Title: In situ combustion process for multi-stratum reservoirs

Abstract: In a combustion process for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising an upper permeable hydrocarbon-bearing stratum overlying a lower permeable hydrocarbon-bearing stratum and separated therefrom by a semi-permeable stratum which is substantially permeable to oxygen but not substantially permeable to water; the strata are traversed by injection and production wells, the lower hydrocarbon-bearing stratum is ignited near an injection well and oxygen-containing gas is injected into the lower hydrocarbon-bearing stratum to combust hydrocarbons near the injection well and form a combustion front, an oxygen-containing gas is injected into the lower hydrocarbon-bearing stratum and an aqueous fluid is injected into the upper hydrocarbon-bearing stratum to move the combustion front between the injection and the production wells and to prevent or mitigate channeling through the upper hydrocarbon-bearing stratum, and hydrocarbons are recovered from the strata.

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Inventors: Bandyopadhyay, Pratip (Tulsa, OK, US)
Rhoades, Vaughan W. (Tulsa, OK, US)

Application Number: 625416
Filing Date: 1975-10-24
Publication_date: 1976-09-07
Assignee: Cities Service Company (Tulsa, OK)
Primary Class(es): 166/258 166/245, 166/261
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3159215	Dec, 1964	Meldau et al.	166/258.
3196945	Jul, 1965	Crai, Jr. et al.	166/261.
3208519	Sep, 1965	Moore	166/261.
3332480	Jul, 1967	Parrish	166/245.
3334687	Aug, 1967	Parker	166/245.
3361201	Jan, 1968	Howard	166/261.
3369601	Feb, 1968	Bond et al.	166/261.
3565174	Feb, 1971	Parker et al.	166/261.
3872924	Mar, 1975	Clampitt	166/261.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Novosad, Stephen J.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Reinert; A. Joe