Method and apparatus to transport subterranean oil to the surface

A method to extract oil for a pool of oil in the ground utilizes an interconnected series of rotating helical blades extending from the surface of the ground through a canted bore to the pool of oil. The blades can be staggered and interconnected with a gear arrangement that moves oil from pool to pool and up to the surface of the ground.

This invention relates to systems for extracting subterranean oil.

More particularly, the invention relates to an improved system to move oil from a subterranean pool upwardly through a slanted bore to the surface of the ground.

A long existing motivation in connection with removing petroleum reserves from the ground comprises developing new systems and technologies to maximize the quantity of oil which can be removed from an oil field.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved process for extracting oil from the ground.

Therefore it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved oil extraction method and apparatus.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide an improved method to extract oil from a pool of oil in the ground. The method includes the step of providing an oil extraction apparatus. The extraction apparatus includes an elongate housing; at least one baffle wall (51) fixedly secured to said housing to pool oil during the operation of said oil extraction apparatus; and, a plurality of staggered, interconnected, rotatable units (42A,42B). Each unit42A,42B includes a hollow cylindrical conduit having a first end and a second end; a first gear mounted on the first end; a second gear mounted on the second end; a drive shaft extending through the conduit; and, at least one helical blade attached to and extending about the drive shaft. The first gear (46) on a first one of the units (42A) engages the second gear (45) on a second one of the units (42D). The second one of the units is staggered from said first one of the units such that when the first one of the units rotates, the first gear rotates the second gear and the second unit. The first end of the first one of the units (42A) rotatably extends through the baffle wall (51). The second end of the second one of the is adjacent the baffle wall. The extraction apparatus also includes motive power to rotate the units (42A,42D). The method includes the additional steps of boring an elongate canted opening in the ground at a selected angle from the horizontal; inserting the oil extraction apparatus in the bore such that a portion of the first one of the units is submerged in the pool of oil; and, operating said motive power to rotate said units (42A,42D) such that oil from the pool travels up the first one of the units and pools adjacent the baffle wall (51), and oil pooling adjacent said baffle wall travels up the second one of the rotating units.

In another embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved method to extract oil from a pool of oil in the ground. The method includes the step of providing an oil extraction apparatus. The apparatus comprises an elongate housing; a plurality of interconnected, rotatable units (10,12) each including a hollow cylindrical conduit having a first end, a second end, a drive shaft extending through the conduit, and at least one helical blade attached to and extending about the drive shaft; and, motive power to rotate the units (10,12). The method also includes the steps of boring an elongate canted opening in the ground at a selected angle from the ground; inserting the oil extraction apparatus in the bore such that a portion of the first one of the units is submerged in the pool of oil; and, operating the motive power to rotate the units (10,12) such that the helical blades carry oil upwardly from the pool.

Turning now to the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustration thereof, and not by way of limitation of the invention, and in which like characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,FIG. 1illustrates one embodiment of the invention comprising oil extraction apparatus generally identified by reference character10.

Oil extraction apparatus10includes units10and12, pulley25, and continuous belt27operated by a motor (not shown) to provide the motive power utilized to power apparatus10.

Units10and12are identical in shape, dimension, and construction, although this need not be the case.

Unit10includes hollow cylindrical housing11, drive shaft15, a first helical blade17circumscribing and fixedly connected to shaft15, and a second helical blade18circumscribing and fixedly connected to shaft15.

Unit12includes hollow cylindrical housing14, drive shaft16, a first helical blade19circumscribing and fixedly connected to shaft15, and a second helical blade20circumscribing and fixedly connected to shaft15.

An internally threaded aperture21,22can be formed in one end of a shaft15,16, respectively. An externally threaded nose23,24can be formed at the other end of a shaft15,16, respectively. Each nose23,24is shaped and dimensioned to turn into an aperture21or22, or, to turn into an internally threaded aperture26formed in a pulley25.

Units11and12are connected such that circular lip68of unit11contacts and is in registration with circular lip69of unit12. One method of interconnecting units11and12is to turn nose24into internally threaded aperture21until lip68and69contact one another.

A drive shaft15and blades17,18can rotate inside a housing11. Alternatively, blades17and18can be fixedly secured to housing11such that housing11, shaft15and blades17and18rotate simultaneously. Further, a shaft15and one or more helical blades mounted on shaft15can be utilized without a housing11. For sake of the following discussion concerning use of the apparatus ofFIG. 1, it is assumed that the housing11,12of each unit11and12is utilized and that blades17,18,20,21and shafts15and16turn freely inside their respective housing11,12.

