US1249232A - Apparatus for and method of recovering oil and gas. - Google Patents

Description

F. SQUIRES.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD 0F RECOVERING OIL AND GAS.

APPLICATION FILED IIINE I9, 19H.

LQQQQI. Patented Dec. 4, 191?.

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APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I9. I9l1.

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FREDERICK SQUIRES, OF. MARIETTA, OHIO, ASSIGNOB. T0 WALTER SQUIRES, OF

ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Deco et, 19t?.

Application tiled J' une 19, 1917. Serial No. 175,593.

To all whom it may concern: l A

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Sommes, a' citizen of the United States,; residing at Marietta, in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for and Methods of Recovering Oil and Gas, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for recovering oil and gas from the earth and will be found especially useful in connectionwith such recovery where the gasolene is to be removed from the recovered products. In recovering oil and gas from oil bearing strata, in fields where a natural flow is not found, it becomes necessary to introduce a pressure medium into the sands for the purpose of forcing the oil and gas therein to the venting well. 'It has been proposed to employ either air or natural gas as the pressure medium, but these media are not satisfactory, either because the expense is prohibitive as in the case of natural gas, or because an eziplosive mixture with the recovered vapor is formed as in the case of air, thereby making this medium unsafe. By the proposed method there is introduced into the oil bearing stratum a deoxidized gas, which has no market value and which, being without free oxygen, may safely be mixed with the hydrocarbons recovered without forming therewith an eXplosive mixture.

Another phase of the invention is concerned with the association with such a deoxidized gas of a liquid, such as water, which may be heated, so that these two media of different densities, enter the oil bearing sand together, the water, under pressure, serving to agitate the liquid hydrocarbons, while the deoXidized gas passes along the surface of the liquid hydrocarbon, evaporates and picks up the volatilized gases therefrom. In the :development of this improved method of afgitating and forcing the hydrocarbon products tothe venting well, it is further proposed to heat the water so that the deoXidiZed gas, when introducedunder pressure, has the heat required for its expansion furnished by the water, thereby preventing the undue chilling of the hydrocarbon products to be recovered. The conditions described approximate most nearly of all known methods those required for the most rapid and complete recovery and volatilization of oil and gas, as will appear in greater detail hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings show apparatus for the practice of the improved method in connection with the removal of gasolene from the recovered products. In the drawings- Figure `1 shows somewhat schematically complete apparatus associated respectively, with pressure and venting wells for the recovery of oil and gas from the oil bearing stratum shown and for removing the gasolene from the recovered volatilized products by the absorption method.

Fig. 2 is a view similar generally to Figi, but indicating the removal of gasolene from the recovered volatilized products by the refrigeration method.

While, as indicated hereinbefore, the general object of the invention is to improve known methods for recovering oil and gas and is concerned particularly with such methods where the gasolene is to be removed from the recovered volatilized products, it is to be understood that although some of the steps of the method may be used to adL vantage without the other steps, the apparatus illustrated has been made as complete as possible to indicate permissible variations' in the practice of the method. 'Ihe inven- 'tion is not to be limited to the precise apparatus disclosed since equivalent elements may be employed and since, as will appear later, some of the elements may be omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. The two drawings have been made up with a view to illustrating generally the practice of the improved method under different conditions, in one of which the gasolene is to be removed by what is known in the art as the absorption method, while in sai resulted therefrom. It is for this reason that objection is made in the art to the use of air as a pressure medium for recovering oil and gas from the strata since air mixed with the vapors is apt to form therewith a highly explosive mixture, and this mixture when compressed for the recovery of gasolene, may be exploded as described. Another pressure medium which has been suggested to the artis natural gas. While such a medium satisfies the requirements of safety under compression when associated With the recovered volatilized products, a large part of it is lost by absorption in the oil and its cost is prohibitive as a commercial proposition. The present problem, then, in view of the conditions briey discussed, is to provide a suitable pressure medium which shall have no commercial value and which may be combined With the recovered products with absolute safety and the resulting mixture be compressed as required. Further, it is necessary that this medium for the best results shall be nonabsorbable by the recovered hydrocarbons and shall not, of itself, be

. a'ected physically or chemically during the treatment for the removal of the gasolene.

The improved method in one aspect consists in the recovery of oil and gas from sand strata by the introduction of a deoxidized, nonabsorbable gas, and such gas available commercially in oil fields has been found lto be the Waste products of combustion of the great number of internal combustion engines used in such fields. In practising the improved method, then, such Waste products of combustion from which the free oxygen has been removed, as Will be 'understood, are collected in a reservoir and thence distributed to the pressure Wells and introduced into the oil stratum either by direct connection between the reservoir and the pressure Wells or through the interposition of a force pump. These Waste products of combustion have no commercial. value and have been found to be the most desirable medium available for the recovery of oil and gas since, having no free oxygen, they may be combined with the oil and gas without forming an explosive mixture and this mixture may be compressed to any point 'during the removal of the gasolene Without danger of explosion. Further such products of combustion are nonabsorbable by the recovered hydorcarbons and are not changed physically or chemically during the removal of gasolene so that they may themselves be recovered and used again and again.

