Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method of Enhanced Petroleum Recovery (EPR) combining technical, economic, environmental and social effectiveness to increase the recovery factor of onshore or offshore fields having a high degree of exploitation, more precisely through the use of a substance miscible with the diverse types of petroleum of low fluidity found in various regions. More specifically, the present invention refers to the use of solvents such as light liquid fractions of petroleum, for example diesel oil and gas oil, a light petroleum, and the essential oils derived from renewable sources such as for example biodiesel, used pure or mutually admixed in any proportion, for injection into a geological formation through an injection well, there resulting a final mixture (petroleum/injected solvent) presenting much lower viscosity and much greater fluidity than the original petroleum, having an impact throughout the petroleum production chain. The present patent presents real gains in all phases of the production chain. For the purposes of the present invention biodiesel is understood to be oil having characteristics similar to diesel produced from mineral sources, however having been produced from renewable sources, usually agricultural sources.

1 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum characterised in employing a viscosity-reducing agent of said petroleum contained in a formation to increase its fluidity, wherein such viscosity-reducing agent must be injected into said formation through the injection well. 
   
   
       2 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is diesel oil. 
   
   
       3 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is biodiesel. 
   
   
       4 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent are light liquid fractions of petroleum. 
   
   
       5 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is a light crude petroleum. 
   
   
       6 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is an admixture of diesel oil and biodiesel in any proportion. 
   
   
       7 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 2 , characterised by being employed in the recovery of high-viscosity paraffinic petroleums contained in such formation. 
   
   
       8 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 2 , characterised by being employed in the recovery of high-viscosity asphaltenic petroleums contained in such formation. 
   
   
       9 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised by being utilised in secondary recovery at locations wherein water is not injectable into such formation. 
   
   
       10 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 2 , characterised by increasing the economically-useful life of a reservoir due to reduction in residual saturation. 
   
   
       11 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 3 , characterised by utilising essential oils derived from renewable sources. 
   
   
       12 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is a mixture of essential oils derived from renewable sources. 
   
   
       13 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said viscosity-reducing agent is used in isolation or conjointly with other fluids such as steam, polymers and solvents. 
   
   
       14 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised by satisfying the norms of Safety, Environment and Health (SEH). 
   
   
       15 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised in adjusting such high-viscosity petroleum to operational conditions of lifting and transport, ensuring flushing of production wells, lines and pipelines. 
   
   
       16 . Sustainable method for recovery of petroleum according to  claim 1 , characterised by adjusting charges of high-viscosity petroleum to operational conditions in refineries.