Customizable downhole mixing of lean gas streams with enhanced oil recovery chemicals

Abstract

A method involves performing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation. The method includes injecting a gas stream into a well via a first channel. The method also includes injecting enhanced oil recovery chemicals (EROCs) into the well via a second channel. The second channel is different from the first channel. An end of the first channel and an end of the second channel are positioned to facilitate static mixing of the gas stream with the EROCs to form an enriched gas stream in a subsurface region. The enriched gas stream facilitates the EOR operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation, comprising:
 injecting a gas stream into a well via a first channel;   injecting enhanced oil recovery chemicals (EROCs) into the well via a second channel, the second channel being different from the first channel; and   wherein an end of the first channel and an end of the second channel are positioned to facilitate static mixing of the gas stream with the EROCs to form an enriched gas stream in a subsurface region, the enriched gas stream facilitating the EOR operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising compressing the gas stream prior to injecting the gas stream into the well. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas stream is a lean gas stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel comprises production tubing of the well. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end of the second channel comprises an orifice in fluid communication with the first channel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second channel comprises an annulus between casing and production tubing of the well. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second channel comprises a capillary string running through production tubing of the well. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising adjusting a flow rate of the EORCs to control a composition of the enriched gas stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising adjusting a composition of the EORCs to control a composition of the enriched gas stream. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising computing with a computing device a composition of the enriched gas stream based on a composition of the gas stream and a composition of the EORCs. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising adjusting a flow rate of the EORCs to control the composition of the enriched gas stream. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising adjusting the composition of the EORCs to control the composition of the enriched gas stream. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the EORCs comprise separate mixtures that are injected sequentially into the second channel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the EORCs are injected into the second channel after the gas stream is injected into the first channel. 
     
     
         15 . A well system for performing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation, the well system comprising:
 a well that includes a first channel leading to a subsurface region and a second channel leading to the subsurface region, the second channel being different from the first channel, the first channel receiving an injected gas stream, the second channel receiving enhanced oil recovery chemicals (EORCs); and   wherein an end of the first channel and an end of the second channel are positioned so that the injected gas stream statically mixes with the EORCs to form an enriched gas stream in the subsurface region.   
     
     
         16 . The well system of  claim 15 , wherein the gas stream is compressed prior to being injected into the well. 
     
     
         17 . A well system for performing an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation, the well system comprising:
 a well that includes a first channel leading to a subsurface region and a second channel leading to the subsurface region, the second channel being different from the first channel, the first channel receiving an injected gas stream, the second channel receiving enhanced oil recovery chemicals (EORCs);   wherein an end of the first channel and an end of the second channel are positioned so that the injected gas stream statically mixes with the EORCs to form an enriched gas stream in the subsurface region; and   a computing system that computes an optimized composition of the enriched gas stream for use in the EOR operation and controls a flow of the EORCs through the second channel to obtain the optimized composition.   
     
     
         18 . The well system of  claim 17 , wherein the gas stream is compressed prior to being injected into the well. 
     
     
         19 . The well system of  claim 17 , wherein the gas stream is a lean gas stream. 
     
     
         20 . The well system of  claim 17 , wherein the first channel comprises production tubing of the well.