Referring to the schematic layout of Fig. 1, it may be supposed that the products of combustion from the internal combustion -engines employed in an oil field are collected in a suitable reservoir o from Which they may be led either directly through a pipe o or through a oompressor o2 by pipes a, at to a pressure Well b having a gastight head b. The products of combustion areintroduced through this pressure Well to the oil bearing stratum c and force the oil therein to some extent, but more particularly the volatile vgas formed by evaporation above the oil, to the venting Well d from Which the pressure medium With the recovered vapors may be'vvithdrawn by a gas pump e. Where, as is contemplated, the gasolene is toy be removed from the recovered products, by the first proposed method, the gasolene is absorbed from the recovered mixture. A plant for removing this gasolene by the absorption method is indicated as comprising a compressor 7 to Which the mixture is delivered from the pump e and Well d and a tank g to Which the mixture is delivered under high ressure from the compressor. This tank is filled With a heavy oil and this oil absorbs from the mixture introduced into the tank under pressure all of the hydrocarbon products for Which it has an affinity. The pressure medium comprising the products of combustion is nonabsorbable in the hydrocarbon of the stratum and in the absorbent placed in the tank g, so that it finally escapes through a pipe g and may be led back to the ytank a for further use. The recovered products may be Withdrawn from the bottom of the tank through a vent g2. During the process noted, the danger usually encountered is met at the compressor f Where the recovered hydrocarbon products are compressed to a very high pressure and the compressor itself is heated to a very high temperature. Where the mixture thus compressed is explosive, the danger is very great and it is for this reason that the use of air as a pressure medium is very objectionable. The Waste products of combustion derived from the tank a have had the free oxygen removed therefrom so that this gas is most desirable as a pressure medium since it does not form an explosive mixture With the recovered products and the mixture may safely be compressed to any degree.

A further phase of the improved method which is clearly indicated in Fig. 1 has to do With the introduction in the Well head b of Water from a pump it through a pipe L introduced into the mouth of the Well in such relation thereto as to have an injector action during the introduction of the Water. This Water Will pick up the products of combustion entering the Well head through the pipe a', Whether those products be under pressure or not and during the drop of the Water through the Well Z2 With the gas, the gas Will be highly compressed and so available for Work in the oil bearing stratum as a pressure medium. Vlhen the Water and gas enter the pressure medium, the Water being 0f greater density will enter the oil and agitate it thoroughly, While the gas itself, being of lesser density, Will flow along the top of the oil and pick up the volatilized vapors. The violent agitation given the oil by the Water Will tend to facilitate evaporation, While the flow of the current of gas along the surfacewill further accelerate this evaporation.

A further feature of the invention contemplates the heating of the Water introduced from the pump h so that When the Water in intimate contact with the compressed gas reaches the bottom of the Well Where the gas expands, the heat required by the gas for expansion is provided for by the heat carried by the Water. In this Way, the chilling effect of the expanding gas on the oil and gas in the sand c is eliminated. and the oil and gas at least have their normal temperatures maintained so that evaporation is not retarded by the described chilling action usually encountered.

From the description given, it will be evident that the most desirable physical conditions for evaporation of the oil and gas are created by the improved method. The chilling of the expanding vgas is neutralized by the heated Water, the oil is agitated violently by the introduction of Water into the body of the oil and the gas introduced simultaneously With the Water passes' in a constant current, along the surface of the oil, assists in the evaporation during the affitation by the Water and picks up all ofB the volatile gases to be found in pockets, crevices or the like.

The desirable conditions described in connection With the apparatus shown in Fig. 1

are all maintained in the embodiment of Fig. 2, the different apparatus shown in. this figure for the 'purpose of removing the gasolene merely emphasizing the availability of the present method for any conditions. In Fig. 2, apparatus is shown conventionally for removing vgasolene by the refrigeration method. All of the elements and. conditions described in connection With Fig. l may be employed in connection With the refrigerating apparatus of Fig. 2. The recovered products pass from the venting Well d, in part, through the gas pump e and from thence to the compressor f in much the manner ydescribed and are compressed by the compressor f to a very high point and then forced through the refrigerating plant G for the condensation of the gasolene in a Way which is known in the art and With the details of Which the present invention is not concerned.

As noted above, the modiiied apparatus shown in Fig. 2 merely emphasizes the availability of the improved method for use under any conditions and particularly the importance of the association of a deoxidized gas with the recovered products, so that the bearing stratum under pressure a heatednonabsorbable deoxidized gas to mix With the hydrocarbon vapor in the oil bearing stratum, compressing the recovered mixture to a high pressure and recovering the hydrocarbon.

3. The method of recovering oil and gas Which consists in introducing into the oil bearing stratum a gas under pressure and introducing simultaneously With the gas a liquid under pressure.

4. The method offrecovering oil and gas Which consists in introducing into the oil bearing stratum a gas under pressure and introducing simultaneously with the gas a heated liquid under pressure.

5. The method of recovering oil and gas Which consists in introducing into the pressure Well a liquid under pressure and at the same time introducing into the Well a gas, the liquid having an injector action on the gas and compressin it.

6. The method o recovering oil and gas Which consists in introducing into the oil bearing stratum a deoxidized nonabsorbable gas under pressure and introducing simultaneously With the vgas heated Water under pressure.

7. The method of recovering oil and gas .which consists in introducing into the oil bearing stratum under pressure Waste products of combustion from internal combustion engines from which the oxygen has been burnt, to mix With the hydrocarbon vapor in the oil bearing stratum, compressing the mixture and recovering the hydrocarbon from the mixture.

8. Apparatus for recovering .oil and gas comprising a source of deoxidized gas, a pump for forcing the gas into the pressure Well under pressure, a compressor to receive the recovered mixture from the venting Well and compress it to a high'pressure and means to remove the gasolene from the compressed mixture.

9. Apparatus for recovering oil and gas comprising a source of Waste products of combustion, a pump for forcing the products of combustion into the pressure Well, a

iis l lao press on the gas an injector v action, a comof combustion to return the products of compresser to receive the recovered mixture bustion from the absorbing tank after the from the venting well and compress it to a removal of the gasolene.

1G high pressure, an absorbing tank to receive This specification signed this 16th day of 5 the compressed mixture and remove the June, A. D. 1917.

gasolene and a connection between the absorbing tank and the source of the products FREDERICK SQU'IRES;

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