U.S. patent application number 11/167726 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-30 for system and method for crude oil production stemming from natural emanations and leaks from capped oil wells.
This patent application is currently assigned to Geo Estratos, S.A. de C.V.. Invention is credited to Vicente Gonzalez Davila.
Application Number | 20060065392 11/167726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36097689 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060065392 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Davila; Vicente Gonzalez |
March 30, 2006 |
System and method for crude oil production stemming from natural
emanations and leaks from capped oil wells
Abstract
A system and method for gathering and recovering natural and
artificial accumulations of crude oil from natural emanations and
capped oil wells, respectively. For a natural emanation or leak
from capped oil wells, a vertical well is drilled in the vicinity
of the accumulated crude oil. The migration of the crude oil
through the cracks and fractures of the rocks are attracted to the
interior of the vertical well. The crude oil is then gathered and
collected through the use of an air compressor. For multiple
natural emanations, a horizontal well is placed in the vicinity of
the accumulated crude oil and gathered and collected through the
use of a pumping system. The present invention removes
environmental hazards to underwater, surface underground water and
soil, wildlife, while providinge a cost efficient method to
transform otherwise wasted crude oil accumulations to a
commercially viable product.
Inventors: |
Davila; Vicente Gonzalez;
(Madero, MX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Miguel Villarreal, Jr.
Suite 1500
700 N. St. Mary's Street
San Antonio
TX
78205
US
|
Assignee: |
Geo Estratos, S.A. de C.V.
|
Family ID: |
36097689 |
Appl. No.: |
11/167726 |
Filed: |
June 27, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/249 ;
166/369; 166/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 47/10 20130101;
E21C 41/24 20130101; E21B 43/006 20130101; E21B 43/00 20130101;
E21B 43/129 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/249 ;
166/369; 166/072 |
International
Class: |
E21B 43/30 20060101
E21B043/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 24, 2004 |
MX |
NL/A/2004/000075 |
Claims
1. A method of crude oil production stemming from natural
emanations comprising the steps of: locating an accumulation of
crude oil on the ground surface, such accumulation defining a zone
within which this method is conducted; drilling a vertical well
within said zone; detecting vibrational signals produced by said
natural emanations within said vertical well; transmitting said
vibrational signals to a signal transducer; converting said
vibrational signals for display; determining a depth for entry of
said natural emanations into said vertical well; placing a
tubularly shaped device within the interior of said vertical well;
causing high pressure air to flow through said tubularly shaped
device; and collecting said natural emanations.
2. A method of crude oil production stemming from crude oil leaks
of a capped oil well comprising the steps of: locating an
accumulation of crude oil on the ground surface, such accumulation
defining a zone within which this method is conducted; drilling a
vertical well within said zone; detecting vibrational signals
produced by said crude oil leaks within said vertical well;
transmitting said vibrational signals to a signal transducer;
converting said vibrational signals for display; determining a
depth for entry of said crude oil leaks into said vertical well;
placing a tubularly shaped device within the interior of said
vertical well; causing high pressure air to flow through said
tubularly shaped device; and collecting said crude oil leaks.
3. A method of crude oil production stemming from multiple natural
emanations of crude oil comprising the steps of: locating an
accumulation of crude oil on the ground surface, such accumulation
defining a zone within which this method is conducted; drilling a
horizontal well within said zone; and collecting said accumulation
of crude oil within said horizontal well.
4. A method of crude oil production stemming from multiple natural
emanations of crude oil as recited in claim 3 wherein said
collecting step is performed with a pumping system.
5. A pumping system for collecting accumulations of multiple
natural emanations of crude oil comprising: a housing; a collector
tube; a hydraulic piston; a plurality of hoses; a hydraulic
chamber; a rod;and a motor.
6. A pumping system for collecting accumulations of multiple
natural emanations of crude oil as recited in claim 5, wherein said
collector tube contains apertures for entry and exit of crude oil,
within which said apertures further contain a cone, sphere, and
grid device whereby said cone, sphere, and grid device control the
direction of flow of said crude oil within said collector tube.
7. A pumping system for collecting accumulations of multiple
natural emanations of crude oil as recited in claim 6, wherein said
motor is an internal combustion motor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Applicant's invention relates to the field of crude oil
production, and more specifically to a system and method of
increasing crude oil production through collections of same from
natural emanations and leaks from capped oil wells through the use
of vibration signals and pumping systems. The terms "oil" and
"petroleum" are used synonymously throughout this application.
