Steam energized heavy oil production system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for production of material from a subsurface earth formation being intersected by a wellbore that is lined with a well casing. After preparing the well casing by forming injection and production openings or removing a section of the casing to define a borehole interval, a plurality of lateral injection and production passages are formed that extend into the subsurface earth formation from the casing openings or borehole interval. Packers within the well casing define an injection zone that is in communication with the lateral injection passages and a production zone that is isolated from the injection zone. Steam or other injection fluid is injected into the formation via an injection conduit extending from the surface to the injection zone. Formation fluid migrating through the formation to the production passages is produced via a production conduit extending from the surface to the production zone. For stabilization of the formation at the lateral injection and production passages a perforate liner is washed into place within each of the passages.

1 . A method for production of material from a subsurface earth formation being intersected by a wellbore, comprising: 
 forming a plurality of lateral injection passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the wellbore;    forming a plurality of lateral production passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the wellbore, said plurality of lateral production passages being substantially vertically spaced from said plurality of lateral injection passages;    establishing an injection zone within the wellbore, said injection zone having communication with a source of injection fluid via an injection conduit;    establishing a production zone within the wellbore being sealed from said injection zone, said production zone being in communication with fluid handling equipment at the surface via a production conduit;    injecting fluid from a source of injection fluid into said injection zone and into the production formation via said injection passages, the injection fluid migrating through the production formation to said plurality of lateral production passages; and    producing material and injection fluid from the subsurface formation via said plurality of lateral production passages and said production zone and to the surface via said production conduit.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said material of the subsurface formation being heavy oil and said injection fluid being steam, said method comprising: 
 injecting steam into the subsurface formation from a source of steam via said injection conduit, injection zone and said plurality of lateral injection passages to render the heavy oil less viscous and to cause steam pressure induced migration of the heavy oil through the subsurface earth formation and to said plurality of lateral production passages; and    producing the heavy oil from said production zone to said production fluid handling equipment via said production conduit.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 after forming a plurality of lateral injection and production passages in the subsurface formation, placing perforate liners within each of said lateral injection and production passages and stabilizing the subsurface formation.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said step of placing perforate liners comprising: 
 for each of said lateral injection and production passages, attaching a jet washing head to a perforate liner and attaching a washing fluid supply conduit to said jet washing head with an over-pull release mechanism; and    after washing the liner to a position substantially completely lining the lateral passage, stopping washing activity and applying sufficient pulling force to said washing fluid supply conduit to release said over-pull release mechanism; and    retrieving said washing fluid supply conduit, leaving said perforate liner and said jet washing head within the lateral passage.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said material of the subsurface formation being a mineral and said injection fluid being a leaching constituent for said mineral, said method comprising: 
 injecting said leaching constituent into the subsurface formation from a source thereof via said injection conduit, said injection zone and said plurality of lateral injection passages to leach the mineral from the earth formation and to cause pressure induced migration of the mineral and leaching constituents through the subsurface earth formation to said plurality of lateral production passages and to said production zone; and    producing the mineral and leaching constituent from said production zone to said production fluid handling equipment via said production conduit.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 forming a plurality of openings in the well casing; and    forming said plurality of lateral injection and production passages within the subsurface earth formation from said plurality of openings.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 removing at least one section of said well casing to define one or more non-cased intervals; and    forming said plurality of lateral injection and production passages within the subsurface earth formation from said one or more non-cased intervals.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said method step of forming a plurality of lateral injection passages and forming said plurality of lateral production passages comprising: 
 locating a single-run lateral passage forming tool within the wellbore; and    running a hydro-blasting tool through said single-run lateral passage forming tool and into the subsurface earth formation; and    relocating said single-run lateral bore forming tool within the well bore after completion of each of said plurality of lateral injection passages and said plurality of lateral production passages.    
   
