Method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation

Abstract

Methods of generating subsurface heat for treatment of a hydrocarbon containing formation are described herein. Methods include providing steam to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation from a plurality of locations in a wellbore. The steam is hotter than a temperature of the portion. The steam is heated in the wellbore by combusting a stream comprising hydrogen sulfide in the wellbore. Heat from the combustion transfers to the steam. The steam provided the portion at a first location in the wellbore is hotter than steam provided at a second location in the wellbore along the length of the wellbore, where the first location is further from a surface of the formation than the second location along the length of the wellbore.

1 . A method of treating a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:
 providing water to one or more of the wellbores positioned in a hydrocarbon containing formation;   providing a fuel stream and an oxidant stream to one or more heaters positioned in one or more of the wellbores, wherein the fuel stream has a hydrogen sulfide content of at least 5% hydrogen sulfide by volume as determined by ASTM Method D2420;   mixing at least a portion of the fuel stream and at least a portion of the oxidant stream to form a fuel/oxidant mixture; and   combusting at least a portion of the fuel/oxidant mixture in at least one of the heaters to heat at least a portion of the water.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of transferring heat from the water heated by combustion of the fuel/oxidant mixture to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon formation. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising mobilizing at least a portion of formation fluids in the portion of the hydrocarbon with the heat transferred from the heated water to the portion of the hydrocarbon formation. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel stream comprises at least 0.01 grams of atomic sulfur per gram of fuel, wherein atomic sulfur is as determined by ASTM Method D4294. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least portion of the water is steam and/or superheated steam. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the water is provided in an outer portion of at least one of the wellbores, and at least one of the heaters is in an inner portion of the wellbore, and the inner portion of the wellbore thermally communicates with the outer portion of the wellbore such that at least a portion of the generated heat of combustion provides heat to a portion of the water to form steam. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the water is provided in an outer portion of at least one of the wellbores, and at least one of the heaters is in an inner portion of the wellbore, and the inner portion of the wellbore thermally communicates with the outer portion of the wellbore such that at least a portion of the generated heat of combustion provides heat to a portion of the water to form steam and the steam heats the fuel/oxidant mixture to a temperature at or above the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel/oxidant mixture. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the water is in the form of steam and the steam heats at least a portion of the fuel at or above the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel/oxidant mixture. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel is provided to one or more fuel conduits in at least one of the heaters, wherein at least one of the conduits provides a portion of the fuel comprising hydrogen sulfide and at least one of the conduits provides another fuel. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein combustion produces a combustion by-products stream and the method further comprises providing at least a portion of the combustion by-products stream to the hydrocarbon containing formation. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the combustion by-products stream comprises hydrogen sulfide, sulfur trioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbonyl sulfide, organosulfur compounds, water, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxidant stream comprises oxygen, air, enriched air, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein combustion produces a combustion by-products stream and the method further comprising transferring at least a portion of the generated heat to a least a portion of formation fluids in the hydrocarbon containing formation; solvating at least a portion of the heated formation fluids with at least a portion of the combustion by-products stream; and mobilizing at least a portion of heated and solvated formation fluids.