DOWNHOLE GAS SEPARATION METHOD AND SYSTEM

• Main Authors: THOMAS A. PAULLEY, DONALD J. VICTORY, HARRY W. DECKMAN, EUGENE R. THOMAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.02.2007
• Subjects: EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; TRANSPORTING

THE INVENTION IS A METHOD AND SYSTEM OF SEPARATING A MULTI-COMPONENT FLUID IN A WELLBORE (1O). AT LEAST ONE FLUID SEPARATION MEMBRANE (21) COMPRISING A FEED SIDE AND A PERMEATE SIDE IS INCORPORATED IN THE WELLBORE. A FLOWING STREAM OF THE MULTI- COMPONENT FLUID OBTAINED FROM A SUBTERRANEAN ZONE BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH THE WELLBORE (10) IS PASSED ACROSS THE FEED SIDE OF THE MEMBRANE AT A FIRST PRESSURE. A RETENTATE STREAM DEPLETED IN AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT COMPARED TO THE MULTI-COMPONENT FLUID IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE FEED SIDE OF THE MEMBRANE AND PASSED TO THE EARTH'S SURFACE. A PERMEATE STREAM AT A SECOND PRESSURE IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE PERMEATE SIDE, IN WHICH THE PERMEATE STREAM IS ENRICHED IN AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT COMPARED WITH THE MULTI-COMPONENT FLUID. THE SECOND PRESSURE IS CONTROLLED TO MAINTAIN THE SECOND PRESSURE BELOW THE FIRST PRESSURE. (FIG. 1)