Heated fluid flow in mines and tunnels used in heating subsurface hydrocarbon containing formations

• US 8,752,904 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• 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:
  US12/422,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 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 heated fluid to flow through the wellbores from the first tunnel to the second tunnel.

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;

a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel extending from one or more of the shafts;

two or more heat source wellbores extending from the first tunnel to the second tunnel;

a closed circulation system comprising piping positioned in the heat source wellbores, wherein the closed circulation system allows heated fluid to circulate through the piping between the first tunnel and the second tunnel during use; and

a production system coupled to the second tunnel, the production system being configured to remove the heated fluid from the piping to the surface of the formation, reheat the removed heated fluid at the surface, and recirculate the reheated fluid into the piping in at least one of the heat source wellbores.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tunnel is configured to collect heated fluid from at least two of the heat source wellbores.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the production system comprises a vertical production wellbore coupled to the second tunnel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the production system comprises a lift system to move the heated fluid to the surface of the formation.

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

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

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shafts is substantially vertically oriented.

11. 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.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the piping extends between the first tunnel and the second tunnel.

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

providing heated fluid into a closed loop circulation system comprising piping located in two or more heat source wellbores extending between a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel and a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel;

collecting the heated fluid in the second tunnel;

removing the heated fluid from the second tunnel to the surface of the formation;

reheating the removed heated fluid at the surface; and

recirculating the reheated fluid into the piping in at least one of the heat source wellbores.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing heat to the formation from the heated fluid.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising removing the heated fluid to the surface using a production system.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the tunnels has an average diameter of at least 1 m.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the tunnels extends from a shaft that connects the tunnel to the surface of the formation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the heated fluid through the shaft to the surface of the formation.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing heat to at least a portion of the formation from the heated fluid, wherein the provided heat mobilizes at least some hydrocarbons in the formation.

16. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing heat to at least a portion of the formation from the heated fluid, wherein the provided heat pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons in the formation.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the production system comprises a substantially vertical production wellbore coupled to the second tunnel.

19. The method of claim 5, wherein the piping extends between the first tunnel and the second tunnel.

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

circulating heated fluid in a closed loop circulation system comprising piping located in two or more heat source wellbores extending between a first substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel and a second substantially horizontal or inclined tunnel; and

allowing heat to transfer from the circulating heated fluid to at least a portion of the subsurface formation;

wherein at least a portion of the circulating heated fluid is reheated at the surface of the formation after passing through at least one heat source wellbore in the formation and recirculated into at least additional heat source wellbore in the formation.