US3522842A - Apparatus for oil production amplification by spontaneous emission of radiation - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent [72] inventor: Robert V. New

2501 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas, Texas 75201 [21] Application No.2 641,825 [22] Filedi May 29, 1967 [45] Patented: Aug. 4, 1970 [54] APPARATUS FOR OIL PRODUCTION AMPLIFICATION BY SPONTANEOUS EMISSION OF RADIATION 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

52 us. 01. 166/52, 166/60, 166/272, 166/303 [51] Int. Cl, E211) 43/24 [50] Field ofSearch 166/1 1, 39, 40, 57, 60,177, 52; 175/16; 219/1211, 277, 278; 331/945 Inq; 166/272, 302, 303

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,419 6/1923 Wolcott..... l66/39X 2,134,610 10/1938 Hogg 166/60 2,670,801 3/1954 Sherborne I 166/177X t TO Leinwoll, Stanley: Understanding Lasers and Masers, New York, Rider PubL, 1965, pp. 6- 8, 29- 32.

Primary Examiner- Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner- Ian A. Calvert I Attorney-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies and Kurz ABSTRACT: Apparatus for the recovery of viscous crude petroleum from a natural reservoir by use of heat by utilizing gases herein set forth of suitable energy levels, and an electromagnetic wave transducer for exciting the atoms and molecules of the gas or gas mixtures or causing interaction between them and the transducer discharged electromagnetic waves (i.e., population inversion or collision, second kind") that will emit radiation in the infrared sector of the electromagnetic spectrum.

TORAGE ANK Patented Aug. 4,1970 3,522,842

Sheet 1 of 2 5 INVENI'OR Robert M New ATTORNEY5 Patented Aug. 4, 1970 Sheet INVENTOR Robe/f V. New

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ATTORNEYS US. PATENT 3,522,842 APPARATUS FOR OIL PRODUCTION AMPLIFICATION BY SPONTANEOUS EMISSION OF RADIATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The subject invention concerns new, novel, efficient and economical apparatus for use in recovering viscous hydrocarbon oil from porous and permeable natural reservoirs in the earth, and further concerns new and unique designs of certain apparatus to materially assist in the same.

Viscous hydrocarbon oil usually occurs in natural reservoirs of porous and permeable matrix, the oil existing within the interstices of such matrix. The matrix usually consists of quarzitic or dolomitic sand grains or of limestone. The interstices vary in size. and continuity as the size and shape of the solid formation particles of the matrix vary from reservoirto reservoir, indeed even from place to place within a single reservoir. Numerous fine fractures interlace the matrix, being interstices themselves. Viscous hydrocarbon oil is restricted in its flow from its position within such interstices because of the properties of cohesion which are the very essence of viscosity; at natural reservoir temperatures such oil is too thick and cohe sive to flow through the openings of the matrix and thence into a drilled well to be produced.

It is well known in the petroleum sciences that heat reduces the viscosity of hydrocarbon oil in spectacular fashion, that i the application to high. viscosity hydrocarbon oil of even a modest amount of heat canproduce a reduction of viscosity that can approach -100/I or even 1000/ 1. Such viscosity reduction is-now beingundertaken, among prior art methods, by the introduction of steam intosuch natural oil reservoirs for heating purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention utilizes the introduction into an oil bearing natural reservoir containing viscous hydrocarbon oil of heated gas selected from .the noble gases (i.e., helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon) and in addition also nitrogen and car- ;bon dioxide, and/or mixtures of two or more'thereof, and

causing such gases to be excited by electromagnetic waves, in

a manner to emit infra-redradiation.

, An important object of my invention is to provide new, novel, economical andefficient apparatus to create heat energy within natural reservoirs containing high viscosity'oiL'and to impartflowability to such oil.

An important object ofmy inventionis to provide means of applying, reenforcing' and controlling thetransducer discharged electromagnetic wave energy to be applied to the mixture of gases herein'provided for.

described lvlix'ti ires of certain of these gases of suitable energy levels (suchgas Helium and Neon,'orCarbon Dioxide and Argon, or Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen and Helium) will emit infra-red radiation'wifen mixed in proper proportion and the mixtures excited by application of optimum electromagnetic wave energy.

An important objectofmyinvention is to provide an efficient, simple and economical transducer apparatus comprised of several joints of tubing connected by threaded couplings forming a continuous conduit and an electricalcable spiralled thereabout and connected to eletrodes at pre-selected locations in the conduit to impact electromagnetic wave discharges into the gas to cause ionization of the gas as it descends through said conduit.

