Subsurface heaters with low sulfidation rates
First Claim
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1. A system for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
- a heater comprising an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section, wherein a portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section has at least 2% by weight cobalt, wherein the heater is located in an opening in the formation and at least a part of the portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is exposed to the formation, wherein the portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is configured to be heated to at least 500°
C., and, when a temperature of the portion is increased into the range of about 500°
C. to about 650°
C., a sulfidation rate of the ferromagnetic metal heater section decreases, and wherein the heater section is configured to heat the hydrocarbon containing formation.
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Abstract
A system for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation includes a heater having an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section. The heater is located in an opening in a formation. The heater section is configured to heat the hydrocarbon containing formation. The exposed ferromagnetic metal has a sulfidation rate that goes down with increasing temperature of the heater, when the heater is in a selected temperature range.
914 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:
a heater comprising an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section, wherein a portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section has at least 2% by weight cobalt, wherein the heater is located in an opening in the formation and at least a part of the portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is exposed to the formation, wherein the portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is configured to be heated to at least 500°
C., and, when a temperature of the portion is increased into the range of about 500°
C. to about 650°
C., a sulfidation rate of the ferromagnetic metal heater section decreases, and wherein the heater section is configured to heat the hydrocarbon containing formation.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A heater having a metal section comprising:
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ferromagnetic stainless steel having at least 2.0% cobalt by weight; and wherein the metal section is configured to be heated to at least 500°
C. under a sulfidation atmosphere, and, when a temperature of the metal section is increased into the range of about 500°
C. to about 650°
C., a sulfidation rate of the metal section decreases, and wherein the composition of the metal section, when exposed to the sulfidation atmosphere, is such that the sulfidation rate of the metal section is at most about 25 mils per year at a temperature between about 800°
C. and about 880°
C. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for heating a subsurface formation, comprising:
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heating using a heater comprising an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section, the ferromagnetic metal heater section having at least 2% by weight cobalt, wherein at least a portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is exposed to the formation; and heating such that a part of the portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is at a temperature of at least 500°
C., and, when a temperature of the portion is increased into the range of about 500°
C. to about 650°
C., a sulfidation rate of the ferromagnetic metal heater section decreases. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for heating a subsurface formation using a heater comprising an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section comprising stainless steel having at least 2.0% cobalt by weight, wherein a portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is exposed to the formation, and heating such that the exposed portion of the ferromagnetic metal heater section is at a temperature of at least 500°
- C., and, when a temperature of the portion is increased into the range of about 500°
C. to about 650°
C., a sulfidation rate of the ferromagnetic metal heater section decreases, and wherein the composition of the heater section is such that the sulfidation rate of the heater section is less than about 25 mils per year at a temperature between about 800°
C. to about 880°
C. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- C., and, when a temperature of the portion is increased into the range of about 500°
Specification