Electrolytic system and method for enhanced release and deposition of sub-surface and surface components

• US 8,157,981 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strategic Resource Optimization, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Strategic Resource Optimization, Inc.
• Inventors: Peters, Michael J., Faulder, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phasge, Arun S
• Application Number:
  US11/603,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 205/687, 205/688, 205/696, 205/746, 204/252, 204/263
• US Class Current: 205/687
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/28 Dissolving minerals other than hydrocarbons, e.g. by an alkaline or acid leaching agent E21B43/241 takes precedence

Abstract

The present electrolytic system and method for extracting components includes a means for providing a carrier fluid; a means for providing a pair of electrodes interposed by a permeable membrane to create a first channel and a second channel; a means for flowing the carrier fluid through the first and second channel; a means for applying a voltage to the pair of electrodes to produce a first ionized carrier fluid in the first channel and a second ionized carrier fluid in the second channel; a means for injecting at least one of the first ionized carrier fluid and the second ionized carrier fluid into the subsurface reservoir to release the components; and a means for recovering the at least one of the first ionized carrier fluid and the second ionized carrier fluid and the components from a subsurface strata or ex-situ mineral deposit.

Claims

1. An electrolytic method for extracting components from a subsurface strata comprising:

providing a carrier fluid;

providing a pair of electrodes interposed by a permeable membrane to create a first channel and a second channel;

flowing said carrier fluid through said first and second channel;

applying a potential to said pair of electrodes to produce a first ionized carrier fluid in said first channel and a second ionized carrier fluid in said second channel;

injecting at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid into said subsurface strata to release said components; and

recovering said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid and said components from said subsurface strata.

2. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 further comprising:

separating said components from said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

3. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein said injecting further includes injecting said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid into at least one injection well located to provide Darcy flow principles to said subsurface reservoir.

4. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 3 wherein said recovering further includes recovering said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid with a production well located central to said at least one injection wells to provide Darcy flow principles to said subsurface reservoir.

5. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein said flowing further comprises:

adjusting said flowing of said carrier fluid to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

6. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein said applying further comprises:

adjusting said potential to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

7. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein said providing a pair of electrodes further comprises:

adjusting the location of said permeable membrane relative to said pair of electrodes to change the volume of said first ionized carrier fluid relative to said second ionized carrier fluid.

8. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring at least one of pH and eH of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

9. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 further comprising:

reversing the polarity of said applied potential to said pair of electrodes.

10. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid has a negative reduction potential.

11. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid comprises a positive oxidation potential.

12. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering said carrier fluid.

13. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting the mineral content of said carrier fluid.

14. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 13 wherein said adjusting comprises:

adding or removing a component of the group consisting of clay particulates and nano particles.

15. An electrolytic system for extracting components from a subsurface strata comprising:

means for providing a carrier fluid;

means for providing a pair of electrodes interposed by a permeable membrane to create a first channel and a second channel;

means for flowing said carrier fluid through said first and second channel;

means for applying a potential to said pair of electrodes to produce a first ionized carrier fluid in said first channel and a second ionized carrier fluid in said second channel;

means for injecting at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid into said subsurface reservoir to release said components; and

means for recovering said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid and said components from said subsurface strata.

16. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 further comprising:

means for separating said components from said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

17. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein said means for injecting further includes means for injecting said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid into at least one injection well located to provide Darcy flow principles to said subsurface reservoir.

18. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 17 wherein said means for recovering further includes recovering said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid with a production well located central to said at least one injection well to provide Darcy flow principles to said subsurface reservoir.

19. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein said means for flowing further comprises:

means for adjusting said flowing of said carrier fluid to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

20. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein said means for applying further comprises:

means for adjusting said potential to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

21. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein said means for providing a pair of electrodes further comprises:

means for adjusting the location of said permeable membrane relative to said pair of electrodes to change the volume of said first ionized carrier fluid relative to said second ionized carrier fluid.

22. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 further comprising:

means for monitoring at least one of pH and eH of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

23. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 further comprising:

means for reversing the polarity of said applied potential to said pair of electrodes.

24. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid has a negative reduction potential.

25. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid comprises a positive reduction potential.

26. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 further comprising:

means for filtering said carrier fluid.

27. The electrolytic system for extracting components of claim 15 further comprising:

means for adjusting the mineral content of said carrier fluid.

28. An electrolytic method for extracting components from an ex-situ mineral deposit comprising:

providing a carrier fluid;

providing a pair of electrodes interposed by a permeable membrane to create a first channel and a second channel;

flowing said carrier fluid through said first and second channel;

applying a voltage to said pair of electrodes to produce a first ionized carrier fluid in said first channel and a second ionized carrier fluid in said second channel;

percolating at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid through said ex-situ mineral deposit to release said components; and

recovering said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid and said components from said above.

29. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 further comprising:

separating said components from said at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

30. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 wherein said flowing further comprises:

adjusting said flowing of said carrier fluid to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

31. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 wherein said applying further comprises:

adjusting said voltage to change the magnitude of charge on said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

32. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 wherein said providing a pair of electrodes further comprises:

adjusting the location of said permeable membrane relative to said pair of electrodes to change the volume of said first ionized carrier fluid relative to said second ionized carrier fluid.

33. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 further comprising:

monitoring at least one of pH and eH of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid.

34. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 further comprising:

reversing the polarity of said applied voltage to said pair of electrodes.

35. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid has a negative reduction potential.

36. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 wherein at least one of said first ionized carrier fluid and said second ionized carrier fluid comprises a positive reduction potential.

37. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 further comprising:

filtering said carrier fluid.

38. The electrolytic method for extracting components of claim 28 further comprising:

adjusting the mineral content of said carrier fluid.