Innovative Approach to Hydrocarbon Recovery - "Gone With The Wind"

Samuel J. Senn
BASCOR Environmental, Inc, Mt. Prospect, IL

While conducting an environmental assessment at a remote oil and gas lease in southeast New Mexico, free phase crude oil was discovered on the water table approximately 25 feet below an abandon production pit.

Wind was selected as the power source for an innovative “dual” pump system driven by one windmill, believed to have been the first such application of this kind in the World. A conventional 8-foot diameter windmill placed on a 27-foot high tower providing a reliable power source, with natural cycling of the pump system, which is considered important to the optimum operation of the recovery system.

The windmill, consisted of two pumps within tandem 4” diameter recovery wells side by side. The deeper pump removed groundwater creating a gradient toward the system, while a shallow pump was installed to skim free phase hydrocarbon off the groundwater surface and route it into a holding tank for controlled recovery.

The system was successful in recovery of 90% of the free phase hydrocarbon, which was recycled and used in down-hole heating and recovery processes at alternate E&P sites near the project area. The inflow of fresh groundwater from the gradient depression created by the lower pump resulted in reduction of the dissolved plume, ultimately allowing the lease owner to divest of the lease lot, which was the goal of the project.