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 I 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 I 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.