Enhancing the start-up of resource recovery processes

Abstract

A method and systems are provided for the enhancement of a start-up of a resource recovery process. The system includes a well pair including a production well at a first elevation and an injection well at a higher elevation. The well pair is configured to force an initial fluid communication between the production well and the injection well to occur at a selected region along a completion of the production well and a completion of the injection well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for enhancing a start-up of a resource recovery process, comprising a well pair comprising a production well at a first elevation and an injection well at a higher elevation, wherein the well pair is configured to force an initial fluid communication between the production well and the injection well to occur at a selected region along a completion of the production well and a completion of the injection well. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the resource recovery process comprises a thermal based gravity drainage process, a thermal-solvent based gravity drainage process, or a solvent based gravity drainage process. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selected region comprises a toe of a liner of the production well or a toe of a liner of the injection well, or both. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selected region comprises a desired location for the initial fluid communication between the production well and the injection well. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a vertical separation or a lateral separation, or both, between the production well and the injection well is modified to force the initial fluid communication to occur at the selected region. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the vertical separation or the lateral separation, or both, between the production well and the injection well is modified at several locations to force the initial fluid communication to occur at several selected regions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a temporary obstruction along the completion of the production well or the completion of the injection well, wherein the temporary obstruction does not obstruct the selected region, and wherein the temporary obstruction forces the initial fluid communication to occur at the selected region. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a solvent injection system for selectively injecting a solvent into the production well or the injection well, or both, to force the initial fluid communication to occur at the selected region. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a steam injection system for selectively injecting steam into the production well or the injection well, or both, to force the initial fluid communication to occur at the selected region. 
     
     
         10 . A method for enhancing a start-up of a resource recovery process, comprising:
 drilling a well pair through a reservoir, wherein the well pair comprises a production well at a first elevation and an injection well at a higher elevation; and   establishing fluid communication between the production well and the injection well by forcing an initial fluid communication to occur at a selected region along a well completion.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the selected region comprises a toe of a liner of the production well or a toe of a liner of the injection well, or both. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the selected region comprises a desired location for the initial fluid communication between the production well and the injection well. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the well completion comprise a completion of the production well or a completion of the injection well, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein establishing the initial fluid communication comprises adjusting a separation between the production well and the injection well at the selected region. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising adjusting the separation between the production well and the injection well at several locations along a completion of the production well and a completion of the injection well to force the initial fluid communication to occur at several selected regions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising adjusting a vertical separation or a lateral separation, or any combination thereof, between the production well and the injection well at the selected region. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein establishing the initial fluid communication comprises selectively and temporarily obstructing one or more regions of a completion of the production well or the injection well, or both, in order to ensure that the initial fluid communication occurs at the selected region. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein establishing the initial fluid communication comprises selectively injecting a solvent or steam, or any combination thereof, into the production well or the injection well, or both, to accelerate an establishment of the initial fluid communication at the selected region. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising inserting a toe tubing string into a liner of the production well or a liner of the injection well, or both, wherein the toe tubing string is used to selectively inject the solvent or the steam, or any combination thereof, into the production well or the injection well, or both, at the selected region. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising injecting the solvent into the production well and injecting the steam into the injection well to provide for an establishment of the initial fluid communication at the selected region. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the resource recovery process comprises a thermal, thermal-solvent, or solvent based recovery process. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the resource recovery process comprises a gravity drainage based recovery process. 
     
     
         23 . A system for harvesting resources from a reservoir, comprising:
 a reservoir comprising hydrocarbons; and   a well pair, wherein the well pair comprises a production well and an injection well, and wherein the well pair is configured to:
 establish fluid communication between the production well and the injection well by forcing an initial fluid communication to occur at one or more selected regions along a completion of the production well or a completion of the injection well, or any combination thereof; and 
 enable a recovery of resources through a gravity drainage based recovery process once fluid communication has been established. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein a lateral separation or a vertical separation, or both, between the production well and the injection well is changed at the one or more selected regions to force the initial fluid communication to occur in proximity to the one or more selected regions. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , comprising a solvent injection system for selectively injecting a solvent into the production well or the injection well, or both, at the one or more selected regions to force the initial fluid communication to occur at the one or more selected regions. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the solvent injection system comprises a toe tubing string for selectively injecting the solvent at the one or more selected regions. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , comprising a steam injection system for selectively injecting steam into the production well or the injection well, or both, at the one or more selected regions to force the initial fluid communication to occur at the one or more selected regions. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , comprising one or more temporary and selective obstructions within the completion of the production well and the completion of the injection well, wherein the one or more temporary and selective obstructions force the initial fluid communication to occur at the one or more selected regions. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the resources comprise hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid communication between the production well and the injection well begins with the initial fluid communication at the one or more selected regions and continues along both directions of the completion of the production well and the completion of the injection well starting from the one or more selected regions.