Electrical current flow between tunnels for use in heating subsurface hydrocarbon containing formations

• US 8,172,335 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Burns, David Booth, Hwang, Horng Jye (Jay), Marwede, Jochen, MacDonald, Duncan Charles, Prince-Wright, Robert George
• Primary Examiner(s): KRECK, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US12/422,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 299 2- 4
• US Class Current: 299/2
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 21/22 Compounds containing sulfur, selenium, or tellurium
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 21/28 Recovery of used solvent
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/207 Acid gases, e.g. H2S, COS, SO2, HCN
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/301 Boiling range
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/302 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/308 Gravity, density, e.g. API
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4006 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4012 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/42 Hydrogen of special source or of special composition
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/807 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/02 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/003 with cutting edges facing in opposite axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/08 Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/022 Top drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/001 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/02 using burners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/04 Electric drives E21B4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2401 by means of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2403 : by means of nuclear energy
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/243 : Combustion in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/281 : using heat
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 : Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 : comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 : of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 : Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/068 : drilled by a down-hole drilling motor down-hole drives per se E21B4/00, E21B7/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/18 : Drilling by liquid or gas jets, with or without entrained pellets E21B7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for treating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation includes one or more shafts. A first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extends from one or more of the shafts. A second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extends from one or more of the shafts. Two or more heat source wellbores extend from the first tunnel to the second tunnel. The heat source wellbores are configured to allow electrical current to flow between the heat source wellbores.

Claims

1. A system for treating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

one or more shafts;

a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extending from one or more of the shafts, wherein the first tunnel is located in an overburden of the formation;

a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extending from one or more of the shafts, wherein the second tunnel is located in an overburden of the formation; and

two or more heat source wellbores extending between the first tunnel and the second tunnel with a majority of the wellbores located in a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation, wherein the heat source wellbores are configured to allow electrical current to flow between the heat source wellbores.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical current flow between the heat source wellbores is configured to resistively heat the hydrocarbon containing layer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tunnels has an average diameter of at least 1 m.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shafts has an average diameter of at least 0.5 m.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shafts extends between the surface of the formation and at least one of the tunnels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wellbores are located substantially horizontally in the hydrocarbon containing layer.

7. A method for treating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing electrical current into two or more heat source wellbores extending between a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel and a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel, wherein the first and second tunnels are located in an overburden of the formation and a majority of the wellbores are located in a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation;

allowing electrical current to flow between the heat source wellbores; and

heating the hydrocarbon containing layer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising heating the hydrocarbon containing layer such that at least some hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing layer are mobilized.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising heating the hydrocarbon containing layer such that at least some hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing layer are mobilized, and producing at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein heating the hydrocarbon containing layer comprises electrical resistance heating of the hydrocarbon containing layer caused by the electrical current flow between the heat source wellbores.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the electrical current into the heat source wellbores and the tunnels through at least one shaft that connects at least one tunnel to the surface of the formation.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the wellbores are located substantially horizontally in the hydrocarbon containing layer.

13. A system for treating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

one or more shafts;

a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extending from one or more of the shafts, wherein the first tunnel is located in an overburden of the formation;

a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extending from one or more of the shafts, wherein the second tunnel is located in an overburden of the formation;

a first heat source wellbore extending from the first tunnel, wherein at least a portion of the first wellbore is located horizontally in the hydrocarbon containing formation, and wherein the first wellbore extends from the overburden of the formation into a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation; and

a second heat source wellbore extending from the second tunnel, wherein at least a portion of the second wellbore is located horizontally in the hydrocarbon containing formation, and wherein the second wellbore extends from the overburden of the formation into a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation;

wherein the heat source wellbores are configured to allow electrical current to flow between the heat source wellbores.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the electrical current flow between the heat source wellbores is configured to resistively heat the formation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the tunnels has an average diameter of at least 1 m.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the shafts has an average diameter of at least 0.5 m.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the shafts extends between the surface of the formation and at least one of the tunnels.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the first heat source wellbore is not connected to the second tunnel.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the second heat source wellbore is not connected to the first tunnel.

20. A method for treating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing electrical current into two or more heat source wellbores, at least one wellbore extending from a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel in an overburden of the formation into a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation with at least a portion of the wellbore being horizontal in the formation, and at least one wellbore extending from a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel in an overburden of the formation into a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation with at least a portion of the wellbore being horizontal in the formation;

allowing electrical current to flow between the heat source wellbores; and

heating the formation.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising heating the formation such that at least some hydrocarbons in the formation are mobilized.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising heating the formation such that at least some hydrocarbons in the formation are mobilized, and producing at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein heating the formation comprises electrical resistance heating of the formation caused by the electrical current flow between the heat source wellbores.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the electrical current into the heat source wellbores and the tunnels through at least one shaft that connects at least one tunnel to the surface of the formation.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one wellbore extending from the first tunnel is not connected to the second tunnel.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one wellbore extending from the second tunnel is not connected to the first tunnel.