Title:
METHOD FOR TREATING A HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING FORMATION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/081717
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for the production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation comprising: providing heat to at least a portion of the subterranean formation such that at least a part of the heated portion reaches the pyrolysis temperature of kerogen, yielding pyrolysis products; collecting pyrolysis products from the subterranean formation; injecting a synthesis gas-generating component into the heated part of the formation, resulting in the production of synthesis gas by reaction of the synthesis gas-generating component with carbonaceous material remaining in the formation; and recovering synthesis gas. The synthesis gas thus produced can be used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, manufacture of ammonia, urea, methanol, methane and other hydrocarbons, or used as energy source, e.g. in fuel cells. Carbon dioxide produced in such use of the synthesis gas can be sequestered in the formation.
Inventors:
VINEGAR HAROLD J
WELLINGTON SCOTT LEE
DE ROUFFIGNAC ERIC
BERCHENKO ILYA EMIL
MAHER KEVIN ALBERT
ZHANG ETUAN
WELLINGTON SCOTT LEE
DE ROUFFIGNAC ERIC
BERCHENKO ILYA EMIL
MAHER KEVIN ALBERT
ZHANG ETUAN
Application Number:
PCT/EP2001/004669
Publication Date:
November 01, 2001
Filing Date:
April 24, 2001
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SHELL INT RESEARCH (NL)
SHELL CANADA LTD (CA)
SHELL CANADA LTD (CA)
International Classes:
C09K8/592; E21B36/00; E21B36/04; E21B41/00; E21B43/24; E21B43/243; E21B43/247; E21B43/30; (IPC1-7): E21B43/00
Foreign References:
| US2914309A | 1959-11-24 | |||
| US3986349A | 1976-10-19 | |||
| US4344483A | 1982-08-17 | |||
| US4067390A | 1978-01-10 |
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Claims:
C L A I M S
| 1. | A method for the production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarboncontaining subterranean formation comprising: providing heat to at least a portion of the subterranean formation such that at least a part of the heated portion reaches the pyrolysis temperature of kerogen, yielding pyrolysis products ; collecting pyrolysis products from the subterranean formation; injecting a synthesis gasgenerating component into the heated part of the formation, resulting in the production of synthesis gas by reaction of the synthesis gasgenerating component with carbonaceous material remaining in the formation ; and recovering synthesis gas. |
| 2. | Method according to claim 1 in which the synthesis gas generating fluid is water and/or carbon dioxide. |
| 3. | Method according to claim 1 or 2, in which additional heat is added to the formation prior to or during synthesis gas generation. |
| 4. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the synthesis gas generating fluid comprises a mixture including steam and oxygen. |
| 5. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the synthesis gas generating component is reacted with the heated part at a temperature in the range of 400 °C to 1200 °C. |
| 6. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the pressure ranges from atmospheric pressure to the lithostatic pressure of the formation. |
| 7. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the synthesis gas generating fluid includes water, produced by pyrolysis. |
| 8. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the synthesis gases recovered are converted to heavier condensable hydrocarbons a FischerTropsch hydrocarbon synthesis. |
| 9. | Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the hydrocarboncontaining formation contains kerogen. |
| 10. | Method according to claim 9, in which the hydro carboncontaining formation contains kerogen with a vitrinite reflectance of 0.2% to 3.0%. |
Description:
INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT -national Application No rbT/EP01/04669 A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER IPC 7 E21B43/24 According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC B. FIELDS SEARCHED Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols) IPC 7 E21B Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practical, search terms used) EPO-Internal C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. X US 2 914 309 A (WILHELM SALOMONSSON GOSTA 1,3,5,6 JOHA) 24 November 1959 (1959-11-24) column 6, line 37-column 7, line 14 figure 6 Y 8 Y US 3 986 349 A (EGAN CLARK J) 8 19 October 1976 (1976-10-19) column 5, line 5-50 X US 4 344 483 A (FISHER CHARLES B ET AL) 1-4,6 17 August 1982 (1982-08-17) column 1, line 62-column 2, line 53 I j Further documents are listed in the continuation of box C. Patent family members are listed in annex. LJ Special categories of cited documents : 'T'later document published after the international filing date 'A'document defining the general state of the art which is not or prior ty date and not in conflict with ihe application but consideredto be of particular relevance invention invention *E'earlierdocument but published on or after the international X-document of particular retevance-the ctaimed invention filing date cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to L-document which may throw doubts on priority claim (s) or involve an inventive step when the document is taken alone which is cited to establish the publication date of another Y-document of particular relevance ; the claimed invention citation or other special reason (as specified) cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the '0'document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or document is combined with one or more other such docu- other means ments, such combination being obvious to a person skilled 'P'document published prior to the international filing date but in the art. later than the priority date claimed'&'document member of the same patent family Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the international search report 10 December 2001 21/12/2001 Name and mailing address of the ISA Authorized officer European Patent Office, P. B. 5818 Patentlaan 2 NL-2280 HV Rijswijk Tel. (+31-70) 340-2040, Tx. 31 651 epo nl, Fax: (+31-70) 340-3016 INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT -national Application No ruT/EP 01/04669 C. (Continuation) DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. X US 4 067 390 A (CAMACHO SALVADOR LUJAN ET 1-3,5,6, AL) 10 January 1978 (1978-01-10) 9 column 10, line 16-53 column 11, line 16-66 column 13, line 19-36 column 13, line 53-59 _____ I INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT -national Application No Informationon patent family members I Patent document Publication Patent family Publication cited in search report date member (s) date US 2914309 A 24-11-1959 NONE US 3986349 A 19-10-1976 US 4092825 A 06-06-1978 US 4344483 A 17-08-1982 NONE US 4067390 A 10-01-1978 NONE