Enhanced oil recovery systems and methods

Abstract

There is disclosed a system for producing oil and/or gas comprising a mechanism for recovering oil and/or gas from an under-ground formation, the oil and/or gas comprising natural gas; a mechanism for converting at least a portion of the natural gas from the recovered oil and/or gas into an enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation; and a mechanism for releasing at least a portion of the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation.

1 . A system for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 a mechanism for recovering oil and/or gas from an underground formation, the oil and/or gas comprising natural gas;   a mechanism for converting at least a portion of the natural gas from the recovered oil and/or gas into an enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation; and   a mechanism for releasing at least a portion of the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mechanism for recovering comprises a well in the underground formation and a recovery facility at a topside of the well;   wherein the mechanism for converting comprises a converting facility fluidly connected to the recovery facility; and   wherein the converting facility is adapted to produce the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation from at least a portion of the natural gas recovered from the well.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mechanism for recovering comprises a first well drilled in the underground formation for recovering the oil and/or gas, and a production facility at a topside of the first well; and   
       wherein the mechanism for releasing the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation comprises a second well in the underground formation for releasing the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first well is at a distance of 15 meters to 250 kilometers from the second well. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the underground formation is beneath a body of water, and/or the mechanism for converting is above the body of water, such as a production platform; floating production, storage, and offshore loading vessel (FPSO); or a tension leg platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for injecting water and/or steam, the mechanism adapted to inject water and/or steam into the underground formation after the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation has been released into the formation. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for converting comprises a reformer to convert at least a portion of the natural gas into a syngas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the mechanism for converting comprises: a reactor for reacting at least a portion of the syngas to create the enhanced oil recovery solvent. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced oil recovery solvent comprises:
 less than 70 mol % methane;   from 5 to 40 mol % propane;   from 3 to 30 mol % butane; and   from 1 to 20 mol % pentane.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced oil recovery solvent comprises:
 less than 40 mol % methane;   from 15 to 25 mol % propane;   from 5 to 15 mol % butane; and   from 3 to 10 mol % pentane.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for separating the natural gas into a first stream to be converted into the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation, and a second stream to be mixed with the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation and released into the formation. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first stream comprises methane and ethane. 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing oil and/or gas comprising:
 recovering oil and/or gas from an underground formation, the oil and/or gas comprising natural gas;   converting at least a portion of the natural gas from the recovered oil and/or gas into an enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation; and   releasing at least a portion of the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising recovering the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation from the oil and/or gas, if present, and then injecting at least a portion of the recovered enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein releasing comprises injecting at least a portion of the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation in a mixture with one or more of hydrocarbons; water in the form of liquid and/or vapor; natural gas other than enhanced oil recovery solvent; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising heating the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation prior to injecting the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation into the formation, or while within the formation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein another material is injected into the formation after the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation is injected, for example the another material selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, water in the form of liquid and/or vapor, natural gas, carbon dioxide, and/or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation is injected at a pressure from 0 to 37,000 kilopascals above the initial reservoir pressure, measured prior to when enhanced oil recovery solvent injection begins. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein any oil, as present in the underground formation prior to the injecting the enhanced oil recovery solvent formulation, has a viscosity from 0.14 cp to 6 million cp, for example a viscosity from 0.3 cp to 30,000 cp, or from 5 cp to 5,000 cp. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , 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 14 , 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.