Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas

Abstract

A system for producing oil and/or gas from an underground formation comprising a first array of wells dispersed above the formation; a second array of wells dispersed above the formation; wherein the first array of wells comprises a mechanism to inject a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the formation while the second array of wells comprises a mechanism to produce oil and/or gas from the formation for a first time period; a means to convert at least a portion of the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation within the formation into another compound during a second time period; and a means to recover at least a portion of the another compound during a third time period.

1 . A system for producing oil and/or gas from an underground formation comprising:
 a first array of wells dispersed above the formation; and   a second array of wells dispersed above the formation;   wherein the first array of wells comprises a mechanism to inject a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the formation while the second array of wells comprises a mechanism to produce oil and/or gas from the formation for a first time period;   a means to convert at least a portion of the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation within the formation into another compound during a second time period; and   a means to recover at least a portion of the another compound during a third time period.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a well in the first array of wells is at a distance of 10 meters to 1 kilometer from one or more adjacent wells in the second array of wells. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the underground formation is beneath a body of water. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for injecting an immiscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the formation, after the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation has been released into the formation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation selected from the group consisting of a carbon disulfide formulation, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, octane, pentane, LPG, C2-C6 aliphatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen, diesel, mineral spirits, naptha solvent, asphalt solvent, kerosene, acetone, xylene, trichloroethane, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an immiscible enhanced oil recovery formulation selected from the group consisting of water in gas or liquid form, air, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first array of wells comprises from 5 to 500 wells, and the second array of wells comprises from 5 to 500 wells. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation comprising a carbon disulfide formulation. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for producing a carbon disulfide formulation. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the underground formation comprises an oil having a viscosity from 100 to 5,000,000 centipoise. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first array of wells comprises a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation profile in the formation, and the second array of wells comprises an oil recovery profile in the formation, the system further comprising an overlap between the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation profile and the oil recovery profile. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation comprises carbon disulfide. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the another compound comprises hydrogen sulfide. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means to recover at least a portion of the another compound comprises a well to collect the another compound and convey the another compound from within the formation to a position above the formation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means to recover at least a portion of the another compound comprises a well to inject a remediation agent into the formation to displace the another compound from within the formation towards one or more other wells. 
     
     
         16 . A method for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 injecting a carbon disulfide formulation into a formation for a first time period from a first well;   producing oil and/or gas from the formation from a second well for the first time period;   converting at least a portion of the carbon disulfide formulation into another compound in situ at a conclusion of the producing oil and/or gas from the formation; and   recovering at least a portion of the another compound from the formation.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising recovering carbon disulfide formulation from the oil and/or gas, if present, and then injecting at least a portion of the recovered carbon disulfide formulation into the formation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein injecting the carbon disulfide formulation comprises injecting at least a portion of the carbon disulfide formulation into the formation in a mixture with one or more of hydrocarbons; sulfur compounds other than carbon disulfide; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The methods of  claim 16 , further comprising heating the carbon disulfide formulation prior to injecting the carbon disulfide formulation into the formation, or while within the formation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carbon disulfide formulation is injected at a pressure from 0 to 37,000 kilopascals above the initial reservoir pressure, measured prior to when carbon disulfide injection begins. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the underground formation comprises a permeability from 0.0001 to 15 Darcies, for example a permeability from 0.001 to 1 Darcy. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein any oil, as present in the underground formation prior to the injecting the carbon disulfide formulation, has a sulfur content from 0.5% to 5%, for example from 1% to 3%. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising converting at least a portion of the recovered oil and/or gas into a material selected from the group consisting of transportation fuels such as gasoline and diesel, heating fuel, lubricants, chemicals, and/or polymers. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 injecting a remediation agent into the formation for a second time period from the second well; and   producing the another compound from the formation from the first well for the second time period.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the remediation agent comprises a material selected from the group consisting of water, water and a surfactant, carbon dioxide, air, and natural gas. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the remediation agent comprises water and a polymer dissolved in the water. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein converting at least a portion of the carbon disulfide formulation into another compound comprises injecting at least one of steam, water, and peroxide into the formation. 
     
     
         28 . A method for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 injecting a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into a formation for a first time period from a first well;   producing oil and/or gas from the formation from a second well for the first time period;   converting at least a portion of the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into another compound within the formation after a conclusion of the producing oil and/or gas from the formation; and   producing at least a portion of the another compound from the formation.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 injecting an immiscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the formation for a time period after the first time period from the first well, to push the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation through the formation.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the produced oil and/or gas comprises a sulfur compound, further comprising converting at least a portion of the sulfur compound into a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation comprises a carbon disulfide formulation. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the another compound comprises hydrogen sulfide. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising heating the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 injecting a remediation agent into the formation for a second time period from the second well; and   producing the another compound from the formation from the first well for the second time period.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the remediation agent comprises at least one of water and carbon dioxide.