Electromagnetic based system and method for enhancing subsurface recovery of fluid within a permeable formation

• US 8,485,251 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Benischek, Vincent, Currie, Michael, Basantkumar, Rajneeta, Lyasko, Gennady
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomar, Shane
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUNYAN, SILVANA C
• Application Number:
  US12/545,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20100071894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 166/248
• US Class Current: 166/248
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/113 using electrical indications; using light radiations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

Systems and methods of enhancing crude oil flow radiate electromagnetic energy in the form of focused far field electromagnetic energy into a permeable formation containing the crude oil so as to cause the oil to decrease in viscosity without a substantial change in temperature of the crude oil, increasing the ability of the oil to flow within the formation toward the well and enabling recovery from the reservoir.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing flow of crude oil particles within a select subsurface region separated from a terrain surface via geological strata, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of transmit antennae on or below the terrain surface in a given pattern relative to the select subsurface region targeted for impingement;

controllably transmitting from said transmit antennae in the far field only, continuous wave (CW) or pulsed electromagnetic energy beams of given frequency, power, directivity and duration through the geological strata to generate an aggregate magnetic field having an isotropic profile focused onto the select subsurface region containing the crude oil, said electromagnetic energy beams transmitted through the geological strata without losses or interference attributable to the near field effects of the electromagnetic energy beams;

wherein the aggregate magnetic field impinges upon the crude oil particles at a target frequency and energy sufficient to decrease the viscosity of said oil particles a given amount to enhance crude oil flow within the select subsurface region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a well bore from said terrain surface to said select region containing said oil particles and determining a rate of oil flow associated with said select region using said well bore; and

adjusting transmission parameters of said antennae according to said determined rate of oil flow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target frequency of the aggregate magnetic field is matched to a mechanical frequency associated with the oil particles to cause aggregation of said oil particles.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting catalyst particles into the select subsurface region containing the crude oil, said catalyst particles adapted to interact with said crude oil particles upon excitation; and

modifying the aggregate magnetic field by adjusting transmit parameters of said antennae to cause excitation of said catalyst particles to impart energy to said crude oil particles to decrease said crude oil particle viscosity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said catalyst particles are nano surfactant particles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controllably transmitting is performed at frequencies ranging from about 100 Hz to about 10 kHz.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the power and duration of said transmission are controlled so as to decrease the oil viscosity without increasing the temperature of the crude oil.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the power transmitted from said antennae is about 10 kilowatts.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the controllably transmitting electromagnetic energy beams of given frequency, power, directivity and duration through the geological strata to generate the aggregate magnetic field having an isotropic profile focused onto the select subsurface region interacts with said oil reserve according to:

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the controllably transmitting electromagnetic energy beams of given frequency, power, directivity and duration through the geological strata to generate the aggregate magnetic field having an isotropic profile focused onto the select subsurface region further includes time sequencing transmissions of select ones of said antennae, said time sequenced transmissions occurring at a different one or more frequency, power, and directivity relative to others of said antennae to generate overlapping beams that form said aggregate magnetic field having said target frequency and energy sufficient to decrease the viscosity of said oil particles a given amount.

11. A system for enhancing crude oil flow within a select subsurface region separated from a terrain surface via geological strata, the system comprising:

an array of transmit antennae positioned on or below the terrain surface and configured with respect to one another to transmit in the far field only, electromagnetic energy beams through the geological strata to generate an aggregate magnetic field with isotropic profile focused onto the select subsurface region containing the crude oil, the aggregate magnetic field impinging upon crude oil particles at a frequency and energy sufficient to decrease the viscosity of oil particles to enhance crude oil flow within the select subsurface region, said electromagnetic energy beams transmitted through the geological strata without losses or interference attributable to the near field effects of the electromagnetic energy beams; and

a controller providing control parameters for configuring said transmit antennae to transmit said far field electromagnetic beams, said control parameters including one or more of predetermined frequency, power, directivity and transmit duration parameters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the select subsurface region is separated from the terrain surface by at least five hundred feet.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each transmit antenna of said array of antennae transmits an electromagnetic energy beam having a conical profile.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the antennae frequencies range from about 100 Hz to about 10 kHz.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller controls the power and duration of said transmissions so as to decrease the oil without increasing the temperature of the crude oil.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of said transmit antennae transmits only in the far field, and wherein the target frequency of the aggregate magnetic field corresponds to a mechanical aggregation frequency associated with the oil particles.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each of said transmit antennae comprises a compact parametric antenna having a dielectric, magnetically-active, open circuit mass core, ampere windings around said mass core, said mass core being made of magnetically active material that in the aggregate has a capacitive electric permittivity from about 2 to about 80, an initial permeability from about 5 to about 10,000, and particle sizes from about 2 to about 100 micrometers;

and an EM source for driving said windings to produce an electromagnetic wavefront.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of said antennae has a length of about 3 feet from the terrain surface.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said antennae are arranged in a uniform pattern about a well bore positioned on or below said terrain surface and in fluid communication with said select region for recovering said crude oil.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sensor system for determining a rate of oil flow recovered from said well bore;

said controller responsive to said determined flow rate from said sensing system for adjusting transmit parameters of said antennae when said flow rate reaches a given threshold.