System and method for extracting petroleum and generating electricity using natural gas or local petroleum

Abstract

One embodiment is a method for extracting oil from a near-depleted oil well. A portable natural gas, methane, or petroleum reformer is brought to a site of the oil well. A quantity of natural gas, methane, or a portion of the locally produced petroleum and a quantity of water is fed into the reformer. The natural gas, methane, or petroleum is reacted with the water in the reformer to generate a driver gas containing a mixture of hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas. The driver gas is compressed to a pressure appropriate for the oil well, the driver gas is injected into the oil well, and the oil is recovered from the near-depleted oil well. In one embodiment, sulfur is first removed from the natural gas or crude petroleum. Another embodiment is a method for generating electricity without greenhouse gas emissions. The driver gas is separated into a substantially hydrogen stream and a substantially carbon dioxide stream prior to injecting the driver gas into the oil well, and the hydrogen stream is used to generate electricity.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A portable oil recovery apparatus for extracting oil from an oil well, comprising:
 a portable reformer for reacting a quantity of methane or natural gas with a quantity of water to generate a driver gas comprising hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, wherein sufficient water is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the methane or natural gas is converted directly into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas in a single step;   a gas separator module having a hydrogen outlet and a carbon dioxide outlet, operatively coupled to the portable methane or natural gas reformer and adapted to separate at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the driver gas;   a power generator module having a hydrogen inlet operatively coupled to the hydrogen outlet of the gas separator module, and adapted to generate electric power using the hydrogen gas received from the gas separator module via the hydrogen inlet;   a compressor module having a carbon dioxide inlet operatively coupled to the carbon dioxide outlet of the gas separator module and adapted to compress the carbon dioxide gas separated by the gas separator module to a pressure appropriate for the oil well; and   a carbon dioxide output on the compressor module adapted to eject the compressed carbon dioxide gas out of the portable apparatus and into the oil well.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide gas is injected into the oil well. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a heat recovery module operatively connected to the portable reformer and adapted to recover a portion of heat released by the portable reformer.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a steam generator module adapted to convert water into steam, wherein the steam generator module is positioned adjacent to the power generator module such that heat from the power generator module is used to convert water into steam entering the portable reformer.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the portable reformer is a fixed bed reformer. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a reaction chamber for reacting a quantity of oxygen with a combustible material, wherein energy released from combustion of the oxygen and the combustible material in the reaction chamber is used to heat the portable reformer in order to reform the natural gas or methane and the water in the portable reformer into the driver gas.   
     
     
         22 . A method for extracting oil from an oil field utilizing natural gas or methane, comprising:
 delivering the portable natural gas or methane reformer of  claim 16  to a site of the oil field;   feeding a quantity of natural gas or methane and a quantity of water into the reformer;   reacting the natural gas or methane and the water in a reaction chamber of the reformer at a pressure of no more than 50 bar and a temperature of at least 600 degrees C. to generate a gas mixture comprising predominantly hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas; wherein a predominant portion of the natural gas or methane and water is converted into the gas mixture;   separating a portion of hydrogen gas from the gas mixture to generate a driver gas that is predominantly carbon dioxide, wherein the driver gas is miscible with the oil in the oil field and wherein the driver gas is compressed to an appropriate pressure and injected into the oil field via an outlet port fluidly connected to the compressor and the reformer for recovery of oil from the oil field; and   utilizing the separated portion of hydrogen gas in an industrial process,   wherein predominantly all of the gas mixture contributes to either the separated hydrogen gas for use in an industrial process or to the driver gas injected into the oil field.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 adding an oxidizer to the portable reformer; and   reacting the oxidizer with the natural gas or methane in the portable reformer in order to increase the efficiency of the reforming reaction.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 separating the driver gas into a substantially hydrogen stream and a substantially carbon dioxide stream prior to injecting the driver gas into the oil well.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the carbon dioxide stream is injected into the oil well and the hydrogen stream is used to generate power. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 removing sulfur from the natural gas or methane before feeding the natural gas or methane into the portable reformer.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the natural gas or methane is delivered to the site of the oil field via a pipeline. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the natural gas or methane is produced locally at or near the oil field. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the natural gas is unrefined natural gas. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the natural gas is refined natural gas. 
     
     
         31 . A portable oil recovery apparatus for extracting oil from an oil well, comprising:
 a portable reformer for reacting a quantity of crude oil with a quantity of water to generate driver gas comprising hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, wherein sufficient water is provided to ensure that crude oil is converted directly into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas in a single step;   a gas separator module having a hydrogen outlet and a carbon dioxide outlet, operatively coupled to the portable crude oil reformer and adapted to separate at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the driver gas;   a power generator module having a hydrogen inlet operatively coupled to the hydrogen outlet of the gas separator module, and adapted to generate electric power using the hydrogen gas received from the gas separator module via the hydrogen inlet;   a compressor module having a carbon dioxide inlet operatively coupled to the carbon dioxide outlet of the gas separator module and adapted to compress the carbon dioxide gas separated by the gas separator module to a pressure appropriate for the oil well; and   a carbon dioxide output on the compressor module adapted to eject the compressed carbon dioxide gas out of the portable apparatus and into the oil well.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide gas is injected into the oil well. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a heat recovery module operatively connected to the portable reformer and adapted to recover a portion of heat released by the portable reformer.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a steam generator module adapted to convert water into steam, wherein the steam generator module is positioned adjacent to the power generator module such that heat from the power generator module is used to convert water into steam entering the portable reformer.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the portable reformer is a fixed bed reformer. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a reaction chamber for reacting a quantity of oxygen with a combustible material, wherein energy released from combustion of the oxygen and the combustible material in the reaction chamber is used to heat the portable reformer in order to reform the crude oil and the water in the portable reformer into the driver gas.   
     
     
         37 . A method for extracting oil from an oil field utilizing crude oil, comprising:
 delivering the portable crude oil reformer of  claim 31  to a site of the oil field;   feeding a quantity of crude oil and a quantity of water into the reformer;   reacting the crude oil and the water in a reaction chamber of the reformer at a pressure of no more than 50 bar and a temperature of at least 600 degrees C. to generate a gas mixture comprising hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas;   separating a portion of hydrogen gas from the gas mixture to generate a driver gas that is predominantly carbon dioxide, wherein the driver gas is miscible with the oil in the oil field and wherein the driver gas is compressed to an appropriate pressure and injected into the oil field via an outlet port fluidly connected to the compressor and the reformer for recovery of oil from the oil field; and   utilizing the separated portion of hydrogen gas in an industrial process.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 adding an oxidizer to the portable reformer; and   reacting the oxidizer with the crude oil in the portable reformer in order to increase the efficiency of the reforming reaction.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 separating the driver gas into a substantially hydrogen stream and a substantially carbon dioxide stream prior to injecting the driver gas into the oil well.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the carbon dioxide stream is injected into the oil well and the hydrogen stream is used to generate power. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 removing sulfur from the crude oil before feeding the crude oil into the portable reformer.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the crude oil is delivered to the site of the oil field via a pipeline. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the crude oil is produced locally at or near the oil field.