Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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This invention relates -to a method and apparatus for
-the recovery of bituminous hydrocarbons from tarsands such as
the tarsands in existence in areas of Northern Alberta.
In general, it consists of a vertical shaft which is
sunk to provide access to reach the layers of tarsand deposits.
A series of horizontally extending perforated drill casings
fan out radially from the central vertical shaft, in all direc-
tions. These radial pipes are preferably arranged in a spiral
formation.
Steam and/or hot water, and/or solvent is transmitted
through horizontal injection tubes and a flow established
through the surrounding tarsand to the nearest recovery tubes.
A pattern of vertical shafts and horizontal perforated
tubes described herein is the medium in the recovery of the
bitumen from the tarsand deposits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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In accordance with the invention there is provided a
method of recovery of bituminous hydrocarbons from a tarsand
formation consisting of the steps of sinking a ver-tical shaft
into the formation, extending a plurality of perforated injec-
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tion tubes from the shaft into the formation, extending a
plurality of collector tubes from the shaft into the formation
and injecting a fluidizing medium into the formation through
the perforated injector tubes and collecting fluidized material
S from the formation through the collector tubes and then convey-
ing said fluidized material to the surface.
A further aspect of the invention consists of struc-
ture for the recovery o~ bituminous hydrocarbons from a tar-
sand deposit comprising in combination a central shaft extend-
ing from the surface downwardly into the deposit, a pluralityof injection tubes extending from said shaft into said deposit
and communicating through the wall of said shaft, said tubes
being perforated along the length thereof, a plurality of per-
forated collection tubes also extending from said shaft into
said deposit and also communicating through the wall of said
shaft, said collection tubes being adjacent said injection
tubes, a fluidizing medium, means operatively connecting said
fluidizing medium with said injection tubes for injecting same
into said deposit, sump means in the base of said shaft com-
municating with said collection tubes and pump means in saidsump means to convey fluidized bituminous hydrocarbon material
from said sump means to surfaceO
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as
will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this
invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention
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consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of
parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, refer-
ence being had to the accompanying drawings in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING~
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Figure 1 is a schematic cross section of a tarsand
deposit showing the vertical shaft and the tubes extending
outwardly therefrom.
Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the shaft and
horizontal tube layout.
Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the ver-
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tical shaft with the profile line of the tubes illus-
trated.
Figure 3A is a fragmentary cross sectional
view of part of the shaft showing the profile of the
piping system thereonO
Figure 3B is a schematic plan view of the
shaft and pipes extending therefrom.
Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the
piping arrangement in the shaftO
Figure 5 shows a fragmentary cross sectional
view of one of the injection tubes with schematic views
of collection tubes on either side thereof.
Figure 6 is a schematic drawing for a hot
water recovery system.
Figure 7 ~s a schematic dxawing of a steam
injection recovery systemO
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In the drawings like characters of r~ference
indicate corresponding parts in the different figures~
DEl'AILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention
in detail, reference should first be made to Figure 1
which shows a vertical shaft 10 preferably made of
concrete, sunk downwardly through the top soil 11, the
overburden 12, and into the tarsand formation 13 ter-
minating, in this embodiment, at bed rock 14 as clearly
shown. A concrete floor 15 is formed on the base of
the shaft which thus acts as a collecting sump,
~ series of hori~ontal perforated d~ill casings
or tubes collectively designated 16, extend outwardly
from the sha~t and communicate with the interior of
the shaft as will hereinafter be described.
Reference to Figure 2 shows a typical sha~t
in situ layout and it will be ~ted that the tubes or
casings 16 comprise what are referred to as outlet
casings 17 and return casings or tubes 18 shown in
dotted lines. Figure 2 also shows typical dimensions
although these of course can be varied as desired,
Reference to Figures 3, 3A and 3B will show
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that thcse horizontal tubes preferably are situated
in a spiral formation around the vertical shaft 10~
As an example, Figure 3 shows the profile of a spiral
formation of tubes indicated by refer~nce character 19.
Figure 3A shows the interior of the shaft 10 with the
apertures 19A situated on the profile 19 to which the
tubes 16 are connected and Figure 3B shows a schematic
plan view with a note indicating suggested lengths of
the casings or tubes 16.
Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the verti-
cal shaft 10 together with some of the tubes 16 and
the internal piping arrangement situated within the
vertical shaft 10.
The injection or outlet tubes 17 extend in-
wardly through the vertical shaft 10 and are connected
by conduits 17A, to a ring header 20 which is provided
with a further condu.it 21 connected to hot water, steam
or solvent as will hereinafter be described~
The collection tubes 18 extend inwardly through
the casing or vertical shaft 10 and are connected to
substantially vertically situated discharge tubes 18A
which extend downwardly into the sump area 21 situated
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between the base 15 of the shaEt lO and a cross member
22 spaced thereabove.
A multi stage transfer pump 23 picks up the
bitumen which has been transferred to the sump and
5 pumps it to the surface via a product line 24. It
will, of course, be understood that bitumen will be
mixed with sand and hot water and/or solvent.
Figure 5 shows one embodiment of the injec-
tion tube or casing 17. It consists of an outer per-
forated tube 25 with a concentrically located innertube 26 also perforated as illustrated by reference
character 27, The hot water and/or steam and~or sol-
vent are fed through this inner concentric tube 26
and flow outwardly through the perforations 27 and
15 outwardly through the perforations 27A in the outer
tube 25.
This hot water and/or steam and/or solvent
permeates the tarsand formation and fluidizes same
which is then picked up by the collection tubes 18
situated adjacent the injection tubes 17. It should
be understood that the product flows by gravity and
injection pressure to the sump 210
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In this regard it should be noted that the
horizontal tubes 17 and 18 may be placed in a radial
or spiral formation around the vertical shaft 10 and
that the spacing may range from 3 feet to 100 feet on
the perimeter of the vertical shaft dependin~ upon
conditions and design parameters~
The vertical spacing of the tubes extending
from the perimeter of the shaft also may vary from
between 3 feet and 100 feet and the size of the hori-
zontal tubes may range from 2 inches O.D. to 30 inchesO~D., once again depending upon design parameters.
It is desirable that at least the collection
tubes or casings 18 should extend outwardly and upwardly
from the vertical tube 10 and that the degree of angle
of the eXtendQd horizontal tubes may vary from 0 to
30 thus facilitating the flow of product through these
tubes to the sump 21~
Figures 6 and 7 show schematics for hot water
recovery and steam injection recovery and inasmuch as
the apparatus abo~e ground is generally conventional~
it is not believed necessary to detail same further.
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However, it should be noted that a source of solvent
(not illustrated~ may be provided so that either sol-
vent on its own, a mixture of solvent and steam or a
mixture of solvent and hot water may be injected de-
pending upon circumstances. The solvent can be anypetroleum based solvent which will fluidize the bitu-
minous hydrocarbons within the tarsand and of course
much of this is recovered together with the ~luidize
tarsand and may be separated and re-used. By the
same token, it will be noted that the steam will con-
dense in to water and that this water is also recover-
ed and may, if desired, be re-used.
Since various modifications can be made in
my invention as hereinabove described, and many appa
rently widely different embodiments of same made with-
in the spirit and scope of the claims without depart~
ing ~rom such spirit and scope, it is intended that
all matter contained in the accompanying specification
shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in
a limiting sense.
