STEAM DRIVE OIL RECOVERY METHOD UTILIZING A DOWNHOLE STEAM GENERATOR

摘要

STEAM DRIVE OIL RECOVERY METHOD UTILIZING A DOWNHOLE STEAM GENERATOR Viscous oil is recovered from a subterranean, viscous oil-containing formation by a steam flooding technique wherein steam is generated in a downhole steam generator located in an injection well by spontaneous combustion of a pressurized mixture of a water-soluble fuel such as sugars and alcohols dissolved in water or a stable hydrocarbon fuel-in-water emulsion and substantially pure oxygen. The generated mixture of steam and combustion gases pass through the formation, displacing oil and reducing the oil's viscosity and the mobilized oil is produced from the formation via a spaced-apart production well.