Uplifted single well steam assisted gravity drainage system and process

Abstract

A Single Well Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SWSAGD) process to recover liquid hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the single well includes a single substantially horizontal well including a heel area and a toe area, wherein the toe area of the horizontal well extends upwardly into the reservoir, the process including 1- injecting steam into the reservoir via a steam injection area, proximate the toe area of the horizontal well, 2- allowing the steam to condense causing heated hydrocarbon liquids and water to drain into a liquid recovery zone of the horizontal well between the toe area and the heel area of the horizontal well, and 3- recovering the heated hydrocarbon liquids to the ground surface from the liquid recovery zone.

1 . A Single Well Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SWSAGD) process to recover liquid hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein said single well comprises a single substantially horizontal well comprising a heel area and a toe area, wherein the toe area of said horizontal well extends upwardly into the reservoir;
 said process comprising 1- injecting steam into the reservoir via a steam injection area, proximate the toe area of the horizontal well, 2- allowing the steam to condense causing heated hydrocarbon liquids and water to drain into a liquid recovery zone of the horizontal well between the toe area and the heel area of the horizontal well, and 3- recovering said heated hydrocarbon liquids to the ground surface from the liquid recovery zone.   
     
     
         2 . A SWSAGD substantially horizontal well for hydrocarbon recovery in a hydrocarbon containing reservoir in the ground, said well having a predetermined length, comprising a heel section, and a toe section distant said heel section, wherein said toe section is at a first predetermined depth in the ground and said heel section is at a second predetermined depth in the ground, such that said heel section is deeper in the ground than said toe section. 
     
     
         3 . The SWSAGD of  claim 2  wherein said SWSAGD further comprises a steam injection zone and a liquid recovery zone. 
     
     
         4 . The SWSAGD of  claim 3  wherein said steam injection zone is proximate said toe section and said liquid recovery zone is proximate said substantially horizontal well. 
     
     
         5 . The SWSAGD of  claim 2  wherein said toe section for steam injection has a length less than 20 percent of the total horizontal well length. 
     
     
         6 . The SWSAGD of  claim 2  further comprising at least one thermal packer isolating the steam injection zone from the liquid recovery zone. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon is heavy oil with a density of 10<API<20. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the hydrocarbon is bitumen with density of API<10. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the toe area for steam injection constitutes less than 20 percent of the total horizontal well length. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein steam injection has an elevation target of greater than about 2 meters above the bottom of said reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein said elevation target is achieved by drilling up-dip in a dipping reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the substantially horizontal section of the well is completed closer than 2 meters from the bottom of the reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the toe section for steam injection is shorter than 50 meters. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising isolating the steam injection from the liquid recovery zone via a packer (thermal packer). 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1  with a steam injection point at least 5 meters higher than the highest point of liquid recovery zone. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least one blank pipe section is placed between the steam injection area and liquid recovery zone. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16  wherein at least one packer is placed in the blank pipe section isolating the steam injection area from the liquid recovery zone. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising pumping produced fluids out of the well via an offset packer. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising providing an operating pressure in the reservoir sufficient to lift the produced liquids to the surface, without using an artificial lift system. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising conveying the produced liquids to the surface via a gas-lift. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising conveying steam to the toe area of the well via insulated concentric tubing.