Oilfield application of solar energy collection

Abstract

Solar energy is collected and used for various industrial processes, such as oilfield applications, e.g. generating steam that is injected downhole, enabling enhanced oil recovery. Solar energy is indirectly collected using a heal transfer fluid in a solar collector, delivering heat to a heat exchanger that in turn delivers heal into oilfield feedwater, producing hotter water or steam. Solar energy is directly collected by directly generating steam with solar collectors, and then injecting the steam downhole. Solar energy is collected to preheat water that is then fed into fuel-fired steam generators that in turn produce steam for downhole injection. Solar energy is collected to produce electricity via a Rankine cycle turbine generator, and rejected heat warms feedwater for fuel-fired steam generators. Solar energy is collected (directly or indirectly) to deliver heat to a heater-treater, with optional fuel-fired additional heat generation.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An oil recovery system, comprising:
 a solar collector, including:
 a reflector positioned to receive and redirect solar radiation; and 
 a receiver positioned to receive radiation redirected by the reflector; 
   a turbine generator having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being thermally coupled to the receiver to receive heat collected at the receiver;   a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the outlet and to a source of feed water to transfer heat from the outlet to the feed water;   a fuel-fired steam generator operatively coupled to the heat exchanger to heat the feed water; and   a steam distribution system operatively coupled to the fuel-fired steam generator to receive steam from the fuel-fired steam generator, the steam distribution system being coupled to at least one oilfield steam injection well.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a heat transfer fluid carried by the receiver and wherein the inlet of the turbine generator is coupled to the receiver to receive the heat transfer fluid. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the heat transfer fluid includes water. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, and wherein the system further comprises:
 a first heat transfer fluid carried by the receiver; 
 a second heat transfer fluid carried by the turbine generator; and 
 a second heat exchanger coupled between the receiver and the turbine generator to transfer heat from the first heat transfer fluid to the second heat transfer fluid. 
 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a synthetic oil. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a molten salt. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30  wherein the second heat transfer fluid includes an organic fluid. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the turbine generator is a Rankine cycle generator. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the reflector includes a parabolic trough reflector, and wherein the receiver incudes an elongated conduit. 
     
     
         36 . A method for extracting oil, comprising:
 concentrating solar energy to generate heat;   directing at least a first portion of the heat to a turbine generator;   rejecting at least a second portion of the heat from the turbine generator;   heating feed water with at least some of the second portion of the heat rejected from the turbine generator;   further heating the feed water with a fuel fired steam generator; and   directing the further heated feed water to at least one oilfield injection well.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein concentrating solar energy includes focusing the solar energy with a parabolic trough reflector onto a linear conduit. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein directing at least the first portion of the heat to the turbine generator includes directing a heat transfer fluid from a solar collector into the turbine generator. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the heat transfer fluid includes water. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36  wherein directing at least the first portion of the heat to the turbine generator includes:
 directing a first heat transfer fluid from a solar concentrator to a heat exchanger; 
 transferring heat from the first heat transfer fluid to a second heat transfer fluid at the heat exchanger; and 
 directing the second heat transfer fluid into the turbine generator. 
 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a synthetic oil. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a molten salt. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the second heat transfer fluid includes an organic liquid. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 36  wherein heating feed water with at least some of the second portion of the heat rejected from the turbine generator includes heating the feed water at a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         45 . An oil recovery system, comprising:
 a solar collector, including:
 a reflector positioned to receive and redirect solar radiation; and 
 a receiver positioned to receive radiation redirected by the reflector; and 
   a heater-treater unit coupled to the solar collector to receive heat from the solar collector.   
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45  wherein the heater-treater unit is configured to heat constituents of a fluid mixture extracted from an oil field during an enhanced oil recovery operation, and wherein the system further comprises a steam distribution system operatively coupled to at least one oilfield production well to receive the fluid mixture and direct the liquid mixture to the heater-treater unit. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 45 , further comprising a fuel-fired heater coupled to at least one of the heater-treater or the solar collector to supplement heat generated by the solar collector. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the fuel-fired heater includes a firetube heater. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 45 , further comprising a heat transfer fluid carried by the receiver and wherein the heater-treater unit is coupled to the receiver to receive the heat transfer fluid. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the heat transfer fluid includes water. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 a first heat transfer fluid carried by the receiver;   a second heat transfer fluid carried by the heater-treater unit; and   a heat exchanger coupled between the receiver and the heater-treater unit to transfer heat from the first heat transfer fluid to the second heat transfer fluid.   
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a synthetic oil. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51  wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a molten salt. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 51  wherein the second heat transfer fluid includes an organic fluid. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 45 , further comprising a thermal energy storage system coupled to the solar collector to store heat generated by the solar collector. 
     
     
         56 . A method for processing extracted oil, comprising:
 concentrating solar energy via a solar collector to generate heat; and   directing at least one portion of the heat to a heater-treater unit.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising:
 directing an oil-containing mixture from an oil extraction well to the heater-treater unit; and   at the heater-treater unit, separating oil from the oil-containing mixture using the at least one portion of heat   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein separating includes separating the oil from water. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57  wherein separating includes separating the oil from a gas. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising heating the oil-containing mixture with a fuel-fired heater. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising storing at least some of the heat generated at the solar collector, at a thermal energy storage system. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 57  wherein separating oil from the oil-containing mixture is performed without combusting fuel to heat the oil-containing mixture.