Apparatus and method for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous formations
First Claim
1. A system for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising:
- a plurality of conductive means inserted in said formations and bounding a particular volume of said formations;
electrical excitation means for establishing alternating electric fields in said volume;
the frequency of said excitation means being selected as a function of the volume dimensions so as to establish substantially non-radiating electric fields which are substantially confined in said volume;
whereby volumetric dielectric heating of the formations will occur to effect approximately uniform heating of said volume.
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Abstract
The disclosure describes a technique for uniform heating of relatively large blocks of hydrocarbonaceous formations in situ using radio frequency (RF) electrical energy that is substantially confined to the volume to be heated and effects of dielectric heating of the formations. An important aspect of the disclosure relates to the fact that certain hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, for example raw unheated oil shale, exhibit dielectric absorption characteristics in the radio frequency range. In accordance with the system of the invention, a plurality of conductors are inserted in the formations and bound a particular volume of the formations. The phrase "bounding a particular volume" is intended to mean that the volume is enclosed on at least two sides thereof. Electrical excitation is provided for establishing alternating electric fields in the volume. The frequency of the excitation is selected as a function of the dimensions of the volume so as to establish a substantially non-radiating electric field which is substantially confined in the volume. In this manner, volumetric dielectric heating of the formations will occur to effect approximately uniform controlled heating of the volume.
433 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A system for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising:
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a plurality of conductive means inserted in said formations and bounding a particular volume of said formations; electrical excitation means for establishing alternating electric fields in said volume; the frequency of said excitation means being selected as a function of the volume dimensions so as to establish substantially non-radiating electric fields which are substantially confined in said volume; whereby volumetric dielectric heating of the formations will occur to effect approximately uniform heating of said volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for in situ heating of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising the steps of:
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forming a plurality of boreholes which bound a particular volume of said formations; inserting elongated electrical conductors in said boreholes; and introducing electrical excitation to said formations to establish alternating electric fields in said volume; the frequency of said excitation being selected as a function of the volume dimensions so as to establish substantially non-radiating electric fields which are substantially confined in said volume; whereby volumetric dielectric heating of the formations will occur to effect approximately uniform heating of said volume. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A system for in situ heat processing of an oil shale bed, comprising:
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a plurality of conductive means bounding a particular volume of said bed; electrical excitation means for establishing alternating electric fields in said volume; the frequency of said excitation means being selected as a function of the volume dimensions so as to establish substantially non-radiating electric fields which are substantially confined in said volume; whereby volumetric dielectric heating of the bed will occur to effect approximately uniform heating of said volume. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A system for in situ heat processing of a tar sand deposit, comprising:
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a plurality of conductive means inserted in said deposit and bounding a particular volume of said deposit; electrical excitation means for establishing alternating electric fields in said volume; the frequency of said excitation means being selected as a function of the volume dimensions so as to establish substantially non-radiating electric fields which are substantially confined in said volume; whereby volumetric dielectric heating of the deposit will occur to effect approximately uniform heating of said volume. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70)
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71. hydrocarbonaceous components thereof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 89. A method for in situ heating processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations comprising the steps of:
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placing a plurality of electrodes into a particular volume of hydrocarbonaceous material in a pattern which bounds said volume and defines a waveguide structure having said bounded volume present as a dielectric medium bounded therein; applying alternating current at a radio frequency on the order of 100 kilohertz to 100 megahertz to said electrodes, said radio frequency being chosen as a function of at least one volume dimension so as to establish substantially nonradiating electromagnetic fields which are substantially confined in said volume, thereby effecting approximately uniform heating; modifying the electromagnetic field pattern so as to time average the electromagnetic field in said volume to enhance the uniformity of heating of said volume. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 90. A method for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising the steps of; forming a plurality of holes which bound a particular volume of hydrocarbonaceous material and spaced from each other so as to define an approximately triplate structure having said bounded volume of hydrocarbonaceous material present as a dielectric medium bounded therein; inserting electrical conductors into said holes; and
,applying alternating current at a radio frequency on the order of from 100 kilohertz to 100 megahertz to said conductors, said radio frequency being chosen as a function of at least one volume dimension so as to establish substantially nonradiating electromagnetic fields which are substantially confined in said volume, thereby effecting approximately uniform heating of said volume. .Iaddend..Iadd. 91. A method for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising the steps of; enclosing a particular volume of earth formations on at least two sides thereof with a plurality of spaced electrodes to define a waveguide structure having said enclosed volume present therein as a dielectric medium; and establishing alternating electromagnetic fields in the frequency range between 100 kilohertz to 100 megahertz in said enclosed volume, the frequency of said alternating fields being selected as a function of a volume dimension, so as to establish substantially non-radiating, confined, electromagnetic fields in said volume, thereby causing volumetric dielectric heating of said volume to effect approximately
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72. uniform heating of said volume. .Iaddend..Iadd. 92. A method for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations comprising the steps of:
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bounding a particular volume of earth formations with a waveguide structure comprising elongate electrodes having outer electrodes which are at approximately the same potential as the adjacent unbounded earth formations; and propagating electromagnetic energy through the waveguide structure in an aggregate mode of propagation generally parallel to the direction of an elongate axis of said electrodes, thereby substantially confining the electromagnetic energy in the waveguide structure and uniformly heating the bounded volume of earth formations. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 93. A method for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising the steps of; bounding a particular volume of earth formations with a transmission line structure having an inner elongate shaped propagating electrode structure and an outer elongate shaped electrode structure which is at approximately the same potential as the adjacent unbounded earth formations; and propagating modes of electromagnetic energy in said structure in an aggregate direction generally parallel to an elongate axis of said propagating electrodes, thereby confining said electromagnetic energy in said bounded volume and uniformly heating said bounded volume. .Iaddend..Iadd. 94. A system for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising; a multi mode cavity structure comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes and configured such that the direction of wave propagation of a particular mode is parallel to an elongate axis of at least one set of said electrodes, said multi mode cavity structure bounding a particular volume of earth formations as a dielectric medium bounded therein wherein the outermost electrodes are at approximately the same potential as the adjacent unbounded earth formations; and means for supplying electromagnetic energy to said multi mode cavity structure at a frequency selected to confine said electromagnetic energy in said structure and to dissipate said electromagnetic energy to the earth formations;
thereby to substantially uniformly heat the bounded volume. .Iaddend..Iadd. 95. The system of claim 94 and further including means for time averaging said electromagnetic energy along the direction of propagation, thereby to enhance the uniformity of heating of the bounded volume of earth formations. .Iaddend..Iadd. 96. A system for in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations, comprising;a waveguide structure having a plurality of rows of conductors, the spacing of conductors in a row being less than the spacing of said rows of conductors and bounding a particular volume of earth formations as a dielectric medium bounded therein; and
,means for supplying electromagnetic energy to said waveguide structure at a frequency selected to dissipate said electromagnetic energy substantially only to said bounded medium, thereby to substantially uniformly heat said bounded volume. .Iaddend..Iadd. 97. The system of claim 96 and further including means for time averaging said electromagnetic energy along a direction of its propagation in said waveguide structure. .Iaddend.
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Specification