Dense Slurry Production Methods and Systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing a dense oil sand slurry from subsurface reservoirs are provided. The methods include reducing pressure at a producer pipe inlet to draw a dense slurry into the producer pipe using a jet pump, generating a diluted dense slurry using the jet pump, and lifting the diluted dense slurry through the producer pipe utilizing a slurry lift apparatus, which may be a fluid lift apparatus. The systems include a producer pipe into an oil sand reservoir, a jet pump configured to generate a low pressure region around the opening of the producer pipe to draw the dense slurry into the producer pipe and dilute the dense slurry to form a diluted dense slurry; and a gas lift apparatus configured to lift the diluted dense slurry through the producer pipe towards the surface of the earth.

1 . A method for producing a dense slurry, comprising:
 reducing a pressure at a producer pipe inlet to draw the dense slurry into a producer pipe from a subsurface formation, wherein the pressure is reduced using a jet pump to direct a power fluid towards the producer pipe inlet at an initial flow rate;   mixing the power fluid and the dense slurry utilizing the jet pump to form a diluted dense slurry;   flowing the diluted dense slurry into the producer pipe at the initial flow rate; and   lifting the diluted dense slurry through the producer pipe utilizing a slurry lift apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the slurry lift apparatus is a fluid lift apparatus utilizing a lift fluid, wherein the lift fluid is less dense than the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the lift fluid is a gas. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the slurry lift apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a progressive cavity pump, and electric submersible pump, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising conditioning the subsurface formation to form the dense slurry. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the jet pump comprises an array of spray nozzles to further dilute the dense slurry or the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , the jet pump comprising a power fluid conduit and the gas lift apparatus further comprising a compressed fluid conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the compressed fluid conduit is configured in a manner selected from the group consisting of: adjacent to each of the producer pipe and the power fluid conduit, concentric with the producer pipe and adjacent to the power fluid conduit, concentric with the power fluid conduit and adjacent to the producer pipe, and concentric with each of the producer pipe and the power fluid conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dense slurry contains from about thirty volume percent (30 vol %) to about 65 vol % sand concentration. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diluted dense slurry is lifted at a rate of between about 200 cubic meters per day (m 3 /d) to about 3,000 m 3 /d. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diluted dense slurry contains from about twenty-five volume percent (25 vol %) to about 50 vol % sand concentration. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diluted dense slurry is lifted at least about 250 feet through the producer pipe. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the producer pipe has an inner diameter of from about 0.1 meters (m) to about 0.4 m. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising separating bitumen from the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein conditioning the subsurface reservoir comprises a fluidized in-situ reservoir extraction (FIRE) process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, a hydrocarbon solvent, a heated fluid, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, flue gas, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the jet pump is operated to induce cavitation in the diluted dense slurry to increase the mixing of the power fluid and the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         19 . A system for producing hydrocarbons, comprising:
 a well bore containing a producer pipe extending through an overburden below a surface of the earth into an oil sand reservoir, the producer pipe having at least one opening configured to permit the flow of a dense slurry into the producer pipe from the oil sand reservoir;   a jet pump incorporated into the well bore configured to inject a power fluid at a rate sufficient to generate a low pressure region around the at least one opening of the producer pipe to draw the dense slurry from the oil sand reservoir into the producer pipe and dilute the dense slurry to form a diluted dense slurry; and   a slurry lift apparatus configured to lift the diluted dense slurry through the producer pipe towards the surface of the earth.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the slurry lift apparatus is a fluid lift apparatus utilizing a lift fluid, wherein the lift fluid is less dense than the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the lift fluid is a gas. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the slurry lift apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a progressive cavity pump, and electric submersible pump, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a fluidized in-situ reservoir extraction (FIRE) system for conditioning the oil sand reservoir. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20 , the jet pump comprising a power fluid conduit and the gas lift apparatus further comprising a compressed gas conduit. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the compressed gas conduit is configured in a manner selected from the group consisting of: adjacent to each of the producer pipe and the power fluid conduit, concentric with the producer pipe and adjacent to the power fluid conduit, concentric with the power fluid conduit and adjacent to the producer pipe, and concentric with each of the producer pipe and the power fluid conduit. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , the jet pump further comprising an array of spray nozzles configured to further dilute the dense slurry. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising an additional slurry dilution conduit configured to permit flow of power fluid from the power fluid conduit to the producer pipe. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the power fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, a hydrocarbon solvent, a heated fluid, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the dense slurry is lifted at a rate of between about 200 cubic meters per day (m 3 /d) to about 3,000 m 3 /d. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the diluted oil sand slurry is lifted at least about 250 feet through the producer pipe. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the producer pipe has an inner diameter of from about 0.1 meters (m) to about 0.4 m. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the dense slurry contains from about thirty volume percent (30 vol %) to about 65 vol % sand concentration. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the diluted dense slurry contains from about twenty-five volume percent (25 vol %) to about 50 vol % sand concentration. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the jet pump is operated to induce cavitation in the diluted dense slurry to increase the mixing of the power fluid and the diluted dense slurry. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flow can be redirected between the jet pump nozzle and a conduit opened into the well.