As is shown inFIG. 1, one or more auxiliary units70can be interposed between and in alignment with units11and12to increase the length of the apparatus ofFIG. 1. Unit70is identical in shape, dimension, and construction, to units11and12, although this need not be the case. In addition, a conically shaped nose71can be attached to the lower end70of unit12. Nose71preferably, but not necessarily, includes one or more peripheral helical blades (not shown) which extend around nose71in the same manner that blades17and18extend around shaft15and which can assist in carrying oil to blades19and20. Nose71can provide ingress into a pool of oil and can rest against the bottom of a bore to assist in stabilizing apparatus10in position in the bore.

In use of the apparatus ofFIG. 1, a sloped aperture is drilled in the earth to extend from the surface of the ground down to a desired subterranean pool of oil. The cant of the aperture from the horizontal is indicated by arrow C inFIG. 1and typically is in the range of fifty to sixty degrees, although the slope can vary as desired. Vertically orienting units11and12(and therefore shafts15and16) is not practical in the practice of the invention. Similarly, if angle C is in the range of one degree to twenty degrees or to thirty degrees, such is not practical because the blades17,18,19,20will not effectively move oil or because the length of aperture required to reach a pool of oil is prohibitively long. Likewise, if angle C is in the range of seventy to ninety degrees, such is not practical because the blades17to20do not effectively raise oil toward the surface of the ground when units11and12are canted at such a severe angle.

After the aperture is bored (or simultaneously while the aperture is bored), units11and12are mounted in the aperture so that the lower end70of the extraction apparatus10is sufficiently submerged in a pool of oil such that simultaneously rotating shafts15,16and blades17to20causes oil to move upwardly first along blades20and19and then upwardly along blades18and17. A motor (not visible inFIG. 1) is used to turn belt27, which turns pulley25mounted on nose23and, as a result, turns shafts15and16. The rotation of shafts15and16and blades16to20caused oil to move upwardly on blades17to20from the lower end70upwardly toward upper end67, and out end67into a reservoir.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, after a sloped aperture is formed in the ground, a hollow cylindrical oil well casing is inserted in the bore, after which the apparatus ofFIG. 1(orFIG. 2) is slidably inserted in the casing.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated inFIGS. 2 to 4. The oil extraction apparatus ofFIGS. 2 to 4is generally indicated by reference character40and includes a hollow cylindrical housing41and a plurality of spaced-apart circular baffle plates50to52fixedly mounted inside housing41.

Each of the staggered, interconnected, rotatable units42,42A,42B,42C,42D is of equivalent shape, dimension, and construction, although this need not be the case. Each rotatable unit42,42A,42B,42C,42D includes a hollow cylindrical housing44with first end with a toothed or other gear member (for example, the gear member might simply be a cylindrically shaped rubber sleeve extending around the first end)46fixedly attached thereto and with a second end with a toothed or other gear member45fixedly attached thereto. Units42,42A, etc. are arranged along the interior of housing41in staggered, or offset fashion, in the manner shown inFIG. 2so that each gear46on one end of a first unit42,42A, etc. is, except at the upper and lower ends of the apparatus40, in contact with a gear45on the end of a second unit42,42A, etc. that is offset from the first unit. For example, inFIG. 2, the gear46on one end of unit42A contacts the gear45on one end of unit42D. Unit42D is staggered or offset from unit42A. The helical blade or blades mounted inside each housing44are fixedly attached to the housing such that the housing44and blade rotate simultaneously.

InFIG. 2only one end of units42B is visible. The other end of unit42B which is not shown inFIG. 2is connected to a pulley and belt (or the desired motive power means) in a manner similar to the pulley25and belt27ofFIG. 1. The belt is turned by a motor (not shown). The belt turns the pulley and unit42B in the direction of arrow D (FIG. 1), which in turn turns unit42D in the direction of arrow E, which in turn turns unit42A in the direction of arrow F, which in turn turns unit42C in the direction of arrow G, which in turn turns unit42in the direction of arrow H. The lower end of unit42is, in use, at least partially submersed in a pool of oil so that oil travels up rotating unit42and out the upper end of unit42into a pool formed behind a baffle plate (not visible inFIG. 2). The lower end of unit42C is at least partially submersed in the pool. Oil in that pool then travels up rotating unit42C and out the upper end of unit42C to form a pool behind baffle plate50. The lower end of unit42A is at least partially submersed in the oil pool behind baffle plate50. Oil from the pool behind baffle plate50travels up rotating unit42A and out the upper end of unit42A to form a pool of oil60(FIG. 4) behind baffle plate51. As is depicted inFIG. 4, the lower end of unit42D is at least partially submersed in pool60. Oil from the pool60travels up rotating unit42D and out the upper end of unit42D to form a pool behind baffle plate52. The lower end of unit42B is at least partially submersed in the oil pool behind plate52. Oil in the pool behind plate52travels up rotating unit42B and out the upper end (not visible) of unit42B into a reservoir or other desired containment or processing system.

