Described herein are methods of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. The method can include adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid and adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid. The viscosity reducer is buffered at a pH of 7 or less (e.g., at a pH of from 2 to 7, such as at a pH of from 3.5 to 7, or at a pH of from 5 to 7). The addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment.

A fluid processing system is configured for use in a wellbore in a hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation. The system includes a casing liner disposed in an open hole section of a well for providing a separation zone in a flow of materials from a first reservoir The system includes a downhole separator operatively coupled to the casing liner for separating the first material and the second material within the flow of materials. The flow of materials includes at least a first material and a second material.

A fluid processing system is configured for use in a wellbore in a hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation. The system includes a casing liner disposed in an open hole section of a well for providing a separation zone in a flow of materials from a first reservoir The system includes a downhole separator operatively coupled to the casing liner for separating the first material and the second material within the flow of materials. The flow of materials includes at least a first material and a second material.

A gas separation and injection system includes a lower separator that receives and separates a production stream into higher and lower density streams, a turbine-compressor including a turbine that receives the lower density stream to rotate a shaft that drives a compressor and subsequently recombines the lower and higher density streams into a recombined production stream. An upper separator receives the recombined production stream and includes a gas inlet tube that conveys a gas stream to the compressor to produce a compressed gas stream. A shuttle valve assembly axially interposes the upper separator and the turbine-compressor and includes a mandrel assembly received within a body and having the gas inlet tube extending within the mandrel assembly, a valve seat secured to the gas inlet tube, a piston movably arranged within the inner annulus between closed and open positions, and a shuttle valve operatively coupled to the piston.

An oil-water fractionation system is positioned within a wellbore on a subsurface end of a production tubing proximate to a production region. The fractionation system includes a permeable hydrophobic media for preferentially conveying an oil-enriched stream (reduced water-cut presence) from the production region into the production tubing, and a permeable oleophobic media for preferentially conveying a water-enriched stream (reduced oil-cut presence) into a second flow path. The permeable hydrophobic media and the permeable oleophobic media are in simultaneous hydraulic communication with the production region. The permeable hydrophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to oil, allowing the oil-enriched stream to flow through the permeable hydrophobic media into the production tubing. In contrast, the permeable oleophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to water, allowing the water-enriched stream to flow through the permeable oleophobic media into the second flow path.

A method and apparatus for separating of gas from liquids in a wellbore, the apparatus enabling the receiving of wellbore fluids into two or more production separation chambers, operating in parallel. The apparatus further enabling the receiving of production separation chamber fluids into a production pipe through a thief jet port disposed in a lower chamber beneath the production separation chambers. The apparatus further enabling extraction of bottom hole gas fluids in the wellbore from under the two or more production separation chambers and disposing the gas fluids back into the wellbore above the two or more production separation chambers.

A system for applying low pressure gas lift artificial lift enables improved efficiency in gas and oil well production. The system comprises: a central tubing in a well hole of the well, the tubing having a well head end and a well sump end; an annulus that extends around the central tubing between from the well head end to the sump end; a compressed gas source; a gas lift gas line connecting the compressed gas source to the well hole; a gas compressor having an input and an output, wherein the output is connected to the annulus; a flowline connected to the well head end of the central tubing; and an automatically controlled flowline choke in the flowline.

A method for recompleting a well is applied to a well such that the recompleted well can thermally transfer geothermal energy to surface. The recompleting method can comprise steps to hydraulically isolate a wellbore using a hydraulic isolation means, and enhance the thermal conductivity of a reservoir in which the wellbore is located by inserting a thermal material into the reservoir that displaces a reservoir fluid having a lower thermal conductivity than the thermal material.

A method and apparatus for separating of gas from liquids in a wellbore, the apparatus enabling the receiving of wellbore fluids into two or more production separation chambers, operating in parallel. The apparatus further enabling the receiving of production separation chamber fluids into a production pipe through a thief jet port disposed in a lower chamber beneath the production separation chambers. The apparatus further enabling extraction of bottom hole gas fluids in the wellbore from under the two or more production separation chambers and disposing the gas fluids back into the wellbore above the two or more production separation chambers.

An apparatus and method for extracting sand from an underground sandstone formation. The apparatus comprising: a conduit having an upper end and a lower end to engage a sandstone formation, a gas injection line to inject gas at an injection point, wherein the gas injected at the injection point generates a low pressure region at the lower end to draw a sand slurry from the sandstone formation, and a collection port proximate to the upper end of the conduit wherein the sand slurry in the conduit is to be removed. The method comprising: lowering a pipe and air injection line into a sandstone formation, injecting air into the pipe to create a low pressure region at a lower end of the pipe to draw a sand slurry from the formation, and collecting the sand slurry at a collection port.