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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7798221 | In situ recovery from a hydrocarbon containing formation An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise the temperature of ... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7422059 | Fluid injection stimulated heavy oil or mineral production system 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 ... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7404439 | Horizontal drilling A method and apparatus for recovering viscous hydrocarbons from a subsurface reservoir holding the same using an essentially horizontal well bore having a production inlet and containing steam injection tubing that carries a plurality of jet nozzles oriented to emit... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7367399 | Loop systems and methods of using the same for conveying and distributing thermal energy into a wellbore Systems and methods are provided for treating a wellbore using a loop system to heat oil in a subterranean formation contacted by the wellbore. The loop system comprises a loop that conveys a fluid (e.g., steam) down the wellbore via a injection conduit and returns ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7363973 | Method and apparatus for stimulating heavy oil production A process for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon bearing formation having an extraction chamber where the extraction chamber has an extraction surface. The process has the steps of heating a solvent, such as propane, and then placing the solvent into th... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7341102 | Flue gas injection for heavy oil recovery A variety of methods for thermal recovery of natural gas and bitumen from a formation containing the latter. In general, the methods incorporate a series of existing, but previously uncombined technologies. A modified flue gas from the steam generators conventionall... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7314089 | Method of wellbore pumping apparatus with improved temperature performance and method of use Oil is recovered from a borehole using a pump having limited high temperature breakdown resistance. The pump is located in a borehole having a cooling zone, in which the temperature of the well fluid is reduced to, or below, the temperature at which the temperature ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7147057 | Loop systems and methods of using the same for conveying and distributing thermal energy into a wellbore Systems and methods are provided for treating a wellbore using a loop system to heat oil in a subterranean formation contacted by the wellbore. The loop system comprises a loop that conveys a fluid (e.g., steam) down the wellbore via a injection conduit and returns ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7093655 | Method for the recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrates A method for recovering hydrocarbon trapped in a hydrate formation, comprising the steps of (a) contacting the hydrate formation with an aqueous solution comprising from 10% to 75% by weight of a salt such as potassium formate or acetate salt to liberate hydrocarbon... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7090014 | Process for sequentially applying SAGD to adjacent sections of a petroleum reservoir Steam assisted gravity drainage (“SAGD”) is practised in a first section of a reservoir containing heavy oil. When steam/oil ratio rises sufficiently, steam injection into the first section is curtailed or terminated. Non-condensible gas is then injected into th... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7077199 | In situ thermal processing of an oil reservoir formation An in situ process for treating an oil containing 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 formati... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7073577 | Array of wells with connected permeable zones for hydrocarbon recovery Hydrocarbons are recovered from a subterranean reservoir by drilling an injection well bore having an outlet in the reservoir and drilling a production well bore spaced apart from the injection well bore and having an inlet in the reservoir. A permeable zone having ... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7063145 | Methods and systems for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation in situ with an opening contacting the earth's surface at two locations In an embodiment, a method for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation may include providing heat from one or more heaters to an opening in the formation. A first end of the opening may contact the earth's surface at a first location and a second end of the openi... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7032675 | Thermally-controlled valves and methods of using the same in a wellbore Methods of operating a downhole tool comprise thermally-controlling the tool by sensing a temperature and controlling the tool in response to the sensed temperature. Thermally-controlled downhole tools comprise a control element responsive to a change in temperature... | 04/25/2006 |
| 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 |