[0003] 2. Background Information
[0004] Natural emanation of crude oil is a phenomenon that occurs
in nature. Leaks from capped oil wells give an addition source of
crude oil by artificial means, i.e., the capped oil wells are
man-made. When a well ceases to be productive or become a dry hole,
efforts are made to abandon the well. Commonly what occurs is that
the oil well is capped by placing concrete in its interior.
Nevertheless, on occasions this concrete does not arrive to the
crude oil deposit. Corrosion or deterioration then damages the
pipes of the capped well causing leaks which, like the natural
emanations, migrate through cracks and fractures in the rock.
[0005] These natural emanations and leaks from capped oil wells
yield uncontrolled amounts of crude oil, which migrate from the oil
source towards the surface. The migration of crude oil (whether
from the crude oil bed or from a leaking capped oil well) occurs
through cracks and fractures of rocks. Continuous natural and
artificial emanations of this nature lead to the unsightly
accumulation of crude oil on the ground surface. This uncollected,
accumulated crude oil loses any economic value and becomes a hazard
to the environment, adversely affecting the surface and underground
water and soil, thus producing a negative environmental impact.
There is no known economically feasible current practice of
collecting crude oil resulting from natural emanations or leaks
from capped oil wells. This process, until the present invention,
was cost prohibitive. The present invention takes advantage of the
ostensibly worthless crude oil, and, by an efficient process,
recovers such otherwise wasted crude oil.
[0006] There exists in the prior art several related patents. U.S.
Pat. No. 3,776,032 discloses protection of an inflow of either gas
or liquid into a well. The detection occurs during the drilling of
the well for the prevention of blowouts. The detection process
involves the use of pressure mud pulses from a pair of acoustical
transducers, which generate signals in the form of pressure waves,
both before the drilling mud is circulated to the drill bit and
after drilling mud is circulated through the drill bit. The
difference, if any, in the two signals are then converted to a
signal then transmitted to the surface.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,721 discloses a pair of acoustic
detectors moving through a well to detect sound which is indicative
of a through casing leak, i.e., a leak that goes through the
casing. The acoustic noise generated by the noise sources is
monitored at two spaced-apart locations within the borehole. The
signals, representing the monitored acoustic noise at each
location, are transmitted uphole.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,827 discloses the detection of leaks in
an underground pipe which is made of electrically insulating
material, i.e., material that does not conduct electricity. The
detection process involves partially filling the pipe with an
electrically conductive fluid, such as tap water, passing an
electrical current through the fluid to establish a voltage
gradient along the length of the fluid in the pipe, and then
analyzing the gradient to determine the location of the leak. The
voltage source is electronically connected to one electrode which
is immersed in the liquid at one pipe end, and to a second
electrode which is driven into the ground. The method disclosed in
this patent involves inserting a wire inside the underground pipe
in order to properly determine the potential drop and the
determination of the location of the leak or leaks is done by
measuring the length of wire inserted into the underground pipe at
the point where there is a potential drop, i.e., the point of
minimal voltage.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,530 discloses a non-intrusive
high-precision ultra-sonic leak detector system for pipelines for
identification of the development of even very minute, i.e.,
millimeter size, leaks and locates them within several meters of
their actual location in a segment between two site stations of the
overall leak detection. Leaks are located and their locations
determined by their effect on the pressure of the pipeline, and the
effect of the pressure change on liquid density.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,999 discloses the same technology that
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,530 regarding detection of
leaks in an underground pipeline system. However, U.S. Pat. No.
6,442,999 adds a master station to which site stations transmit
sonic wave data in order to perform calculations to determine the
presence of a leak and also their location.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,263 discloses a system for finding and
locating leaks in a pipeline using loggers positioned along the
pipeline at spaced intervals. These loggers detect and store sound
data produced within the pipeline and download the stored sound
data to a computer system to determine the location of the
leaks.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,038 discloses an apparatus for
determining the position of a leak in an underground pipe for fluid
or gas using two acoustic sensors. The first sensor is coupled to
the pipe while the second sensor is movable above the pipe. Both
sensors detect sound either carried along the walls of the pipe or
along fluid in the pipe.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,619 discloses a method and apparatus for
locating the source of a leak in a pipeline using match pattern
filtering techniques. These match pattern filters discriminate
against background noise and pressure disturbances generated by
other non-leak sources. This method uses acoustic signals to
determine whether a leak exists and where it is located.
