Three-phase heaters with common overburden sections for heating subsurface formations
First Claim
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1. A heating system for a subsurface formation, comprising:
- three substantially u-shaped heaters, first end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to a single, three-phase wye transformer, second end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to each other and/or to ground;
wherein each heater is located in one of three separate openings that span between a first common wellbore and a second common wellbore in a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation, and wherein the three heaters enter the formation through the first common wellbore, pass through the separate openings, and exit the formation through the second common wellbore so that the magnetic fields of the three heaters at least partially cancel out in the common wellbores.
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Abstract
A heating system for a subsurface formation is described. The heating system includes three substantially u-shaped heaters with first end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to a single, three-phase wye transformer and second end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to each other and/or to ground. The three heaters may enter the formation through a first common wellbore and exit the formation through a second common wellbore so that the magnetic fields of the three heaters at least partially cancel out in the common wellbores.
1156 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A heating system for a subsurface formation, comprising:
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three substantially u-shaped heaters, first end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to a single, three-phase wye transformer, second end portions of the heaters being electrically coupled to each other and/or to ground; wherein each heater is located in one of three separate openings that span between a first common wellbore and a second common wellbore in a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation, and wherein the three heaters enter the formation through the first common wellbore, pass through the separate openings, and exit the formation through the second common wellbore so that the magnetic fields of the three heaters at least partially cancel out in the common wellbores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22)
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19. A method of heating a subsurface formation, comprising:
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providing heat from three substantially u-shaped heaters, wherein first end portions of the heaters are electrically coupled to a single, three-phase wye transformer, and second end portions of the heaters are electrically coupled to each other and/or to ground; wherein each heater is located in one of three separate openings that span between a first common wellbore and a second common wellbore in a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation, and wherein the three heaters enter the formation through the first common wellbore, pass through the separate openings, and exit the formation through the second common wellbore so that the magnetic fields of the three heaters at least partially cancel out in the common wellbores; and allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to a portion of the formation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification