Radio frequency technology heater for unconventional resources
First Claim
1. A method of heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation, comprising forming a borehole into or adjacent to said formation, placing elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with said inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of said formation, connecting an AC power source to at least said outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of said conductors, said AC output having a controlled frequency, said outer conductor comprising a standard oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from said AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon, and dissipating more heat from portions of said conductors that are within the depth range of said formation than from other portions of said conductors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation forms a borehole into or adjacent to the formation, places elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with the inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of the formation, and connects an AC power source to at least the outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of the conductors. The AC output has a controlled frequency, and the outer conductor comprises a standard oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from the AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon. More heat is dissipated from portions of the conductor that is within the depth range of the formation than from other portions of the conductor. The inner conductor may optionally be a standard tubular oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from the AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon.
180 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation, comprising
forming a borehole into or adjacent to said formation, placing elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with said inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of said formation, connecting an AC power source to at least said outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of said conductors, said AC output having a controlled frequency, said outer conductor comprising a standard oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from said AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon, and dissipating more heat from portions of said conductors that are within the depth range of said formation than from other portions of said conductors.
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20. A method of heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation, comprising
forming a borehole into or adjacent to said formation, placing elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with said inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of said formation, connecting an AC power source to at least said outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of said conductors, said AC output having a controlled frequency, said inner conductor comprising a standard tubular oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from said AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon, and dissipating more heat from portions of said conductors that are within the depth range of said formation than from other portions of said conductors.
Specification