Method and apparatus for producing fluid by varying current flow through subterranean source formation
First Claim
1. A method of heating a subterranean formation which comprises completing a plurality of wells within said formation in a predetermined pattern, installing electrical conductors in said wells, connecting said electrical conductors with the formation and with voltages so as to effect electrical conduction through the formation between wells, and heating said subterranean formation by said electrical conduction under conditions such that the electrical current flowing at different subterranean points varies at different times because of different current flow patterns to attain more nearly uniform heating of said subterranean formation, said electrical conduction effected by a multi-phase current source and said wells in said predetermined pattern have respective predetermined arrangement of electrical conductors therein;
- and each respective electrical conductor is connected with a predetermined phase of said multi-phase current source and said current flow patterns vary as said voltage differential configurations vary with the phase voltage changes on said electrical conductors connected with the respective phase leads with time.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for heating a subterranean formation in which a plurality of wells are completed in a predetermined pattern, characterized by heating the subterranean formation by electrical conduction under conditions such that the electrical current flowing at different subterranean points in the subterranean formation, or adjacent thereto, varies at different times because of different current flow patterns to attain a more nearly uniform heating of the subterranean formation. Also disclosed are a plurality of methods and apparatus, including the preferred embodiments of this invention.
373 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of heating a subterranean formation which comprises completing a plurality of wells within said formation in a predetermined pattern, installing electrical conductors in said wells, connecting said electrical conductors with the formation and with voltages so as to effect electrical conduction through the formation between wells, and heating said subterranean formation by said electrical conduction under conditions such that the electrical current flowing at different subterranean points varies at different times because of different current flow patterns to attain more nearly uniform heating of said subterranean formation, said electrical conduction effected by a multi-phase current source and said wells in said predetermined pattern have respective predetermined arrangement of electrical conductors therein;
- and each respective electrical conductor is connected with a predetermined phase of said multi-phase current source and said current flow patterns vary as said voltage differential configurations vary with the phase voltage changes on said electrical conductors connected with the respective phase leads with time.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for heating a subterranean formation comprising:
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a. a plurality of wells extending from the surface of the earth to and completed within said subterranean formation in a predetermined pattern for producing said fluids; b. a plurality of electrical conductors in respective said wells;
each said electrical conductor being electrically connected with said subterranean formation for passage of current therethrough; andc. a multi-phase electrical current source having respective leads for each respective phase thereof;
respective said leads being connected with respective said electrical conductors in a predetermined configuration so as to vary the electrical current flowing at different subterranean points in said subterranean formation at different times because of different current flow patterns to attain more nearly uniform heating of said subterranean formation by electrical conduction therethrough within said predetermined pattern of wells. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification