METHOD FOR INCREASING THE PETROLEUM RECOVERY OF HEAVY OIL AND BITUMEN FIELDS, ENSURING THE PRODUCTION OF REFINED PETROLEUM AND HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC E21B43/243 

FIELD: petroleum industry.

SUBSTANCE: in the method for increasing the petroleum recovery of heavy oil and bitumen fields, ensuring the production of refined petroleum and a hydrogen-containing gas mixture, including the use of at least two already existing boreholes or organisation of new ones, i.e., an injection and a production boreholes, the injection borehole consecutively pumps the following into the formation: an aqueous solution of a precursor of a metal-containing catalyst from the group of transition metals, with decomposition point below 600 °C, or a combination of aqueous solutions of precursors of a metal-containing catalyst from the group of transition metals, with decomposition point below 600 °C; superheated water vapour for pushing said catalyst precursor into the formation in the direction of the producing borehole and forming solid particles of the active catalyst, as well as preheating the active area of the formation; and an oxidiser selected from the following group: oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, or a synthetic oxygen-containing gas mixture. The resulting mixture of petroleum with oxidiser is then ignited in the formation, executing the process of intra-formational petroleum combustion. Cyclic consecutive injection of the superheated vapour and said oxidiser is additionally performed in order to intensify the processes of petroleum refining and hydrogen generation and displace the refined petroleum and the hydrogen-containing gas mixture in the direction of the producing borehole. The refined petroleum and the hydrogen-containing gas mixture are produced. Greenhouse gases are extracted from the produced hydrogen-containing gas mixture and pumped back into the formation through the injection borehole.

EFFECT: higher petroleum recovery in developed depleted fields and those already abandoned due to high water content, catalytic intraformational refining of the produced hydrocarbon raw materials, production of hydrogen in a hydrocarbon field, leading to the possibility of simultaneous production of hydrogen-containing gas.

4 cl, 1 dwg