   
       9 . A method for production of heavy and normally viscous crude oil from a subsurface earth formation being intersected by a wellbore lined with a well casing, comprising: 
 forming a plurality of injection and production openings in the well casing at predetermined locations for fluid injection and for heavy crude oil production;    forming a plurality of lateral injection passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the plurality of injection openings;    forming a plurality of lateral production passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the plurality of production openings, said plurality of lateral production passages being spaced from said plurality of lateral injection passages;    establishing an injection zone within the wellbore, said injection zone having communication with a source of steam via an injection conduit;    establishing a production zone within the wellbore being sealed from said injection zone, said production zone being in communication with fluid handling equipment at the surface via a production conduit;    injecting steam from a source into said injection zone and into the production formation via said injection conduit, injection zone and said plurality of lateral injection passages, the steam heating the heavy viscous crude oil of the subsurface formation and reducing the viscosity of the heavy crude oil and causing migration of the heavy crude oil through the production formation to said plurality of lateral production passages and into said production zone; and    producing the heavy crude oil from the subsurface formation via said plurality of lateral production passages, said production zone and said production conduit.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising: 
 setting at least one packer within said well casing and establishing said injection zone, said injection conduit extending through said at least one packer and being open to said injection zone; and    setting at least one packer within said well casing and establishing said production zone, said at least one packer isolating said production zone from said injection zone, said production conduit extending through said at least one packer and being open to said production zone.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising: 
 forming a plurality of openings in the well casing; and    forming said plurality of lateral injection and production passages within the subsurface earth formation from said plurality of openings.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising: 
 removing at least one section of said well casing to define one or more non-cased intervals; and    forming said plurality of lateral injection and production passages within the subsurface earth formation from said one or more non-cased intervals.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said material of the subsurface formation being heavy oil and said injection fluid being steam, said method comprising: 
 injecting steam into the subsurface formation from a source of steam via said injection conduit, injection zone and said plurality of lateral injection passages to render the heavy oil less viscous and to cause steam pressure induced migration of the heavy oil through the subsurface earth formation and to said plurality of lateral production passages; and    producing the heavy oil from said production zone to said production fluid handling equipment via said production conduit.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said material of the subsurface formation being a mineral and said injection fluid being a leaching constituent for said mineral, said method comprising: 
 injecting said leaching agent into the subsurface formation from a source thereof via said injection conduit, said injection zone and said plurality of lateral injection passages to leach the mineral from the earth formation and to cause pressure induced migration of the mineral and leaching agent through the subsurface earth formation to said plurality of lateral production passages and to said production zone; and    producing the mineral and leaching agent from said production zone to said production fluid handling equipment via said production conduit.    
   
   
       15 . A system for production of a material from a subsurface earth formation being intersected by a wellbore, comprising: 
 an array of lateral injection passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the wellbore;    an array of lateral production passages extending into the subsurface earth formation from the wellbore, said array of lateral production passages being spaced from said array of lateral injection passages;    an injection zone within the wellbore;    a production zone within the wellbore being isolated from said injection zone, and being in communication with fluid handling equipment at the surface;    an injection passage within the wellbore being in communication with said injection zone; and    a production passage within the wellbore being isolated from said injection passage and being in communication with said production zone.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the wellbore is lined with a well casing, said system comprising: 
 a plurality of injection openings and a plurality of production openings being defined at spaced locations within the well casing; and    said array of plurality of lateral injection passages and said array of production passages extending within the subsurface earth formation respectively from said plurality of injection openings and said plurality of production openings.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the wellbore is lined with a well casing, said system comprising: 
 at least one section of the well casing being removed to define at least one non-cased interval; and    said plurality of lateral injection and production passages within the subsurface earth formation extending from said at least one non-cased interval.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising: 
 perforate liners being positioned within each of said lateral injection and production passages;    each of said perforate liners having a washing head being coupled with said perforate liner and having a plurality of washing jets and being hydraulically energized with flowing washing fluid to move said perforate liner to a position substantially completely lining a lateral injection or production passage; and    during installation of each of said perforate liners a washing fluid supply conduit connected with a supply of washing fluid extending through said perforate liner and having releasable connection with said washing head.