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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8025101 | Cyclic steam stimulation method with multiple fractures A cyclic steam soak (CSS) stimulation method for producing heated hydrocarbons from a viscous hydrocarbon-containing formation comprises the steps of: a) drilling a well (1) having a substantially horizontal or inclined lower section (3) into the visco... | 09/27/2011 |
| 7669657 | Enhanced shale oil production by in situ heating using hydraulically fractured producing wells A method for enhanced production of hydrocarbon fluids from an organic-rich rock formation such as an oil shale formation is provided. The method generally includes completing at least one heater well in the organic-rich rock formation, and also completing a product... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7441603 | Hydrocarbon recovery from impermeable oil shales An economic method for in situ maturing and production of oil shale or other deep-lying, impermeable resources containing immobile hydrocarbons. Vertical fractures are created using horizontal or vertical wells. The same or other wells are used to inject pressurized... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7416022 | In-situ method of producing oil shale, on-shore and off-shore A method is provided for in-situ production of oil shale wherein a network of fractures is formed by injecting liquified gases into at least one substantially horizontally disposed fracturing borehole. Heat is thereafter applied to liquify the kerogen so that oil sh... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7357180 | Inhibiting effects of sloughing in wellbores Certain embodiments provide a method for treating a subsurface formation. The method includes providing one or more explosives into portions of one or more wellbores selected for the explosion in the formation. The wellbores are formed in one or more zones in the fo... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7325613 | Crosslinkable polymer compositions comprising phenols and associated methods Crosslinkable-polymer compositions that comprise a chitosan-based compound and a phenol source, and associated methods, are provided. Various methods of use are also provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise providing a crosslinkable-polymer composition comp... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7303006 | Method for improved vertical sweep of oil reservoirs In a WAG flood oil is displaced from a subterranean formation by injecting water alternately with gas into a single injection completion per pattern. The ratio of water to gas injected is the WAG ratio. In this invention, two separate injection completions are used ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7228908 | Hydrocarbon sweep into horizontal transverse fractured wells The present invention is directed to a method of increasing hydrocarbon production in an existing well in a hydrocarbon reservoir. The method includes the steps of forming a substantially horizontal transverse fractured wellbore that intersects the existing well and... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7128148 | Well treatment fluid and methods for blocking permeability of a subterranean zone The present invention provides a method and treatment fluid for blocking the permeability of an elevated-temperature zone in a reservoir of a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of: a) selecting the zone to be treated, wh... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7104319 | In situ thermal processing of a heavy oil diatomite formation An in situ process for treating a diatomite formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation suc... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7069990 | Enhanced oil recovery methods A process for enhanced oil recovery from an extraction operation comprises the steps of selection of an appropriate hydrocarbon bearing stratum; providing at least one production well and one injection well; and injecting into the target stratum a slurry formed from... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7066257 | In situ recovery from lean and rich zones in a hydrocarbon containing formation A method for treating lean and rich zones of a hydrocarbon containing formation is provided. In one embodiment, heat from one or more heaters may be provided to at least a portion of the formation. Heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a fi... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7011154 | In situ recovery from a kerogen and liquid hydrocarbon containing formation In an embodiment, a method of treating a kerogen and liquid hydrocarbon containing formation in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to at least a portion of the formation. Heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heat sources to... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6915850 | In situ thermal processing of an oil shale formation having permeable and impermeable sections An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Heat may be provided to a formation from one or more heat sources in the formation. Hydrocarbons within the formation may be pyrolyzed. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6913078 | In Situ thermal processing of hydrocarbons within a relatively impermeable formation A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to a relatively impermeable formation to raise a temperature of a p... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6896053 | In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation using repeating triangular patterns of heat sources A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion o... | 05/24/2005 |
| 6742589 | In situ thermal processing of a coal formation using repeating triangular patterns of heat sources A coal formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6742587 | In situ thermal processing of a coal formation to form a substantially uniform, relatively high permeable formation A coal formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis ... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6715547 | In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to form a substantially uniform, high permeability formation A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formati... | 04/06/2004 |
