Methods and apparatus for recovery of hydrocarbons and other liquids from underground

摘要

Methods and apparatus for the recovery of petroleum origin hydrocarbons and other liquids from underground at sites of refineries, oil, gasoline and other liquid storage and distributing facilities, tie creasoting plants, and the like. Pursuant to the invention, for petroleum origin hydrocarbon recovery, separate liquid handling devices, each in the nature of a vessel or canister and having liquid trapping and ejecting facilities that are free of mechanical pumping action, are employed for raising the ground water and liquid hydrocarbons that accumulate on the ground water table, respectively, through which the well or wells extend, and under the static pressure of the compressed air. The indicated devices are suspended in the same or adjacent wells that are located at the site, with the ground water handling device being connected to a soure of compressed air and piping for carrying away the water to form a cone of depression at the site, and the hydrocarbon handling device being connected to the source of compressed air and a recovery line for separately surfacing and conveying the hydrocarbons to a point of collection and recovery. The invention also provides for use of one of the vessels and associated equipment to pump both liquids from the well to the ground surface for separation of same by a conventional separator, or alternately, recovery of heavier than water liquids.