Method of production stimulation and enhanced recovery of oil
First Claim
1. A method of production stimulation and enhanced oil recovery from existing oil wells, comprising the steps of:
- (a) disposing an insulated high voltage cable within an injection well and embedding a conductive probe at the end of said cable within an oil-bearing stratum;
(b) disposing an insulating high voltage cable within a recovery well and embedding a probe at the end of said cable within an oil-bearing stratum, said recovery well being between 25 feet and 3,000 feet distance from said injection well;
(c) connecting a high energy charging and discharge circuit, at the surface level, between each of said cables associated with said injection and recovery wells;
(d) applying a voltage, current, frequency and pulse width control circuit to said charging and discharge circuit; and
(e) selectively actuating the above circuitry in order to produce sequential high energy electrical impulses originating at the electrode embedded within the injection well, thereby producing electrical, thermal, physical and sonic shock effects sufficient to produce geological fracturing and, thereby, oil flow between said electrodes.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved method of recovery of petroleum from presently existing wells which are either non-producing or low production types. The method utilizes surges and oscillations of electrical energy in excess of 150 kilovolts involving the use of heavy current flow over a carbonaceous path in order to establish heat, electrical and physical shock, and steam fracturing (or shattering) within certain sedimentary rock formations, thereby giving rise to an increase in the effective well and reservoir radius both within an existing well and between wells. The method involves the use of a minimum of two existing wells, one being an injection well and the other being a production or recovery well. In each well, insulated high voltage cable is secured within the well casing in order to feed required electrical energy into a probe rod which, at the bottom of each well is driven into the oil stratum in a configuration in which each probe is directed toward the other. The distance of the respective probes from each other will, depending upon factors of voltage, current flow and geological conditions, be disposed as close as 25 feet apart or, in any given instance, as far as 3,000 feet apart.
56 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of production stimulation and enhanced oil recovery from existing oil wells, comprising the steps of:
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(a) disposing an insulated high voltage cable within an injection well and embedding a conductive probe at the end of said cable within an oil-bearing stratum; (b) disposing an insulating high voltage cable within a recovery well and embedding a probe at the end of said cable within an oil-bearing stratum, said recovery well being between 25 feet and 3,000 feet distance from said injection well; (c) connecting a high energy charging and discharge circuit, at the surface level, between each of said cables associated with said injection and recovery wells; (d) applying a voltage, current, frequency and pulse width control circuit to said charging and discharge circuit; and (e) selectively actuating the above circuitry in order to produce sequential high energy electrical impulses originating at the electrode embedded within the injection well, thereby producing electrical, thermal, physical and sonic shock effects sufficient to produce geological fracturing and, thereby, oil flow between said electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification