Improvements in in situ upgrading via hot fluid injection

Abstract

The invention relates to systems, apparatus and methods for integrated recovery and in-situ (in reservoir) upgrading of heavy oil and oil sand bitumens. The systems, apparatus and methods enable enhanced recovery of heavy oil in a production well by introducing a hot hydrocarbon fluid from a mobile reservoir into the production well under conditions to promote hydrocarbon upgrading. The methods may further include introducing hydrogen and a catalyst together with the injection of the hot fluid into the production well to further promote hydrocarbon upgrading reactions. In addition, the invention relates to enhanced oil production methodologies within conventional oil reservoirs.

1 . An apparatus for processing hydrocarbons, the apparatus comprising:
 an injection well, the injection well being configured to inject fluid into a subterranean reservoir;   a recovery well, the recovery well being configured to recover fluid from the subterranean reservoir; and   an injection well connector configured to receive heavy hydrocarbon fluid from a mobile surface reservoir and deliver the received heavy hydrocarbon fluid to the injection well to be injected into the subterranean reservoir for processing such that the fluid recovered from the subterranean reservoir via the recovery well has a different composition to the heavy hydrocarbon fluid injected via the injection well.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile surface reservoir forms part of an oil tanker ship. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus forms part of an offshore oil rig. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbons comprise one or more of: bunker fuel; and fuel number 6. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a pre-mixer configured to mix the heavy fraction with additional injection fluids and to inject the mixed fluids into the injection well. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the injection well is configured to inject a portion or all of the heavy residual hydrocarbon fractions at a temperature and pressure to promote hydrocarbon upgrading reactions in the subterranean reservoir. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a recovery well connector configured to enable at least a portion of the recovered hydrocarbons from the recovery well to be delivered to the mobile surface reservoir. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the injection well and recovery well are operatively connected to a hydrocarbon distillation column for separation of recovered fluids from the recovery well into heavy and light fractions. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a solvent deasphalting separation configured to subject the hydrocarbons recovered from the recovery well to a solvent deasphalting separation process to form a deasphalted oil and an asphaltic pitch. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a heater, the heater configured to heat the heavy hydrocarbons received from the mobile surface reservoir before they are injected into the subterranean reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile storage container comprising:
 a mobile surface reservoir for storing heavy hydrocarbons, the storage container configured to enable fluid communication with an injection well such that heavy hydrocarbons contained in the mobile surface reservoir can be injected into a subterranean reservoir via the injection well for processing; and   a drive means configured to provide energy for locomotion of the mobile reservoir.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile storage container according to  claim 11 , wherein the mobile surface reservoir is configured to provide at least some of the stored heavy hydrocarbons to the drive means as fuel. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile storage container according to  claim 11 , wherein the mobile storage container comprises one or more of:
 a hydrogen source, configured to introduce hydrogen into the heavy hydrocarbons prior to injection into the injection well;   a catalyst skid configured to introduce catalyst into the heavy hydrocarbons prior to injection into the injection well;   a heater configured to heat the heavy the heavy hydrocarbons prior to injection into the injection well.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile storage container according to  claim 11 , wherein the mobile storage container comprises a fractional distillation column configured to separate fractions of hydrocarbons obtained from the recovery well. 
     
     
         15 . A system, the system comprising the apparatus of  claim 1 , and a storage container comprising:
 a mobile surface reservoir for storing heavy hydrocarbons, the storage container configured to enable fluid communication with an injection well such that heavy hydrocarbons contained in the mobile surface reservoir can be injected into a subterranean reservoir via the injection well for processing; and   a drive means configured to provide energy for locomotion of the mobile reservoir.   
     
     
         16 . A method for processing hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
 transporting heavy hydrocarbons from a remote location to an injection well site;   injecting the heavy hydrocarbons into a subterranean reservoir via an injection well for processing;   recovering hydrocarbons from the subterranean reservoir via a recovery well, wherein the fluid recovered from the subterranean reservoir via the recovery well has a different composition to the heavy hydrocarbon fluid injected via the injection well.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbons are transported by a mobile surface reservoir. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein mobile surface reservoir is configured to receive at least a portion of the hydrocarbons recovered from the recovery well. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbons are transported by a mobile surface reservoir configured to consume some of the heavy hydrocarbons as an engine fuel for locomotion. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbons are transported by pipeline. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the transported heavy hydrocarbons are injected into the injection well to initiate processing of hydrocarbons already present in the subterranean reservoir. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus forms part of an offshore oil rig and the mobile surface reservoir forms part of an oil tanker ship;
 wherein the heavy hydrocarbons comprise one or more of bunker fuel and fuel number 6;   wherein the apparatus comprises a pre-mixer configured to mix the heavy fraction with additional injection fluids and to inject the mixed fluids into the injection well;   wherein the injection well is configured to inject a portion or all of the heavy residual hydrocarbon fractions at a temperature and pressure to promote hydrocarbon upgrading reactions in the subterranean reservoir;   wherein the apparatus comprises a recovery well connector configured to enable at least a portion of the recovered hydrocarbons from the recovery well to be delivered to the mobile surface reservoir;   wherein the injection well and recovery well are operatively connected to a hydrocarbon distillation column for separation of recovered fluids from the recovery well into heavy and light fractions;   wherein the apparatus comprises a solvent deasphalting separation configured to subject the hydrocarbons recovered from the recovery well to a solvent deasphalting separation process to form a deasphalted oil and an asphaltic pitch; and   wherein the apparatus comprises a heater, the heater configured to heat the heavy hydrocarbons received from the mobile surface reservoir before the heavy hydrocarbons are injected into the subterranean reservoir.