Satellite steam-assisted gravity drainage with oxygen (sagdox) system for remote recovery of hydrocarbons

Abstract

A SAGDOX satellite system for recovering hydrocarbons includes a central SAGDOX site, at least one SAGDOX satellite site, and a pipeline corridor for communication between the central SAGDOX site and the SAGDOX satellite site. The satellite system is designed to recover hydrocarbons using a SAGDOX process at the satellite site and transfer recovered hydrocarbons to the central site.

1 . A SAGDOX satellite system for recovering hydrocarbons, the system comprising a central SAGDOX site, at least one SAGDOX satellite site, and a pipeline corridor for communication between the central SAGDOX site and the SAGDOX satellite site, wherein the satellite system is designed to recover hydrocarbons using a SAGDOX process at the satellite site and transfer recovered hydrocarbons to the central site. 
     
     
         2 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one SAGDOX satellite site is distant said central SAGDOX site from 9 km to 160 km. 
     
     
         3 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 2  wherein said distance is from 10 km to 100 km. 
     
     
         4 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 1  wherein the central site comprises:
 (a) an oil/water separation unit, 
 (b) an oil collection unit, 
 (c) a water treatment unit, and 
 (d) an oxygen generation unit, 
 the satellite site comprises: 
 (a) a boiler for steam generation, 
 (b) at least one steam injection well, 
 (c) at least one oxygen injection well, and 
 (d) a bitumen recovery well, 
 and the pipeline corridor comprises: 
 (a) an oxygen supply pipe, 
 (b) a treated water supply pipe, 
 (c) a natural gas supply pipe, and 
 (d) a bitumen and water recovery pipe. 
 
     
     
         5 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 4  wherein the recovered oil/water emulsion is further combined with a diluent at the satellite site, and the pipeline corridor further comprises a pipe for delivering said diluent to the satellite site. 
     
     
         6 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 4  wherein the satellite site further comprises a vent gas treating unit for sequestering CO 2  and/or other produced gases. 
     
     
         7 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 1  wherein each central unit has more than one satellite unit attached to it with one or more pipeline corridors. 
     
     
         8 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 7  wherein at the satellite site the steam and oxygen mixture is injected into an underground chamber in one of the following ways: the mixture is a) simultaneously injected into the same well, b) simultaneously injected into several wells or c) steam and oxygen are separately injected into separated wells for steam and oxygen and the mixture take place in the underground chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 8  wherein the concentration of oxygen in the steam and oxygen mixture of the SAGDOX is from 5% to 50% (v/v). 
     
     
         10 . The SAGDOX satellite system of  claim 8  wherein the concentration of oxygen in the steam and oxygen mixture of the SAGDOX is from 10% to 40% (v/v). 
     
     
         11 . The SAGDOX satellite of  claim 8  wherein the concentration of oxygen in the steam and oxygen mixture is about 35% (v/v). 
     
     
         12 . A process of upgrading an existing SAGD facility by transforming it into an SAGDOX satellite system, the process comprises:
 installing an oxygen generation unit at the central SAGD facility,   providing at least one remotely located SAGDOX satellite site, and   providing at least one pipeline corridor between the central facility to the at least one satellite site, said corridor having additional pipes for oxygen supply and pipes for produced water and natural gas supply, such that while the oxygen, water and natural gas are supplied to the satellite site; oxygen with generated steam is injected into an underground formation; and recovered from the underground formation, bitumen with water emulsion is pumped back to the central site, then the bitumen is separated from the water, and treated water is sent back to the satellite site for steam generation.   
     
     
         13 . A process for recovering bitumen from a satellite bitumen production site and delivering bitumen to a central facility, whereby:
 (a) locating the satellite site more than 10 km from the central facility,   (b) linking the satellite site and the central facility via a pipeline corridor, this corridor containing pipes to provide treated water, suitable for boiler use, from the central site; providing oxygen gas from the central facility to the satellite, for SAGDOX; providing produced fluids (bitumen and water) to the central facility from the satellite site, and   (c) recovering bitumen at the satellite site via the SAGDOX process.   
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the produced fluids (bitumen and water) are conveyed from the satellite site to the central facility in a push-water system. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the produced fluids (bitumen and water) are conveyed as a stabilized emulsion, with a chemical stabilizer added at the satellite site. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 13  whereby a diluent is also delivered to the satellite site and blended with produced fluids (water and bitumen) for transport back to the central facility. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 13  wherein natural gas or fuel gas is also provided to the satellite site, from the central facility by the pipeline corridor, as a boiler fuel. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 17  wherein electricity is also transported from the central facility to/from the satellite site. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 18  wherein a produced gas (CO 2 ) pipeline is added to convey SAGDOX vent gas from the satellite site to the central facility. 
     
     
         20 . A process according to  claim 13  wherein an existing SAGD satellite is converted to SAGDOX, utilizing the existing steam capacity at the site. 
     
     
         21 . A process according to  claim 13  wherein produced water is separated at the satellite site, wherein the diluted bitumen, is conveyed back to the central facility generally free from excess water.