| 6966374 | In situ thermal recovery from a relatively permeable formation using gas to increase mobility A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heat sources to a selected section of th... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6964300 | In situ thermal recovery from a relatively permeable formation with backproduction through a heater wellbore A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heat sources to a selected section of th... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6932155 | In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation via backproducing through a heater well A process for producing hydrocarbons through a heater wellbore positioned in a hydrocarbon containing formation. The in situ treatment process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed, in som... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6883607 | Method and apparatus for stimulating heavy oil production A process for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon bearing formation having an extraction chamber where the extraction chamber has an extraction surface. The process has the steps of heating a solvent, such as propane, and then placing the solvent into th... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6877555 | In situ thermal processing of an oil shale formation while inhibiting coking An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Heat may be provided to a portion of the formation. Heat may be allowed to transfer from one or more heat sources to a section of the formation. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formati... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6722431 | In situ thermal processing of hydrocarbons within a relatively permeable 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 first portion of the formation to mobilize hydrocarbons within... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6708759 | Liquid addition to steam for enhancing recovery of cyclic steam stimulation or LASER-CSS LASER-CSS provides a method to improve cyclic steam-based thermal recovery methods for heavy oils and bitumen. A key improvement over prior art consists of mixing liquid hydrocarbons into the injected steam instead of injecting such hydrocarbon as a separate slug in... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6619396 | Method of producing petroleum The present invention relates to an oil production method for producing oil from an oil-containing reservoir with using horizontal wells, by drilling a gas injection well and a production well to be locate at an appropriate distance between them, dependin... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6536523 | Water treatment process for thermal heavy oil recovery There is disclosed a method and apparatus for treating produced water from a heavy oil thermal recovery unit to achieve water recovery and recycle levels of greater than 80% and as high as 100% to achieve zero discharge criteria. The method includes the i... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6257334 | Steam-assisted gravity drainage heavy oil recovery process A pair of vertically spaced, parallel, co-extensive, horizontal injection and production wells and a laterally spaced, horizontal offset well are provided in a subterranean reservoir containing heavy oil. Fluid communication is established across the span... | 07/10/2001 |
| 6186232 | Enhanced oil recovery by altering wettability A process is disclosed for enhancing oil recovery in oil-containing reservoirs formed of water-wet sand. The process involves placing oil-wet sand in the near-bore region of a production well. The process can be used to provide an improvement to both a co... | 02/13/2001 |
| 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 |
| 6102622 | Remediation method A method is provided to remove contaminants that are more dense than water from a contaminated volume of earth, the contaminants pooled above a layer of earth, the method comprising the steps of: providing an essentially horizontal wellbore along the inte... | 08/15/2000 |
| 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 |
| 6050335 | In-situ production of bitumen A system for in-situ production of bitumen comprises a steam injection well system which comprises a number of lateral sections that traverse the bitumen bearing formation partly above a basal water transition and/or thief zone such that a tip of each lat... | 04/18/2000 |
| 6039121 | Enhanced lift method and apparatus for the production of hydrocarbons extending into a hot subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation containing water at greater than 100° C. The wellbore is divided into three co-extensive passageways; an annulus, and first and second conduits. The annulus is formed within the wellbore bet... | 03/21/2000 |
| 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 |
| 6012520 | Hydrocarbon recovery methods by creating high-permeability webs A gravity-drainage hydrocarbon recovery method is provided to produce oil and gas from subterranean formations. A substantially horizontal high-permeability web is created at the bottom portion of an oil reservoir. The web is connected to a production wel... | 01/11/2000 |
| 5988278 | Using a horizontal circular wellbore to improve oil recovery A method for increasing the recovery of oil from a subterranean formation having at least one producer wellbore drilled therein, whereby a generally horizontal and generally circular wellbore is drilled so that oil is located between the generally horizon... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5957202 | Combination production of shallow heavy crude Techniques are disclosed for the safe production of shallow heavy oil sands which substantially reduce the probability of surface steam breakthrough. A pattern of injection wells and producing wells are drilled through the overburden into a relatively sha... | 09/28/1999 |
| 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 |
| 5826655 | Method for enhanced recovery of viscous oil deposits Methods and apparatus for enhanced and improved viscous oil recovery are disclosed. A horizontal well is drilled through the viscous oil formation. A specially designed steam stinger is used to inject steam substantially uniformly into the entire horizont... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5511616 | Hydrocarbon recovery method using inverted production wells A method using an "inverted" production well for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir wherein the production wellbore has a substantially vertical, non-inverted portion with angle building to near 90°; an integral, substantially horizont... | 04/30/1996 |
