Apparatuses and method to reduce a pore-water pressure of water within a subsurface formation below a first pressure, include creating a pressure discontinuity in a well for a first period of time. The pressure discontinuity is created using ambient ground water pressure. A ground water flow regulating device (GFRD) is used to create the pressure discontinuity such that the GFRD restricts ground water flow through the well, which causes a pressure below the GFRD to increase. A flow of ground water is released through the well casing after the first period of time under natural ground water pressure. The GFRD releases the flow of the ground water and the pore-water pressure decreases to a second pressure after the ground water is released and the second pressure is less than the first pressure, wherein a first purge cycle is accomplished.

A vacuum chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump. The vacuum chamber is positioned within a wellbore. A wellbore is fluidically exposed to an interior of the vacuum chamber after the vacuum chamber has been evacuated. At least a portion of condensate within the wellbore is flashed responsive to fluidically exposing a wellbore to an interior of the vacuum chamber.

A method for artificially recharging a target reservoir in a geological formation using powered water injection from a local source aquifer in the geological formation. The method comprises detecting chemical properties of water in the source aquifer, determining whether the water in the source aquifer is compatible with water in the target reservoir based on the chemical properties, activating an electrical submersible pump (ESP) positioned between target reservoir and the source aquifer to inject water from the source aquifer into the target reservoir, detecting downhole pressure, temperature and water flow rate conditions at the ESP, and controlling a rate at which the ESP injects water using the downhole pressure, temperature and water flow rate conditions.

A method for producing hydrocarbons includes the steps of a) providing a source of liquefied natural gas (LNG), b) regasifying the LNG at the well, c) pressurizing the regasified LNG above the formation pressure, d) injecting the pressurized LNG into the well, e) allowing the injection stream to flow into the producing formation, and f) recovering and transporting the regasified LNG and produced gas from the formation. The injection stream may include at least 85% methane and no more than 5 PPM water. Step f) may be carried out without separating the recovered gases. Step d) may continue for at least 24 hours. Step b) may comprise passing the LNG through a vaporizer. Step c) may be carried out before step b). An apparatus for injecting regasified LNG into a hydrocarbon formation may comprise an LNG tank, a vaporizer, a compressor, and a fluid connection to the producing formation.

A method for producing hydrocarbons includes the steps of a) providing a source of liquefied natural gas (LNG), b) regasifying the LNG at the well, c) pressurizing the regasified LNG above the formation pressure, d) injecting the pressurized LNG into the well, e) allowing the injection stream to flow into the producing formation, and f) recovering and transporting the regasified LNG and produced gas from the formation. The injection stream may include at least 85% methane and no more than 5 PPM water. Step f) may be carried out without separating the recovered gases. Step d) may continue for at least 24 hours. Step b) may comprise passing the LNG through a vaporizer. Step c) may be carried out before step b). An apparatus for injecting regasified LNG into a hydrocarbon formation may comprise an LNG tank, a vaporizer, a compressor, and a fluid connection to the producing formation.

A supersonic vacuum generator device for oil wells including: a cylindrical chamber; a suction device; a central accelerator core inside the cylindrical chamber; a tubular chamber connected to the cylindrical chamber, the tubular chamber including an internal fluid feed space; a concentric accelerator core inside the tubular chamber and connected to the central accelerator core, the concentric accelerator core includes a central vacuum tube having a cylindrical shape with a fluid accumulation chamber; a conical section connected to the fluid accumulation chamber and to a reduced diameter fluid passage that diverges with an angle range between 3.5 to 9 degrees with respect to a center line of the fluid passage; a one-way valve located on each one of the inlets of the central accelerator core; and a one-way valve located on the central vacuum tube.

A supersonic vacuum generator device for oil wells including: a cylindrical chamber; a suction device; a central accelerator core inside the cylindrical chamber; a tubular chamber connected to the cylindrical chamber, the tubular chamber including an internal fluid feed space; a concentric accelerator core inside the tubular chamber and connected to the central accelerator core, the concentric accelerator core includes a central vacuum tube having a cylindrical shape with a fluid accumulation chamber; a conical section connected to the fluid accumulation chamber and to a reduced diameter fluid passage that diverges with an angle range between 3.5 to 9 degrees with respect to a center line of the fluid passage; a one-way valve located on each one of the inlets of the central accelerator core; and a one-way valve located on the central vacuum tube.

Estimates of global total liquid hydrocarbon resources are dominated by structures known as oil sands or tar sands which represent approximately two-thirds of the total recoverable resources. This is despite that the Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands, which dominate these oil sand based recoverable oil reserves at 1.7 trillion barrels, are calculated at only a 10% recovery rate. However, irrespective of whether it is the 3.6 trillion barrels recoverable from the oil sands or the 1.75 trillion barrels from conventional oil reservoirs worldwide, it is evident that significant financial return and extension of the time oil as resource is available to the world arise from increasing the recoverable percentage of such resources. According to embodiments of the invention pressure differentials are exploited to advance production of wells, adjust the evolution of the depletion chambers formed laterally between laterally spaced wells to increase the oil recovery percentage, and provide recovery in deeper reservoirs.

Estimates of global total liquid hydrocarbon resources are dominated by structures known as oil sands or tar sands which represent approximately two-thirds of the total recoverable resources. This is despite that the Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands, which dominate these oil sand based recoverable oil reserves at 1.7 trillion barrels, are calculated at only a 10% recovery rate. However, irrespective of whether it is the 3.6 trillion barrels recoverable from the oil sands or the 1.75 trillion barrels from conventional oil reservoirs worldwide, it is evident that significant financial return and extension of the time oil as resource is available to the world arise from increasing the recoverable percentage of such resources. According to embodiments of the invention pressure differentials are exploited to advance production of wells, adjust the evolution of the depletion chambers formed laterally between laterally spaced wells to increase the oil recovery percentage, and provide recovery in deeper reservoirs.

A supersonic vacuum generator device for oil wells including: a cylindrical chamber; a suction device; a central accelerator core inside the cylindrical chamber; a tubular chamber connected to the cylindrical chamber, the tubular chamber including an internal fluid feed space; a concentric accelerator core inside the tubular chamber and connected to the central accelerator core, the concentric accelerator core includes a central vacuum tube having a cylindrical shape with a fluid accumulation chamber; a conical section connected to the fluid accumulation chamber and to a reduced diameter fluid passage that diverges with an angle range between 3.5 to 9 degrees with respect to a center line of the fluid passage; a one-way valve located on each one of the inlets of the central accelerator core; and a one-way valve located on the central vacuum tube.