Another important object of my invention is to provide as an alternate transducer apparatus a small diameter casing BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates schematically in partial cross-section a conventionally completed well in a natural oil bearing reservoir fitted with suitable apparatus for practicing this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged schematic elevational view of the conduit provided by the apparatus of FIGURE 1 to introduce gas into the natural oil bearing reservoir and the electrical cable and electrodes all of which together form an electromagnetic wave transducer suitable for practicing this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale of one of the threaded couplings employed in the conduit of FIGURE 2 to join the lengths of tubing and create a continuous conduit with electrical cable and electrodes by which electromagnetic wave discharges are impacted into the gas conducted to the natural reservoir through the tubing;

FIGURE 4 illustrates schematically in partial cross-section a directionallydrilled well employing perforated casing in the lower portion of the natural oil bearing reservoir positioned approaching the horizontal for a relatively long distance and cooperating with vertical bore holes cased to conduct gas to the natural reservoir and house the necessary cable and electrodes to form an alternate type of transducer and form suitable apparatus for practicing this invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the vertical bore holes of FIGURE 4 illustrating the relatively small diameter casing that may be used to introduce gas into said reservoir and house the electrical cable and electrodes exposed to the gas to impact electromagnetic wave discharges thereinto and practice this invention;

FIGURE 6 schematically illustrates a 5 spot application of this invention useful in recovering petroleum from a finite area of a reservoir within the effective range of a single bore hole fitted to practice this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT subjected to a cycle of heating the oil in place followed by a cycle of producing the oil and delivering it to a storage tank. FIGURE 1 illustrates a preferred adaptation of the invention to such a conventionally completed well suitably equipped to ,apply the invention. In such a well adaptation, the solid casing 1 extends from the surface to the top of the oil bearing zone,

perforated casing 2 extends through the oil bearing zone, and a continuous conduit 3, made up of joints of tubing (each joint usually 20' long) the several joints of which are connected by threaded couplings 5, is introduced to apply this invention. Gas, which may be an optimum mixture of helium and neon, or carbon dioxide and argon, or carbon dioxide and nitrogen and helium, or other suitable mixtures, is pumped into tubing 3 at the surface and is conducted therethrough and exuded intoperforated casing 2 below packer 9 which is set at the bottom of solid casing I, and thence through the perforations of perforated casing 2 into the oil bearing zone. Inserted through couplings 5 are electrodes 6 the output of which impacts into the gas mixture ionizing'e lectromagnetic waves, which waves are generated on the surface by a wave energy source genera tor G of conventional well known design, conducted therefrom to electrodes 6 by means of electrical cable 4.

I As the gas mixture moves down through tubing 3 it is subjected to a series of repeated electron impacts at each preselected location of electrodes 6. Assuming for'this exampic that the upper limit of the oil bearing zone is 500 deep and the lower limit 600' deep as many as thirty electrodes 6 energized through electrical cable 4 may be employed if desired to successfully practice this invention. As the gas moves through tubing'3 each successive electrode 6 reenforces the impact effect thus intensifying the interaction of the transducer discharged electromagnetic waves and the atoms and molecules of the gas or mixture of gases resulting in tremendous emissions of radiation in the infra-red sector of the electromagnetic spectrum (in the order of trillion electrical impulses per second) and heating of the gas to be introduced into the natural oil bearing reservoir.

Specifications and characteristics may be determined, in-

conventional ways forming no part ofthis invention, to reach a determination of the physical characteristics and fluid content of the oil bearing zone. Dependent upon this ascertainable information, and a knowledge of the specifications of the mixtures, volume, pressure, and input velocity of the gas or mixture of gases to be used,and the temperature desired (perhaps 300 F.) to be achieved in the oil bearing'zone to greatly reduce the viscosity of the fluid content and impart fio'wability to such fluid content of the reservoir, mathematical computation canbe'made to determine the length of time this in-put ..heating cy.cle should be extended to achieve the optimum heating result. v The following cycle. of producing the oil and delivering it to a storage tank is entirely conventional; the input of gas through tubing 3 is-stopped and the in-put ofelectromagnetic wave impacts throughelec'trodes 6 is stopped. The oil enters production tubing 7 through pump 8 and is thence pumped to the'surface by conventional means, that are not part of this invention, thence to an oil storage tank.

The cycles may be repeated. As the heated gases physically combine into a homogenous mass with the hydrocarbon molecules, individual grains of the matrix and hydrocarbon molecules become surrounded by a millionth of an inch. Yet, such thin-layer gases display the characteristics needed for maintaining gas wet conditions in the reservoir, and for maintaining heat radiation, thus increasing oil fiowability. The-.transducerofthis invention isdesigned ,to apply to such gases a series of repeated electromagnetic wave impacts at pre-selected intervals, each successive impact reenforcing the excitation effect upon said gases to effect maximum radiation in the infra-red (heat) sector of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus the transducer subjects the gas or mixtureof gases to electromagnetic wave impacts which cause out-put radiation emissions at frequencies millions of times greater than the in-put frequencies,

The emissions herein provided for would, of necessity, be less coherent and intense than the emissions of a. laser of the pulsed ruby type, and desirably so. Pulsed ruby type emissions last for only a very small fraction of a second' and generate heat up to thousands of degrees F. Any sizeable fraction of such heat would carboriize the oil in place. Emissions as here described would cause less coherence than the pulsed ruby type laser but, coherence of the laser may be a secondary consideration unless focusing at a long distance is desired. And, i

the subject type is continuous, not pulsed.

. As the temperature rise required in the hydrocarbon oil in any cooling equipment as in a laser instrument. As the hydrocarbon oil and in turn the reservoir matrix (lower temperature bodies), absorb the radiation (infra-red emissions) from the entering superheat gas (Warm temperature body) the total purpose of the emissions is accomplished; the viscosity of -the oil is greatly reduced, cohesion between the hydrocarbon molecules themselves, and between the hydrocarbon moleculesand the solid formation particles of the matrix, becomesgreatly reduced and the oil flows through the interstices of the matrix and thence into a drilled well to be pumped to the surface and captured.

' Of utmost importance to the present invention, simultaneous with the passage of the gas or mixtureof gases down the tubing from the surface tov the point or points of injection into the said reservoir, the gas or mixture of gases is subjected to ionizing electromagnetic wave impacts at one or a multiplicity of times and places as it travels through the tubing to cause excitation of the atoms and molecules of said gas or mixture of gases, thus'creating stimulated emission of radiation in the infra-red sector of the electromagnetic spectrum (heat). ln this way the transducer can-be made" to operate so as to con- ,trol the frequency and intensity and to reenforce the molecule-atom-electromagnetic wave interaction by preselecting the placement of the electrodes along the tubing to impact the mixture of gases.

As an example, the upper limit ofthe oil impregnated reservoir is here assumed to be at a depth of 500' and the lower limit at the depth of 600' the oil' impregnated reservoir 100 thick, with ascertainable specifications and characteristics of the matrix thereof and of the fluid content thereof. The total length of the tubing through which the mixture of gases is conducted approaches 600'. According tothe above said ascertainables, and to the specifications of the mixture of gases and ferent, as desired to achieve the optimum of emission radiation. Series of'impacts may even be applied intermittently. The atoms and molecules of the gases are thus brought to an optimum state-of excitation and radiation.

DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATE APPARATUS and capillarity of the hydrocarbon molecules to each other and to the reservoir matrix. The contact of the hot gases materially reduces viscosity and imparts the necessary flowability to the oil content of the reservoir.

FIGURE 4 of the drawings illustrates a directionally drilled well in which solid pipe 1 extends from the surface to the top of the oil bearing reservoir, perforated casing 2 assumes in the lower portion of such oil bearing zone a position approaching the horizontal and continues approximately horizontally for a relatively long distance in order to present a maximum drainage area for the gravity flow of the oil into such perfora ted casing 2. The horizontal extension of perforated casing 2 may be as much as 1,000 feet, or even more, Such directionally drilled well is equipped with production tubing 7 and pump 8 only, as it is utilized only to accumulate the oil and pump it to the surface.

FIGURE 4 also illustrates three vertically drilled cased holes further illustrated in detail in FIGURE 5. Each consists of solid casing 21 extending from the surface to the top of the within the oil'bearing reservoir. Electrical cable 4 hangs vertically within said solid casing 21 and perforated casing 22 with electrodes 6 at'pre-selected locations upon electrical cable 4. Gas in-put pipe 12 extends only into the very top of the cavity of solid casing 21. Parts 7 and 8 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 are not included in these wells since they are not utilized to accumulate oil or to pump it to the surface, these only function as is hereinafter set forth.

In FIGURE 5 the diameter of solid casing 21 and perforated casing 22 is relatively small, probably no more than that of continuousconduit 3 as illustrated in FIGURE l; it may consist of joints of,2 1/2" tubing with regular tubing couplings.

, The gas or mixture of gases as selected and used in this invention is introduced into the top of solid casing 21 through gas in-put pipe 12, and thus solid casing 21 and perforated casing 22 function not only as casing of bore-hole but also as tubing 3 functions in Example 1 illustrated by FIGURE 1. This alternate transducer structure may be substituted for tubing 3 and its electrical cable 4 and electrodes 6 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 if desired.