| 6302204 | Method of obtaining improved geophysical information about earth formations The present invention provides a method for forming wellbores. In one method, one or more wellbores are drilled along preplanned paths based in part upon seismic surveys performed from the surface. An acoustic transmitter conveyed in such wellbores transm... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6158517 | Artificial aquifers in hydrologic cells for primary and enhanced oil recoveries, for exploitation of heavy oil, tar sands and gas hydrates Artificial aquifers for hydrologic cells are used to recover hydrocarbons from carbonaceous formations. Artificial aquifers of a hydrologic cell for primary or enhanced oil recovery are constructed through the use of a conventional hydrofrac technique to ... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6158510 | Steam distribution and production of hydrocarbons in a horizontal well A system for enhancing steam distribution in a thermal stimulation phase, and for reducing the production of particulate matter with hydrocarbon fluids in a production phase, has a base pipe with a limited number of spaced-apart holes. The spaced-apart ho... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6148911 | Method of treating subterranean gas hydrate formations A gas hydrate formation is treated by horizontally fracturing the formation, placing electrically conductive proppant particles in the fracture, and passing an electric current through the proppant particles in the fracture to generate sufficient heat to ... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6119776 | Methods of stimulating and producing multiple stratified reservoirs Methods of stimulating and producing multiple stratified hydrocarbon reservoirs having numerous separate reservoir compartments are provided. The methods basically comprise the steps of drilling a first well bore into a lower part of the reservoir having ... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6095244 | Methods of stimulating and producing multiple stratified reservoirs Methods of stimulating and producing multiple stratified hydrocarbon reservoirs having numerous separate reservoir compartments are provided. The methods basically comprise the steps of drilling a first well bore into a lower part of the reservoir having ... | 08/01/2000 |
| 6030048 | In-situ chemical reactor for recovery of metals or purification of salts An in-situ reactor with hydrologic cells is provided to facilitate recovery of metals such as gold from rocks, or purification of salts such as potium or magnesium chloride formed by evaporation of brines, by injecting into a source aquifer a fluid, whi... | 02/29/2000 |
| 6016873 | Hydrologic cells for the exploitation of hydrocarbons from carbonaceous formations Fluid and/or heat are induced to flow from one natural or artificial undeound aquifer, which extends vertically, at an incline or horizontally, across a host-rock formation to a well. Alternatively, fluid and/or heat are induced to flow from a well acros... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5860475 | Mixed well steam drive drainage process A thermal oil recovery process is disclosed for use in a heavy oil reservoir having a plurality of laterally separated, generally vertical wells whose use have left the reservoir characterized by a heated depletion zone, a channel, voidage, or mobility an... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5769165 | Method for increasing methane recovery from a subterranean coal formation by injection of tail gas from a hydrocarbon synthesis process A method for increasing the production of methane from a subterranean coal formation penetrated by an injection well and a production well by producing methane from the coal formation via the production well; passing a portion of the methane to a synthesi... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5305829 | Oil production from diatomite formations by fracture steamdrive A steam drive method for low permeability formations is described which utilizes a plurality of wellbores in an elongated pattern configuration. The wells initially undergo a cyclic steaming and production operation, wherein as each steaming cycle is init... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5267615 | Sequential fluid injection process for oil recovery from a gas cap A process is provided for recovering oil from a gas cap in a subterranean oil-bearing formation by injecting a water-alternating-gas cycle into the gas cap via an injection well in fluid communication therewith. The cycle includes a slug of an aqueous flu... | 12/07/1993 |
| 5036919 | Fracturing with multiple fluids to improve fracture conductivity Conductivity damage is decreased in fracturing a high temperature (greater than 200° F.) well by employing a first fracturing fluid which is substantially stable at the bottom hole static temperature and pumping a second fracturing fluid behind the first... | 08/06/1991 |
| 5022466 | Method for steam flooding profile control A method for minimizing well recompletions in a multiple zone hydrocarbonaceous fluid containing formation. A steam flooding enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is conducted in the upper zone of said formation via fluidly communicating injector and producer wells... | 06/11/1991 |
| 4828030 | Viscous oil recovery by removing fines A process for disposing of fines produced with a substantially high viscosity oil. The viscosity of the oil will generally be less than 19 API degrees. Produced fines are mixed into a desired hydraulic fracturing fluid which fluid is used to fracture the ... | 05/09/1989 |
| 4754808 | Methods for obtaining well-to-well flow communication A process for establishing well-to-well flow communication between a plurality of wells penetrating a subsurface formation is provided. A common fracture network is created by initiating a fracture from a first well, and then propagating that fracture fro... | 07/05/1988 |
| 4733726 | Method of improving the areal sweep efficiency of a steam flood oil recovery process A method for the recovery of oil from a subterranean, oil-containing formation by a cyclical steam flood-pressurization and production program. During the first cycle, steam is injected into the formation and oil is recovered until there is steam breakthr... | 03/29/1988 |
| 4687058 | Solvent enhanced fracture-assisted steamflood process The addition of vaporized solvent to injected steam in a fracture-assisted steamflood process provides surprisingly significant enhancement of the process as compared to both the basic fracture-assisted steamflood process of the Britton et al. U.S. Pat. N... | 08/18/1987 |
| 4612989 | Combined replacement drive process for oil recovery Performing steam drive operations in critical manipulative steps can improve the recovery of viscous hydrocarbons from tar sand deposits. Steam is injected into an injection well at a rate that is less than the rate needed to fracture the formation, and f... | 09/23/1986 |
| 4473120 | Method of retorting oil shale using a geothermal reservoir Crushed raw oil shale is fed into a geothermal compartment or reservoir under oil shale retorting conditions using the reservoir as a source of heat for retorting. After retorting is completed hydrocarbon products are removed from the compartment or reser... | 09/25/1984 |
| 4440228 | Gelled compositions and well treating Gelled compositions suitable as fracture fluids and water diversion agents comprising water, a polymeric viscosifier, an aldehyde component, and at least one phenolic component such as resorcinol, catechol, and the like, as well as selected oxidized pheno... | 04/03/1984 |
