PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING PETROLEUM RECOVERY FROM PETROLEUM RESERVOIRS

摘要

THE INVENTION REFERS TO A PROCESS AS WELL AS TO THE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO ENHANCE TO RECOVERY OF PETROLEUM FROM ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE RESERVOIRS. THE PROCESS INCLUDES (I) THE SIMULATION OF THE PRODUCING FORMATION BY MEANS OF ELASTIC WAVES, CREATED BY A SONIC SOURCE INSTALLED AT THE OIL WELL SO THAT THE ELASTIC WAVES WHICH ARE SUPERIMPOSED REDUCE THE ADHERENCE FORCES IN THE LAYER BETWEEN OIL/WATER AND THE ROCK FORMATION, AND (II) THE OSCILLATING ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE SAME LAYER, AS FROM THE SAME WELLS SUBJECT TO SONIC TREATMENT. THE ELECTRICITY HEATS THE FORMATION BY MEANS OF RESISTIVE HEATING, AND INCREASE THE PRESSURE, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE SURFACE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE FACES OF THE FLUID AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE OSCILLATORY ACTION OF THE IONS IN THE SURFACES OF THE FLUID; IN ADDITION, IT REDUCES THE VISCOSITY OF THE FLUIDS. THE PROCESS IS ACHIEVED AS THE FLOW OF PETROLEUM PRODUCED IN WELLS, THUS TREATED , ACTS AS A COOLING AGENT WHICH REMOVES THE HEAT RELEASED BY THE WELL AREA AND THUS ALLOWS A LARGER INPUT OF ENERGY THAN IN ANY OTHER METHOD KNOWN SO FAR.