[0014] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,125 discloses locating leaks of
conductive fluids, such as ionized water, from non-conductive
structures, such as pipes, through the use of a charge generator
employed to charge and discharge the conductive fluid, and a
capacitive type detector that can detect the variable charge that
is induced in the fluid. This detector is handheld and
portable.
[0015] The current art does not disclose locating and collecting
leak(s) of crude oil which are naturally occurring. Nor does the
current art disclose detecting leaks from otherwise capped or dry
hole wells. Until the present invention, such activity was cost
prohibitive. Therefore a need exists for a cost efficient system
and method for crude oil production coming from natural emanation
and leaks from capped oil wells.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple
method of gathering and collecting crude oil.
[0017] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
simple method of gathering and collecting crude oil production
coming from natural emanations.
[0018] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
method for gathering and collecting crude oil from leaks from
capped oil wells.
[0019] It is another object of the present invention to eliminate
environmental concerns such as contamination of surface and
underground water and soil.
[0020] It is another object of the present invention to eliminate
environmental concerns such as endangering wildlife.
[0021] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
cost efficient method to transform otherwise wasted crude oil
accumulations to a commercially viable product.
[0022] It is another object of the present invention to avoid crude
oil accumulations at the surface.
[0023] It is another object of the present invention to increase
public awareness of the negative environmental impact uncontrolled
artificially and naturally occurring crude oil accumulations
pose.
[0024] It is another object of the present invention to create an
accurate method of leak detection for artificially and naturally
occurring crude oil accumulations.
[0025] It is another object of the present invention to decrease
the risk of false positives associated with other leak detection
methods.
[0026] It is another object of the present invention to reduce
dangerous conditions caused by accumulation of crude oil.
[0027] In satisfaction of these related objectives, applicant's
present invention provides a system and method of gathering and
collecting crude oil coming from natural emanations and leaks from
capped oil wells in a cost efficient and environmentally conscious
manner.
[0028] Collection of crude oil resulting from natural emanations
begins with determining where the natural emanations are located.
The process is simple. The presence of accumulation of crude oil on
the ground surface is visually determined. Once this accumulation
of crude oil is discovered, a vertical well is drilled in this
zone. The diameter of the vertical well is approximately six (6) to
eight (8) inches. The depth of the vertical well is a maximum of
two hundred (200) meters. Once the vertical well has been drilled,
the bore created by the vertical well, exploiting the principles of
pressure, creates a center of low pressure. Because of this low
pressure, the crude oil which originally migrated to the ground
surface is now attracted towards the vertical well.
[0029] To determine the location of the point at which the natural
emanations enter the vertical well, a mechanical vibration sensor
is introduced. This mechanical vibration sensor is lowered into the
vertical well and suspended by a tripod at ground level. The
mechanical vibration sensor then sends voltage signals through a
cable which is connected to a voltage data acquisition card. The
voltage data is then collected and a graph is generated wherein the
x-axis represents the intensity of the voltage signal and the
y-axis represents depth.
[0030] The interpretation of the graphical representation is based
on the principle that the flow of crude oil is directed towards the
interior of the vertical well. Vibrations generated by the flow of
crude oil are picked up by the mechanical vibration sensor in
proportion to the quantity of oil that flows around the mechanical
vibration sensor. This mechanical vibration sensor produces a high
voltage intensity resulting from the flow of crude oil as the
mechanical vibration sensor descends the vertical well. Once the
mechanical vibration sensor passes by the naturally emanating crude
oil, the crude oil no longer flows over the mechanical vibration
sensor. The depth location where the crude oil naturally emanates
into the interior of the vertical well is identified when the
intensity of the voltage signal diminishes significantly. This
depth location is called the contribution point.
[0031] Once the contribution point is identified, the stimulation
for increase crude oil production in the vertical well begins. An
injection tube is placed in the interior of the vertical well. The
maximum diameter of the injection tube is one third (1/3) that of
the diameter of the vertical well. The injection tube is lowered
down the vertical well to a depth of one (1) meter below the
contribution point of the naturally emanating crude oil. An exiting
tube at the upper part of the vertical well connects to a
conduction pipe, through which crude oil accumulated within the
vertical well is discharged into a storage tank.
[0032] A cap covers the top of the vertical well. This cap seals
the space between the outside of the injection tube and the
interior of the vertical well. This seal permits a high pressure
air generated by an air compressor to push through the interior of
the injection tube in order to drag the crude oil through the
exiting tube and through the conduction pipe for ultimate discharge
into a storage tank.
[0033] As with natural emanations, detecting leaks in, and
capturing and collecting crude oil from, a capped oil well begins
with ascertaining the location of the leaking capped oil well. The
presence of accumulation of crude oil on the ground surface in
proximity to a capped oil well is visually determined. Once this
accumulation of crude oil is discovered, a vertical well is drilled
in this zone.
[0034] In order to capture the leaking crude oil from a capped oil
well, a vertical well is drilled parallel to the capped well to a
depth of a maximum of two hundred (200) meters. The diameter of the
vertical well is approximately six (6) to eight (8) inches. As
before, this vertical well becomes a center of lower pressure,
attracting the flow of the leaking crude oil toward the vertical
well instead of the ground surface.
[0035] To determine the depth location where the leaking crude oil
enters into the interior of the vertical well, a mechanical
vibration sensor is introduced. This mechanical vibration sensor is
lowered into the vertical well and suspended by a tripod at ground
level. This mechanical vibration sensor then sends voltage signals
through a cable which is connected to a voltage data acquisition
card. The voltage data is then collected and a graph is generated
wherein the x-axis represents the intensity of the voltage signal
and the y-axis represents depth.
[0036] The interpretation of the graphical representation is based
on the principle that the flow of crude oil is directed towards the
interior of the vertical well. Vibrations generated by the flow of
crude oil are picked up by a sensor in proportion to the quantity
of oil that flows around said sensor. This mechanical vibration
sensor produces a high voltage intensity resulting from the flow of
crude oil as the mechanical vibration sensor descends the vertical
well. Once the mechanical vibration sensor passes by the leaking
crude oil, the crude oil no longer flows over the mechanical
vibration sensor. The depth location where the crude oil leaks into
the interior of the vertical well is identified when the intensity
of the voltage signal diminishes significantly. This depth location
is called the contribution point.
[0037] To stimulate the production of the leaking crude oil from
the capped oil well, an injection tube is placed down the interior
of the vertical well. The injection tube has a maximum diameter of
one third (1/3) that of the vertical well. The air injection tube
is lower down to a depth of one (1) meter below the maximum
contribution point. Once the position of the air injection tube is
in place, an exiting tube is connected in the upper part of the
vertical well. This exiting tube is connected to a conduction pipe
which will carry the collected crude oil to be discharge in a
storage tank.
[0038] A cap is placed on the top of the vertical well, sealing the
ring space which exists between the outside of the injection tube
and the interior of the vertical well. This seal permits high
pressure air generated from a compressor to push through the
interior of the injection tube, forcing the crude oil through the
exiting tube and conduction pipe and finally discharging the crude
oil into a storage tank.
[0039] There may be occasions where more than one natural emanation
occurs. In such event, it is necessary to have in place a system
and method to gather and collect these quantities of naturally
accumulated crude oil. As with natural emanations and leaks from
capped oil wells, determining whether multiple emanations exist is
performed by visual inspection.
[0040] When there are multiple natural emanations present, a
horizontal well is drilled in the vicinity of the accumulated crude
oil. The presence of the horizontal well creates, again, a center
of lower pressure, attracting the migration of crude oil in the
cracks and fractures of the rock toward the interior of the
horizontal well. The crude oil which accumulates in the interior of
the horizontal well is then extracted using a pumping system for
crude oil. The crude oil collected by this pumping system is
transported to the surface by a discharge pipe which leads to a
storage tank located at ground level.
[0041] The pumping system used to drive the crude oil to the ground
surface comprises a general pumping system housing within which a
hydraulic piston, fed by two high pressure oil hoses, drives a
hydraulic chamber and controls the advance and return of a rod. A
fixed ring cover expands or restricts the area of the hydraulic
chamber as the rod advances then returns. The two high pressure
hoses are oil conduits of a hydraulic system located on the ground
surface. The hydraulic system is driven by an internal combustion
motor.
