending substantially between the second zones of the first and second wells. A fluid is injected into the formation from the first zone in the first well. Hydrocarbons are produced at the second zone of the second well. | 03-26-2015 |
20150129201 | MULTIPURPOSING OF MULTILATERAL INFILL WELLS FOR BYPASS HYDROCARBON RECOVERY - In selected aspects, the present invention provides methods and systems for recovering hydrocarbons from a reservoir involving gravity-dominated recovery processes, such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Aspects of the invention involve the use of multilateral wells in staged production processes, so that alternative segments of wells may be used in alternative ways during a recovery process, for example repurposing sections of an injection well as a production well at a stage in a recovery process when there is surplus injection well infrastructure in place. | 05-14-2015 |
20160376882 | GAS DIVERTER FOR WELL AND RESERVOIR STIMULATION - The fracturing methods described in the present disclosure provide advantage over the current fracturing methods. The disclosed fracturing methods can change the fracture gradient of the downhole subterranean formation. For example, one or more of the fracture gradients of the low and high stress zones of the downhole subterranean formation can be changed. Furthermore, the methods of present disclosure, in relation to current practices, can decrease the extent and/or degree of fracturing within low stress downhole formations and increase the degree of fracturing within high stress formations. | 12-29-2016 |