Patent ID: 7631694

Claim:
A steam injection apparatus for delivery of steam to a subterranean formation comprising: a plurality of steam splitter modules fluidly connected together and adapted for connection to a tubing string for delivery of steam from surface to the plurality of steam splitter modules, each of the plurality of steam splitter modules comprising: an inner tube having an axis and a bore extending therethrough, the bore adapted for fluid connection to the tubing string for delivery of the steam thereto; an outer tube positioned concentrically about at least a portion of the inner tube and forming an annular space therebetween, the outer tube having one or more perforations for the delivery of steam from the annular space to the formation; and one or more ports formed in the inner tube for fluidly connecting the bore to the annular space; and sized orifices in the one or more ports for delivering steam from the bore to the annular space, the size of the orifices being selected and changed accordingly to suit changing steam conditions at each of the plurality of steam splitter modules so that a mass rate of the delivery of steam from each of the plurality of steam splitter modules is substantially equal, and the delivery of steam at one or more of the sized orifices is subsonic.