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Enhanced oil recovery apparatus and method

  • US 4,378,846 A
  • Filed: 12/15/1980
  • Issued: 04/05/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1980
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for heating hydrocarbons in an underground reservoir and facilitating flow of the hydrocarbons, comprising, in combination:

  • (a) flow channel means disposable in a reservoir of hydrocarbons for forming a flow path for a working fluid; and

    (b) heating means associated with the flow channel means for heating the working fluid prior to discharging the heated working fluid from the flow path and into a reservoir of hydrocarbons to be heated, the flow channel means including, in combination;

    (1) a housing having an exterior and defining a hollow chamber; and

    (2) conduit means arranged in the chamber of the housing and communicating with the exterior of the housing for forming the flow path, the conduit means including a fluid inlet to the chamber, a restricted fluid flow circuit through the chamber and a fluid outlet from the chamber, the housing being provided with connector means for attaching the housing to a lower end of a pipe string, the fluid inlet and fluid outlet being respectively located in the maximum spaced portions of the housing, and the fluid flow circuit of the conduit means forming a tortious path, substantially "S" shaped, between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet and arrangeable relative to an associated pipe string to form three substantially parallel, vertically disposed legs, the working fluid being a liquid, and the heating means including a pair of series connected electrodes at least partially forming a middle one of the legs, the latter being arranged forming an upwardly directed flow path means passing between the pair of electrodes for assuring that the liquid of the working fluid completely fills the associated one of the legs.

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