[0042] The rod has a movable cap on the end and travels through a
six (6) inch crude oil collector tube. The space between the
movable cap and the crude oil collector tube is 0.004 inches. As
the rod moves from one end of the crude oil collector tube, the rod
forces the movable cap toward crude oil access conduits and a
discharge pipe at the opposing end of the crude oil collector tube.
A cover seal at this opposing end impedes the exit of crude oil
that enters into the crude oil collector tube.
[0043] Both the crude oil access conduits and the discharge pipe
function by means of an opening and closing system which consists
of a sphere located in the interior of a cone which has an aperture
or opening on one end and a grid on the other end. The opening
serves as either an entrance or exit for crude oil, depending on
whether the cone is located within the crude oil access conduits or
the discharge pipe. The opening is of a smaller diameter than the
sphere. On the opposite end of the cone is a grid. When crude oil
flows through the cone, the force of the flow forces the sphere
against the surface of the grid. This grid permits the flow of
crude oil to pass while simultaneously retaining the sphere in a
semi-fixed location. The grid is three (3) times the diameter of
the sphere.
[0044] In the preferred embodiment, the sphere, cone, and grid are
all made up of a metallic substance. The crude oil passes through
the opening of the cone, circumventing the sphere, and ultimately
passing through the grid for displacement either within the crude
oil collector tube or toward the storage tank via the discharge
pipe. The cone in the discharge pipe is located in the ring cap
which closes the space between the six (6) inch crude oil collector
tube and the exterior sixteen (16) inch pipe.
[0045] To refill the six (6) inch crude oil collector tube, a
return system is activated by the high pressure hoses. This return
system permits the rod to return toward the hydraulic chamber. The
movable cap creates a vacuum which pulls the spheres within the
cones within the crude oil access conduits towards the grid and
allows crude petroleum to enter into the interior of the six (6)
inch crude oil collector tube. Simultaneously, within the cone,
sphere, and grid system located within the discharge pipe, the
sphere is drawn up against the opening of the cone preventing back
flow of any crude oil which exited the six (6) inch crude oil
collector tube. This reverse stroke permits crude oil to fill the
interior of the six (6) inch crude oil collector tube. Repeating
this action of advance and return of the rod maintains and sustains
crude oil production operation with the pumping system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0046] FIG. 1 is a subterranean side view of a typical crude oil
migration pattern from a crude oil deposit to the soil surface.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a subterranean side view of the migration of crude
oil into the interior of a vertical well.
[0048] FIG. 3 is a subterranean elevation view of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention for determining the depth of a
natural emanation along side a graphical representation for
determining the point where the natural emanation flows into the
vertical well.
[0049] FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention for collecting accumulation of crude oil from
a natural emanation.
[0050] FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention in collecting crude oil from a leak in a
capped oil well.
[0051] FIG. 6 is a subterranean view of migration patterns of crude
oil towards the interior of a horizontal well.
[0052] FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention in collecting leaks from multiple natural
emanations.
[0053] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pumping system used to
collect crude oil accumulation from natural emanations within a
horizontal well.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0054] Referring to FIG. 1, stemming from a crude oil deposit 2, a
naturally occurring crude oil accumulation 4 on the ground surface
1 is visually determined. A vertical well 5 is drilled in this
zone, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The diameter of the vertical well 5
is approximately six (6) to eight (8) inches. The depth of the
vertical well 5 is a maximum of two hundred (200) meters. Once the
vertical well 5 has been drilled, the bore created by the vertical
well 5 creates a center of low pressure. Because of this low
pressure, the crude oil natural emanation 3 which originally
migrated to the ground surface 1 is now attracted towards the
vertical well 5.
[0055] To determine the location at which the crude oil natural
emanations 3 enter the vertical well 5, a mechanical vibration
sensor 6 is lowered into the vertical well 5 and suspended by
tripod 7 at ground surface 1, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The
mechanical vibration sensor 6 sends voltage signals 12 through a
cable 8 which is connected to a voltage data acquisition card 9.
The voltage data is then collected and a graph is generated wherein
the x-axis 10 represents the intensity of the voltage signal 12 and
the y-axis 11 represents depth.
[0056] Still referring to FIG. 3, the interpretation of the
graphical representation is based on the principle that the flow of
crude oil is directed towards the interior of the vertical well 5.
Vibrations generated by the flow of crude oil natural emanations 3
are picked up by the mechanical vibration sensor 6 in proportion to
the quantity of crude oil that flows around the mechanical
vibration sensor 6. This mechanical vibration sensor 6 produces
high voltage intensity resulting from the flow of crude oil as the
mechanical vibration sensor 6 descends the vertical well 5. The
location of the depth where the crude oil naturally emanates into
the interior to the vertical well 5 is identified when the
intensity of the voltage signal diminishes significantly. This
depth location is called the contribution point 13.
[0057] Once the contribution point 13 is identified, an injection
tube 15 is placed in the interior of the vertical well 5, as
depicted in FIG. 4. The maximum diameter of the injection tube 15
is one third (1/3) that of the diameter of the vertical well 5. The
injection tube 15 is lowered down the vertical well 5 to a depth of
one (1) meter below the contribution point 13 of the naturally
emanating crude oil. An exiting tube 19 at the upper part of the
vertical well 5 connects to a conduction pipe 17, through which
crude oil accumulated within the vertical well 5 is discharged into
a storage tank 18.
[0058] A cap 14 covers the top of the vertical well 5. This cap 14
seals the space between the outside of the injection tube 15 and
the interior of the vertical well 5. This seal permits a high
pressure air generated by an air compressor 16 to push through the
interior of the injection pipe 15 in order to drag the crude oil
through the exiting tube 19 to the conduction pipe 17, and
ultimately discharging it into the storage tank 18.
[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the system
and method of the present invention for locating and collecting
crude oil leak 22 from a capped oil well 20 filled with concrete
21. As with natural emanations, the accumulation of crude oil 4 on
the ground surface 1 stemming from leaks from a capped oil well is
visually determined. For such a leak, a vertical well 5 is drilled
parallel to the capped well 20 to a depth of a maximum of two
hundred (200) meters. As before, this vertical well 5 becomes a
center of lower pressure, attracting the flow of the crude oil leak
22 from the capped oil well 20. The crude oil leak 22 then migrates
toward the vertical well 5 instead of the ground surface 1.
[0060] FIG. 3 shows the method for determining the depth location,
and thus the contribution point 13, of a crude oil leak 22 from a
capped oil well as being the same as determining the contribution
point 13 of a crude oil natural emanation 3. The only difference is
the presence of the capped oil well 20. Therefore, reference is
made to FIG. 3 for the following discussion.
[0061] To determine the depth location where the crude oil leak 22
enters into the interior of the vertical well 5, a mechanical
vibration sensor 6 is introduced. This mechanical vibration sensor
6 is lowered into the vertical well 5 and suspended by a tripod 7
at ground surface 1. This mechanical vibration sensor 6 then sends
voltage signals 12 through a cable 8 which is connected to a
voltage data acquisition card 9. The voltage data is then collected
and a graph is generated wherein the x-axis 10 represents the
intensity of the voltage signal 12 and the y-axis 11 represents
depth.
[0062] Still referring to FIG. 3, the interpretation of the
graphical representation is based on the principle that the flow of
crude oil leaks 22 is directed towards the interior of the vertical
well 5. Vibrations generated by the flow of crude oil leaks 22 are
picked up by the mechanical vibration sensor 6 in proportion to the
quantity of crude oil leak 22 that flows around the mechanical
vibration sensor 6. This mechanical vibration sensor 6 produces a
high voltage intensity resulting from the flow of crude oil as the
mechanical vibration sensor 6 descends the vertical well 5. Once
the mechanical vibration sensor 5 passes by the crude oil leak 22,
the crude oil leak 22 no longer flows over the mechanical vibration
sensor 6. The depth location where the crude oil leak 22 flows into
the interior of the vertical well 5 is identified when the
intensity of the voltage signal 12 diminishes significantly. This
depth location is called the contribution point 13.
[0063] To stimulate the production of the crude oil leak 22 from
the capped oil well 20, an injection tube 15 is placed down the
interior of the vertical well 5. The injection tube 15 has a
maximum diameter of one third (1/3) that of the vertical well 5.
The air injection tube 15 is lower down to a depth of one (1) meter
below the contribution point 13 of the crude oil leak 22. Once the
position of the air injection tube 15 is in place, an exiting tube
19 is connected in the upper part of the vertical well 5. This
exiting tube 19 is connected to a conduction pipe 17 which will
carry the collected crude oil to be discharge in a storage tank
18.
