Method for thermal stimulation of a subterranean reservoir and apparatus therefor

• Main Authors: HALL; DORNESE, BUI; HUNG Q
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.02.1989
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; MINING; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING

A system and the equipment for economically enhancing recovery of hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean reservoir in which a plurality of production and injection wells are formed. High grade steam from a common source is mixed with relatively cold water at each injection well to be treated. To avoid, or substantially reduce condensation shock in the water/steam mixer, the high velocity cold water is initially heated in a steam compartment with minimal contact between the two fluids. Thereafter, the steam and the water are introduced to a heat exchange chamber in which the temperature of the water is raised prior to the two streams being merged for injection into a well as either heated water or as low quality steam.