Thermally Assisted Oil Production Wells

Abstract

A method and system are shown that conditions an underground reservoir by flooding the reservoir with a heated fluid to transfer heat to the underground reservoir and cause oil and gas to increase flow during recovery from the underground reservoir, wherein the fluid is heated by heat from a geothermal well, or heated by heat generated by burning gas recovered from the underground reservoir, or heated by heat from both a geothermal well and heat generated by burning gas recovered from the underground reservoir, and recovering the oil and gas with the increased flow.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for recovering oil, gas or oil and gas from a reservoir beneath a surface comprising:
 at least one production pipe for receiving the oil and gas in the reservoir;   at least one pump configured to pump the oil and gas to the surface;   a casing surrounding the at least one production pipe; and   at least one heating element in parallel with the production pipe configured to provide heat to the oil and gas being pumped to the surface.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating element comprises one or more electric heating cables. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more electric heating cables are in a fluid heating chamber within the casing and surrounding the at least one production pipe, and the one or more electric heating cables radiate heat to the fluid heating chamber for heating the oil and gas being pumped to the surface in the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more electric heating cables extend into a heating cocoon surrounding a portion of the casing. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the reservoir is underwater and the portion of the casing surrounded by the heating cocoon is underwater and the heating cocoon is configured to heat the water surrounding the casing and the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one pump is further configured to pump brine or water from the reservoir to the surface, and provide pumped oil, gas and brine to a separator configured to separate oil, gas and brine. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein a portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas is provided to an electricity generator to fuel the electricity generator. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas includes flared gas. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the electricity generator provides electricity to the one or more electric heating cables. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein generation of electricity by the electricity generator creates an exhaust gas, and the exhaust gas is mixed with the separated brine to create a mixture of gas and brine that is injected into the reservoir to increase the flow of oil and gas in the reservoir to the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the mixture of gas and brine is injected into a perforated pipe positioned in the reservoir beneath the casing. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating element comprises one or more heating pipes transporting a heating substance. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the one or more heating pipes are in a fluid heating chamber within the casing and surrounding the at least one production pipe, and the one or more heating pipes include perforations and provide heat to the fluid heating chamber for heating the oil and gas being pumped to the surface in the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the one or more heating pipes extend into a heating cocoon surrounding a portion of the casing. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the one or more heating pipes include at least one heating pipe within the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one pump is further configured to pump brine or water from the reservoir to the surface, and provide pumped oil, gas and brine to a separator configured to separate oil, gas and brine. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein a portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas is provided to a heating source configured to heat a fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas includes flared gas. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the heat source is a boiler configured to heat a fluid. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the heat source creates an exhaust gas, and the exhaust gas is mixed with the separated brine by a heat exchanger and mixer to create a mixture of gas and brine that is injected into the reservoir through the one or more heating pipes to increase the flow of oil and gas in the reservoir to the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein the mixture of gas and brine is injected into a perforated pipe positioned in the reservoir beneath the casing. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein the system further comprises a plurality of horizontal bore holes in the reservoir, and wherein the one or more heating pipes extend into the plurality of horizontal bore holes. 
     
     
         23 . A method for recovering oil, gas or oil and gas from a reservoir beneath a surface comprising:
 providing at least one production pipe for receiving the oil and gas in the reservoir and a casing surrounding the at least one production pipe;   pumping oil and gas to the surface with at least one pump; and   heating the oil and gas being pumped to the surface with at least one heating element in parallel with the production pipe.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one heating element comprises one or more electric heating cables. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the one or more electric heating cables are in a fluid heating chamber within the casing and surrounding the at least one production pipe, and the one or more electric heating cables radiate heat to the fluid heating chamber for heating the oil and gas being pumped to the surface in the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the one or more electric heating cables extend into a heating cocoon surrounding a portion of the casing. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the reservoir is underwater and the portion of the casing surrounded by the heating cocoon is underwater and the heating cocoon is configured to heat the water surrounding the casing and the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising
 pumping brine or water from the reservoir to the surface by the at least one pump together with the pumped oil and gas,   providing the pumped oil, gas and brine to a separator, and   separating the oil, gas and brine.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising providing a portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas to an electricity generator to fuel the electricity generator. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas includes flared gas. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising generating electricity by the electricity generator and providing electricity to the one or more electric heating cables. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein generation of electricity by the electricity generator creates an exhaust gas, and the method further comprises mixing the exhaust gas with the separated brine to create a mixture of gas and brine and injecting the mixture into the reservoir to increase the flow of oil and gas in the reservoir to the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the mixture of gas and brine is injected into a perforated pipe positioned in the reservoir beneath the casing. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one heating element comprises one or more heating pipes. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the one or more heating pipes are in a fluid heating chamber within the casing and surrounding the at least one production pipe, and the one or more heating pipes comprise perforations and provide heat to the fluid heating chamber for heating the oil and gas being pumped to the surface in the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the one or more heating pipes extend into a heating cocoon surrounding a portion of the casing. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the one or more heating pipes include at least one heating pipe within the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 pumping brine or water in the reservoir to the surface by the at least one pump together with the pumped oil and gas,   providing the pumped oil, gas and brine to a separator, and   separating the oil, gas and brine.   
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , further comprising providing a portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas to a heating source configured to heat a fluid. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the portion of the separated oil, gas or oil and gas includes flared gas. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the heat source is a boiler configured to heat a fluid. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the heat source creates an exhaust gas, and the method further comprises mixing the exhaust gas with the separated brine to create a mixture of gas and brine and injecting the mixture into the reservoir to increase the flow of oil, gas or oil and gas in the reservoir to the at least one production pipe. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the mixture of gas and brine is injected into a perforated pipe positioned in the reservoir beneath the casing. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a plurality of horizontal bore holes in the reservoir, and   extending the one or more heating pipes into the plurality of horizontal bore holes.