50 results about "Combustion front" patented technology

The present invention is a method and apparatus for the enhanced recovery of petroleum fluids from the subsurface by in situ combustion of the hydrocarbon deposit, from injection of an oxygen rich gas and drawing off a flue gas to control the rate and propagation of the combustion front to be predominantly horizontal and propagating vertically downwards guided by the vertical highly permeable hydraulic fractures. Multiple propped vertical hydraulic fractures are constructed from the well bore into the oil sand formation and filled with a highly permeable proppant containing hydrodesulfurization and thermal cracking catalysts. The oxygen rich gas is injected via the well bore into the top of the propped fractures, the in situ hydrocarbons are ignited by a downhole burner, and the generated flue gas extracted from the bottom of the propped fractures through the well bore and mobile oil gravity drains through the propped fractures to the bottom of the well bore and pumped to the surface. The combustion front is predominantly horizontal, providing good vertical and lateral sweep, due to the flue gas exhaust control provided by the highly permeable propped fractures.

The invention provides a method for exploiting thickened oil or asphalt. The method for exploiting the thickened oil or asphalt comprises the steps that steam is injected into a stratum, and then air and an alkali compound are injected so that the air and the alkali compound can enter an underground reservoir stratum. According to the method for exploiting the thickened oil or asphalt, flowing of the thickened oil or asphalt in the reservoir stratum can be promoted. The method for exploiting the thickened oil or asphalt further comprises the steps that a combustion front is established in part of the thickened oil or asphalt in the reservoir stratum through combustion of oil in-situ, air and the alkali compound are injected into the stratum during combustion of oil in-situ, and the alkali compound makes contact with hydrocarbons at the position of the combustion front and reacts with naphthenic acid in the hydrocarbons so that a surface active agent can be formed.

Method and apparatus of producing gas pressure pulses in a dust-deposit cleaning apparatus. The apparatus comprises a combustion chamber and an amplifying horn. According to the method a combustible gas and oxygen is fed into the combustion chamber, which has a generally elongated shape, the gas mixture is ignited for generating a pressure pulse, and the pressure pulse is released from the chamber and conducted to the amplifying horn. The gas mixture is ignited to generate an initial explosion which causes a pressure wave, which is reflected from the inner walls of the chamber end to form a collision zone, in which the initial explosion is at least partially transformed into a detonation. The combustion front is reflected from the gas inlet end and compressed at the other end of the chamber and released to the amplifying horn. By means of the invention, sound levels of about 165-170 dB can be produced at low fuel consumption.

Methods and systems produce petroleum products from a formation by a steam assisted process followed by an in situ combustion process. The steam assisted process utilizes an injector and first producer to form a steam chamber within the formation as the products are recovered. The in situ combustion then starts by injecting an oxidant into the formation and ignition of residual products. A combustion front advances toward a second producer that may be offset in a lateral direction from the first producer. Heat and pressure from the in situ combustion sweeps the products ahead of the combustion front to the second producer for recovery.

The invention discloses a method for adopting linear fireflood for producing tail gas for burying and utilization. According to the method, a row of well drains in a well pattern is divided into gas-injection well drain bodies, other rows of well drains are divided into producing well drain bodies, ignition and gas injection are conducted on the first row of gas-injection well drain bodies, afterthe combustion front crosses the first row of producing well drain bodies, the first row of producing drain bodies are changed into the second row of gas-injection well drain bodies, and the first rowof gas-injection well drain bodies are changed into reinjection wells in which foam liquid and fireflood tail gas are injected; the foam liquid and the fireflood tail gas are injected into the reinjection wells, the injected foam liquid forms a foam blocking wall between the first row of gas-injection well drain bodies and the first row of producing well drain bodies, and the foam blocking well blocks the injected fireflood tail gas and the second row of gas-injection well drain bodies; meanwhile, the fireflood tail gas is buried under the wells; when the combustion front crosses the second row of producing well drain bodies, the second row of producing well drain bodies are changed into the third row of gas-injection well drain bodies, and the second row of gas-injection well drain bodies are changed into reinjection wells in which the foam liquid and the fireflood tail gas are injected; analogy is conducted gradually until the combustion front crosses the N th row of producing welldrain bodies.