[0064] A cap 14 is placed on the top of the vertical well 5,
sealing the ring space which exists between the outside of the
injection tube 15 and the interior of the vertical well 5. This
seal permits a high pressure air generated by a compressor 16 to
push through the interior of the injection pipe 15, forcing the
crude oil through the exiting tube 19 and conduction pipe 17 and
finally discharging the crude oil into the storage tank 18.
[0065] Referring now to FIG. 6, when there are multiple natural
emanations, a horizontal well 23 is drilled in the vicinity of the
crude oil accumulation 4. The presence of the horizontal well 23
creates, again, a center of lower pressure, which attracts the
migration of crude oil 3 in the cracks and fractures of the rock
toward the interior of the horizontal well 23. The crude oil 24
which accumulates in the interior of the horizontal well 23 is then
extracted using a pumping system, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The
crude oil 24 collected by this pumping system is transported to the
ground surface 1 by a discharge pipe 25 which leads to a storage
tank 18 located at ground surface 1.
[0066] The pumping system used to drive the crude oil 24 to the
ground surface 1 comprises a general pumping system housing--a
sixteen (16) inch diameter pipe 30--within which a hydraulic piston
29, fed by two high pressure oil hoses 28, drives a hydraulic
chamber 41 and controls the advance and return of a rod 40. A fixed
ring cover 42 expands or restricts the area of the hydraulic
chamber 41 during the advance and return strokes of the rod 40. The
two high pressure hoses 28 are oil conduits of a hydraulic system
27 driven by an internal combustion motor 26.
[0067] The rod 40 has a movable cap 39 on the end and travels
through a six (6) inch crude oil collector tube 31. The space 43
between the movable cap 39 and the crude oil collector tube 31 is
0.004 inches. As the rod moves from one end of the crude oil
collector tube 31, the rod 40 forces the movable cap 39 toward a
plurality of crude oil access conduits 32 and the discharge pipe 25
at the opposing end of the crude oil collector tube 31. A cover
seal 37 at this opposing end impedes the exit of the crude oil 24
that enters into the crude oil collector tube 31.
[0068] Both the plurality of crude oil access conduits 32 and the
discharge pipe 25 function by means of an opening and closing
system. This opening and closing system consists of a sphere 34
located in the interior of a cone 35 which has an opening 36 which
serves as either an entrance or exit for crude oil 24, depending on
whether the cone 35 is located within the plurality of crude oil
access conduits 32 or the discharge pipe 25. The opening 36 is of a
smaller diameter than the sphere 34. On the opposite end of the
cone 35 is a grid 33. When crude oil 24 flows through the cone 35,
the force of the flow forces the sphere 34 against the surface of
the grid 33. This grid 33 permits the flow of crude oil 24 to pass
while simultaneously retaining the sphere 34 in a semi-fixed
location. The grid 33 is three (3) times the diameter of the sphere
34.
[0069] In the preferred embodiment, the sphere 34, cone 35, and
grid 33 are all made up of a metallic substance; however, other
durable and resistant materials may be used. The crude oil 24
passes through the opening 36 of the cone 35, circumventing the
sphere 34, and ultimately passing through the grid 33 for
displacement either within the crude oil collector tube 31 or
toward the storage tank 18 via the discharge pipe 25. The cone 35
in the discharge pipe 25 is located in the ring cap 38 which closes
the space between the six (6) inch crude oil collector tube 31 and
the exterior sixteen (16) inch diameter pipe 30.
[0070] To refill the six (6) inch collector pipe 31, a return
system is activated by the two high pressure hoses 28. This return
system permits the rod 40 to return toward the hydraulic chamber
41. The movable cap 39 creates a vacuum which pulls the spheres 34
within the cones 35 towards the grids 33 and allow the crude oil 24
to enter into the interior of the six (6) inch crude oil collector
tube 31. Simultaneously, within the cone 35, sphere 34, and grid 33
system located within the discharge pipe 25, the sphere 34 is drawn
up against the opening 36 of the cone 35, preventing any back flow
from any crude oil 24 which has exited the six (6) inch collector
tube 31. This reverse stroke permits crude oil 24 to fill the
interior of the six (6) inch crude oil collector tube 31. Repeating
this action of advance and return of the rod 40 maintains and
sustains crude oil production operation with the pumping
system.
* * * * *