InFIG. 2, the housing41and units42,42A,42B, etc are viewed in an orientation in which housing41and units42,42A,42B have been rotated about thirty degrees from their normal orientation in the direction of arrow J. When housing41and units42,42A,42B, etc are in their normal presently orientation, the longitudinal axes of housing41and units42,43A,42B each lay in a common flat plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aperture that is drilled in the ground and that is perpendicular to a vertical plane extending downwardly through the longitudinal axis of the aperture. The vertical plane is normal to the horizontally oriented upper surface of the ground. Such an orientation is presently preferred because it places the upper end of unit42and the lower end of unit42in the orientation illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4. The orientation illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4facilitates the delivery of oil by unit42A into pool60, and facilitates immersing the lower end of member42D sufficiently to permit the helical blade in member42D to carry oil upwardly out of pool60.FIG. 4is a side view of a portion of the apparatus40ofFIG. 2when the apparatus40is in its preferred orientation in a bore in the ground. InFIG. 4, units42A and42D are in a “side-by-side” orientation and are not stack one on top of the other. One or more openings61(FIG. 2) can be formed in housing41at desired locations therealong to relieve pressure that may builds up in housing41. An opening61can house a one-way pressure relief valve which allows matter to flow outwardly from inside housing41and does not permit material to flow into housing41through the pressure relief valve. Or, such a pressure relief valve can only permit matter to flow into, and not out of, housing41.

In one embodiment of the invention, one or more of the units42,42A,42B, etc. do not include a housing44, but instead simply include a drive shaft and one or more helical blades mounted on the drive shafts. Gears or other means are mounted on the upper and lower ends of the drive shafts so that turning one of the drive shafts transmits motive power to and turns the remaining ones of the chain of staggered drive shafts. The drive shafts are offset from one another in the same manner that units42,42A,42B, etc are offset from one another inFIG. 2. Similarly, inFIG. 1, housings13and14can be omitted and only the drive shafts and helical blades utilized.

Each unit42,42A,42B, etc. presently preferably includes within housing44a drive shaft and at least one helical blade fixedly mounted on the drive shaft in the same manner as the drive shafts15,16and blades17to20inFIG. 1. Each helical blades is fixedly secured to and rotate simultaneously with its associated housing44. The drive shafts and helical blades are omitted fromFIGS. 2 to 4for sake of clarity.

In use of the apparatus ofFIGS. 2 to 4, a sloped aperture is drilled in the earth to extend from the surface of the ground down to a desired pool of oil. The cant of the aperture from the horizontal typically is, as noted, in the range of fifty to sixty degrees, although the slope can vary as desired.

After the aperture is bored, the extraction apparatus40ofFIG. 2is mounted in the aperture so that the lower end of the apparatus40and of unit42is sufficiently submerged in a pool of oil such that simultaneously rotating units42,42A,42B, etc causes oil to move upwardly through units42,42A,42B, etc and from the oil pool behind one baffle plate to the oil pool behind the next higher baffle plate until oil reaches the upper end of apparatus40and of unit42B. A motor (not visible inFIG. 1) is used to turn a belt or other mechanism that rotates unit42B in the direction of arrow D, which then causes the remaining units42,42A,42C,42D to turn in the directions indicated by arrows H, F, G, and E, respectively. The rotation of the helical blades in units42,42A,42B, etc. (simultaneously with the rotation of housings44) causes oil to move upwardly through units42,42A,42B, etc.

InFIGS. 2 to 4, the upper ends of units42C,42A,42D each extend through an opening54formed in a baffle wall50,51,52. If desired, a bushing can be mounted in opening54to receive rotatably the cylindrical end of a unit42C,42A.42B. Unless the upper end of a unit42,42A,42B, etc. is at the very bottom or very top of apparatus40, it is rotatably supported by and mounted in a baffle plate. InFIG. 2the lower ends of each unit normally are not mounted in a baffle plate but can, if desired, be so mounted, in which case appropriate openings would need to be formed in the lower end of the housing44to permit oil to flow into the interior of the housing and be transported upwardly by the helical blade in the housing.