FIGURE 4 illustrates only three such wells, but any suitable number of same may be utilized in conjunction with this Example 2. Assuming that the horizontal perforated casing 2 of the directionallydrilled well extends laterally for 1,000 feet it may be to best advantage in the practice of this invention to have as many as ten such vertical wells above, and along the path of or, in reasonable proximity to, the extension of hori- 'zontal perforated casing Z of the directionally drilled well to materially reduce viscosity and impart flowability to the oil content of the reservoir. 2

In these vertically drilled wells the gas or mixture of gases moves down through solid casing 21 and perforated casing 22 and in passing therethrough is subjected-to electromagnetic wave impacts at each electrode 6, and then passes into the natural reservoir. ...T he effect is precisely identical as is described in Example 1 hereof.

As the oil in the reservoir is acted upon as therein described it flows by gravity into perforated casing 2 of the directionally drilled well and is accumulated and pumped to the surface oil I storage tank by pump 8 through production tubing 7.

DESCRIPTION OF FURTHER ALTERNATE APPARATUS Example 3 represents the adaptation ofthis invention to the 5 spot system. FIGURE 6 illustrates a field pattern in which 4 conventionally completed wells 10 are spaced in relatively.-

equaldistance from each other. Each of wells 10 is according to the detailof FIGURE l except that parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 thereofarenot included as each well 10 is utilized only to accumulate and pump oilto the surface through tubing 7. Well 11is spaced relatively equal distance from all wells 10 and is precisely to the detail of FIGURE 5 and is continuously operated in the same manner and for the same purpose as a FIGURE 5 well asabove described in Example 2, that is to cause significant reduction of the-viscosity and flowability of the oil so it may be accumulated in and produced through wells 10.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from thespirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be con- 'sidered in all respects as illustrative'and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims 3 f rather than by the foregoing description,'and all changes whichcome within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

' Iclairnr Apparatus for recovering oil from a natural reservoir comp sing:

I a) pipe means extending from the surface into said reservoi'r for conveying gas, that is chemically inactive as to the hydrocarbonconstituents of the reservoir and capable of emitting infrared,into a well bore in fluid communication with said reservoir, said pipe means within said reservoir being perforated to permit ready egress of the conveyed gas into the well bore and reservoir;

b) electromagnetic wave energy transducer means operatively associated with said pipe means for applying ionizing impacts to the conveyed gas in a manner to effect an interaction between the electromagnetic waves and the gas atoms and molecules causing a resultant emission of infra-red radiation heating the gas conveyed into the well bore thereby heating the reservoir to a temperature sufficiently high to reduce the viscosity of the contained oil and free it to flow to a subsurface collection point; and

c) a conventionally completed well having its lower cased end formed and disposed in said reservoir at said subpredetermined time interval to assure optimum heating of the reservoir area.

3. The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein the pipe means and electromagnetic wave energy means is mounted within the conventionally completed well.

4. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the pipe means com prises lengths of small diameter bore-hole casing conventionally coupled in end-to-end relation and the electromagnetic wave energy transducer means comprises a plurality of electrodes connected at predetermined spaced intervals to a supply cable extending from a source of electrical energy lengthwise of said bore-hole casing to selectively maintain an electromagnetic wave impact from said electrodes upon the supplied gas for a predetermined time interval to assure optimum heating of the reservoir area.

5. The apparatus of Claim 4 wherein the small diameter bore hole casing and the electromagnetic wave energy transducermeans is mounted within the conventionally completed well.

6. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the conventionally completed well comprises a well casing having an annularly perforated section extending vertically through the reservoir area and said pipe means forms a portion of the electromagnetic wave energy transducer means and extends axially within the casing of said conventionally completed well.

7. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the conventionally completed well comprises a directionally drilled well having a casing section formed with a perforated'wall portion and adapted to be disposed along the lower portion of a subsurface oil bearing reservoir, said pipe means comprises respective lengths of small diameter bore-hole casing conventionally coupled in end-to-end relation in a series of vertical drill holes arranged in alternating laterally spaced relation to said perforated well casing section, and said electromagnetic wave energy transducer means includes said respective lengths of small diameter bore hole casing and respective lengths of electric cable supported by said casing and having electrodes connected thereto at predetermined spaced intervals and arranged to maintain an electromagnetic wave impact upon the supplied gas in each drill hole for a predetermined time interval to assure optimum heating of the reservoir area.

8. The apparatus of Claim ll wherein the conventionally completed well comprises a well casing having an annularly perforated section extending substantially vertically through the reservoir area, and said pipe means comprises respective lengths of small diameter bore hole casing conventionally cou- 1 pled in end-to-end relation in a series of vertical drill holes arsmall diameter bore hole casing and respective lengths of electric cable supported by said casing and having electrodes connected thereto at predetermined spaced intervals and ar- I energy transducer means includes said respective lengths of ranged to maintain an electromagnetic wave impact upon the supplied gas in each drill hole for a predetermined time interval to assure optimum heating of the reservoir area.

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