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 well in the formation; a mechanism to inject a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the first well; a second well in the formation; a mechanism to produce oil and/or gas from the second well; wherein the first well and the second well comprise an interior of the system; a plurality of containment wells exterior to the first well and the second well; and a mechanism to inject a containment agent into the containment wells.

1 . A system for producing oil and/or gas from an underground formation comprising:
 a first well in the formation;   a mechanism to inject a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into the first well;   a second well in the formation;   a mechanism to produce oil and/or gas from the second well;   wherein the first well and the second well comprise an interior of the system;   a plurality of containment wells exterior to the first well and the second well; and   a mechanism to inject a containment agent into the containment wells.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first well is at a distance of 10 meters to 1 kilometer from the second well. 
     
     
         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 , further comprising a first array of wells comprising from 5 to 500 wells, and a second array of wells comprising 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 well comprises a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation profile in the formation, and the second well 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 containment agent is selected from the group consisting of a refrigerant, water, brine, peroxide, peroxide solutions, nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, natural gas, other C 1 -C 15  hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the containment agent comprises water. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second well produces the containment agent. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second well produces the containment agent, the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation, and oil and/or gas. 
     
     
         16 . A method for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 injecting a carbon disulfide formulation into a formation from a first well;   producing oil and/or gas from the formation from a second well; and   injecting a containment agent into the formation from a plurality of containment wells.   
     
     
         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 . A method for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 injecting a miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation into a formation from a first well;   producing oil and/or gas from the formation from a second well; and   injecting a containment agent into the formation from plurality of containment wells.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 injecting an immiscible enhanced oil recovery formulation after injecting the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation, to push the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation through the formation.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the miscible enhanced oil recovery formulation comprises a carbon disulfide formulation.