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Electrothermal process for recovering hydrocarbons

  • US 4,412,585 A
  • Filed: 05/03/1982
  • Issued: 11/01/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An electrothermal process for recovering hydrocarbon values from an underground hydrocarbon-bearing formation having at least two separated boreholes penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, comprising the steps of:

  • (a) placing a heating device in the first borehole,(b) energizing the device to heat the surrounding formation to a temperature high enough to produce coking of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, thus forming a coked zone, which, having conductive properties, acts as an electrode,(c) maintaining the temperature of step (b) for a length of time to obtain a coked zone electrode having an effective radius at least twice that of the borehole,(d) repeating steps (a-c) in a second borehole,(e) applying a voltage between the coked zone electrodes of the first and second boreholes, to heat the formation between the boreholes to a temperature at which the hydrocarbon values are mobile, and(f) recovering hydrocarbon values from one of said boreholes.

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