Inhibiting wellbore deformation during in situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation
First Claim
1. A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation, wherein at least one of the heaters is in an uncased portion of a wellbore in the formation, wherein the uncased portion of the wellbore has been sized, at least in part, so that a minimum space between the heater and the formation is maintained after expansion of the formation in the wellbore caused by heating of the formation, and wherein the expansion of the formation in the wellbore is estimated based on the richness of one or more zones in the formation; and
allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation; and
producing a mixture from the formation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. At least one heater may be located in at least one wellbore in the formation. At least one wellbore may be sized, at least in part, based on a determination of formation expansion caused by heating of the formation so that formation expansion caused by heating of the formation is not sufficient to cause substantial deformation of one or more heaters in the sized wellbores. The ratio of the outside diameter of a heater to the inside diameter of a wellbore may be less than about 0.75. In certain embodiments, heat may transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation. In some embodiments, a mixture may be produced from the formation.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
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providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation, wherein at least one of the heaters is in an uncased portion of a wellbore in the formation, wherein the uncased portion of the wellbore has been sized, at least in part, so that a minimum space between the heater and the formation is maintained after expansion of the formation in the wellbore caused by heating of the formation, and wherein the expansion of the formation in the wellbore is estimated based on the richness of one or more zones in the formation; and allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation; and producing a mixture from the formation. - 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)
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27. A method for treating an oil shale formation comprising:
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providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the oil shale formation, wherein at least one of the heaters is in an uncased portion of a wellbore in the oil shale formation, wherein the uncased portion of the wellbore has been sized, at least in part, so that a minimum space between the heater and the oil shale formation is maintained after expansion of the oil shale formation in the wellbore caused by heating of the oil shale formation, and wherein the expansion of the oil shale formation in the wellbore is estimated based on the richness of one or more zones in the oil shale formation; and allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the oil shale formation; and producing a mixture from the oil shale formation. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for treating a coal formation, comprising:
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providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the coal formation, wherein at least one of the heaters is in an uncased portion of a wellbore in the coal formation, wherein the uncased portion of the wellbore has been sized, at least in part, so that a minimum space between the heater and the coal formation is maintained after expansion of the formation in the wellbore caused by heating of the coal formation, and wherein the expansion of the coal formation in the wellbore is estimated based on the richness of one or more zones in the coal formation; and allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the coal formation; and producing a mixture from the coal formation. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification