Method of and device for production of hydrocarbons

Abstract

During production of hydrocarbons, an oil-gas flow from a well bottom to a well-head is subdivided into a plurality of individual oil-gas flows which flow in a plurality of individual passages located side-by-side with one another.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of and a device for production of oil-gasoil-gas.

The oil phase obtains the movement quantity from the gas phase in increasing value with the increase of intensity of the movement quantity exchanged between the phases, or the increase of resistance to movement of the gas phase relative to the oil phase. With the same cross-section of the production pipe, this can be obtained by increase by increasing the axial speed in the individual passage V in the radial direction R and the increase of sheer stresses τ.

τ=μdV/dR

wherein μ is a dynamic viscosity of the oil; with the increase of an inner surface area of the passage.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an interior space of the production pipe 11 is subdivided by a plurality of walls 12 into a plurality of individual passages 13 extending side-by-side with one another with so that simultaneously individual oil-gas flows flow inside the passages 13. Also, an individual oil-gas flow can flow outside the individual passages 13 in a space 14.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 7a geometrical size of the individual passages 23 can change in direction of flow of the oil-gas flow, and also a number of passages can also change in direction flow of the oil-gas flow. The construction shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is also selected so as to provide a maximum use of the gas phase energy for displacement of the oil phase.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 the production pipe 41 is subdivided by a star-like insert into a plurality of individual segment-shared sector-shaped passages 43 extending side-by-side with one another.

As can be seen from the drawings, the production pipe in accordance with the present invention is formed of a plurality of vertical sections, each formed in accordance with the present invention (one of its embodiments) and connected with one another by known connecting means which are not shown in the drawings. The same production pipe can be also compsed composed of sections formed in accordance with different embodimenents embodiments and also connected with one another.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of methods and constructions differing from the types described above, such as in production of natural gas.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in method of and device for production of hydrocarbons, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of production of hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of introducing into an oil well a production pipe having an inlet to be located substantially in a region of a well bottom and an outlet to be located substantially in a region of a well head, so that an oil-gas mixture flow flows from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and increasing in the production pipe a resistance to movement of a gas phase relative to an oil phase of the oil-gas mixture by subdividing at least a portion of the production pipe into a plurality of passages each having a cross-section which is a fraction of a cross-section of the production pipe and extending in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe so as to subdivide said oil-gas mixture flow into a plurality of individual oil-gas mixture flows which have a fraction of a cross-section of said oil-gas mixture and flow simultaneously in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of individual passages which extend concentrically with one another in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe, so that the individual oil-gas flows simultaneously flow through the individual concentric passages.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of passages which extend substantially parallel and side by side side-by-side with one another in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe, so that the individual oil-gas flows flow simultaneously through the side-by-side passages.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of individual passages through which the individual oil-gas flows flow simultaneously in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and changing a geometry of the individual passages in direction of movement of the individual oil-gas flows.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of passages located side by side with one another through which the individual oil-gas flows flow simultaneously in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe so that a number of passages in a direction of flow of the oil-gas mixture changes at different heights of the production pipe.

6. A device for production of hydrocarbons, comprising a production pipe to be introduced into an oil well and having an inlet to be located in a region of a well bottom and an outlet to be located in a region of a valve well head, so that an oil-gas mixture flow flows from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and means for increasing in said production pipe a resistance to movement of a gas phase relative to an oil phase of the oil-gas mixture, said increasing means include means for subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of passages having a reduced cross-section which is a fraction of a cross-section of said production pipe and extending from said inlet to said outlet of said production pipe, so as to subdivide said oil-gas mixture flow into a plurality of individual oil-gas mixture flows which have a fraction of a cross section of said oil-gas mixture and flow through said passages of said reduced cross-section simultaneously in a direction from said inlet to said outlet of said production pipe.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said individual passages extend concentrically with one another.

8. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said individual passages extend substantially parallel to one another.

9. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said individual passages have a geometry which changes in a direction of flow of the oil-gas.

10. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein a number of the individual passages changes in a direction of flow of the individual oil-gas flows.

11. The method as in claim 3, wherein said step of subdividing further including using a star-like insert, said insert subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of sector-shaped passages.

12. The device as in claim 8, wherein said means for subdividing further comprising a star-like insert for subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of sector-shaped passages.

13. A method of production of hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of introducing into a well a production pipe having an inlet to be located substantially in a region of a well bottom and an outlet to be located substantially in a region of a well head, so that a liquid-gas mixture flow flows from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and increasing in the production pipe a resistance to movement of a gas phase relative to a liquid phase of the liquid-gas mixture by subdividing at least a portion of the production pipe into a plurality of passages each having a cross-section area which is a fraction of a cross-section area of the production pipe and extending in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe so as to subdivide said liquid-gas mixture flow into a plurality of individual liquid-gas mixture flows which have a fraction of a cross-section area of said liquid-gas mixture flow, said individual flows moving simultaneously in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of individual passages which extend concentrically with one another in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe, so that the individual liquid-gas flows simultaneously flow through the individual concentric passages.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of individual passages through which the individual liquid-gas flows flow simultaneously in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and changing the geometry of the individual passages in the direction of movement of the individual liquid-gas flows.

16. The method as in claim 13, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of passages which extend substantially parallel and side-by-side with one another in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe, so that the individual liquid-gas flows flow simultaneously through the side-by-side passages.

17. The method as in claim 13, wherein said subdividing includes forming a plurality of passages located side-by-side with one another through which the individual liquid-gas flows flow simultaneously in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe so that the number of passages in the direction of flow of the liquid-gas mixture changes at different heights of the production pipe.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein said step of subdividing further including using a star-like insert, said insert subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of sector-shaped passages.

19. A device for production of hydrocarbons comprising a production pipe to be introduced into a well and having an inlet to be located in a region of a well bottom and an outlet to be located in a region of a well head, so that a liquid-gas mixture flow flows from the inlet to the outlet of the production pipe; and means for increasing in said production pipe a resistance to movement of a gas phase relative to a liquid phase of the liquid-gas mixture, said means for increasing include means for subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of passages having a reduced cross-section area which is a fraction of a cross-section area of said production pipe and extending from said inlet to said outlet of said production pipe, so as to subdivide said liquid-gas mixture flow into a plurality of individual liquid-gas mixture flows which have a fraction of a cross section area of said liquid-gas mixture and flow through said passages of said reduced cross-section area simultaneously in a direction from said inlet to said outlet of said production pipe.

20. The device as in claim 19, wherein said individual passages extend concentrically with one another.

21. The device as in claim 19, wherein said individual passages extend substantially parallel to one another.

22. The device as in claim 19, wherein said individual passages have a geometry which changes in the direction of flow of the individual liquid-gas flows.

23. The device as in claim 19, wherein a number of the individual passages changes in the direction of flow of the individual liquid-gas flows.

24. The device as in claim 21, wherein said means for subdividing further comprising a star-like insert for subdividing at least a portion of said production pipe into a plurality of sector-shaped passages.