Inhibiting effects of sloughing in wellbores

• US 20050269088A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dong Sub Kim, Frederick Henry Kreisler Rambow, Harold J. Vinegar, Taixu Bai
• Original Assignee: Dong Sub Kim, Frederick Henry Kreisler Rambow, Harold J. Vinegar, Taixu Bai
• Inventors: Kreisler Rambow, Frederick Henry, Vinegar, Harold J., Kim, Dong Sub, Bai, Taixu
• Granted Patent: US 7,357,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/297
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/122 Gas lift
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2401 by means of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2405 in association with fracturing or crevice forming processes E21B43/247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/38 in the well
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/141 Conductive ceramics, e.g. metal oxides, metal carbides, barium titanate, ferrites, zirconia, vitrous compounds

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide a method for treating a subsurface formation. The method includes providing one or more explosives into portions of one or more wellbores selected for the explosion in the formation. The wellbores are formed in one or more zones in the formation. The explosives are controllably exploded in one or more of the wellbores such that at least some of the formation surrounding the selected wellbores has an increased permeability. One or more heaters are provided in the one or more wellbores.

Claims

1-116. -116. (canceled)

117. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

providing one or more explosives into portions of one or more wellbores selected for the explosion in the formation, the wellbores formed in one or more zones in the formation;

controllably exploding the explosives in one or more of the wellbores such that at least some of the formation surrounding the selected wellbores has an increased permeability; and

providing one or more heaters in the one or more wellbores.

118. The method of claim 117, further comprising reaming out the selected wellbores before providing the heaters in the selected wellbores.

119. The method of claim 117, wherein the increased permeability occurs at least about 0.3 m radially from at least one wellbore.

120. The method of claim 117, wherein the increased permeability increases vertical permeability proximate one or more of the wellbores.

121. The method of claim 117, wherein the explosives comprise elongated flexible materials that are configured to be placed in a length of at least one wellbore.

122. The method of claim 117, further comprising allowing heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to the one or more zones of the formation.

123. The method of claim 122, further comprising controlling heating of the zones of the formation such that a heating rate of one or more zones is maintained below 20°

C./day for at least about 15 days.

124. The method of claim 123, wherein heating is controlled within about 3 m of at least one wellbore.

125. The method of claim 122, further comprising heating at least some hydrocarbons in the formation such that at least some of the hydrocarbons are pyrolyzed.

126. The method of claim 122, further comprising producing a mixture from the formation, wherein the produced mixture comprises condensable hydrocarbons having an API gravity of at least 25°

.

127. The method of claim 122, further comprising heating the portion of the formation to at least a minimum pyrolysis temperature of about 270°

C.

128. The method of claim 117, further comprising:

providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation, wherein one or more of the heaters are in one or more of the wellbores sized, at least in part, such that a space between the wellbore and one of the heaters in the wellbore has a width that inhibits particles of a selected size from freely moving in the space.

129. The method of claim 128, wherein a width of the space is at most about 2.5 cm.

130. The method of claim 117, further comprising assessing a permeability of a part of the formation and selecting the wellbores for explosion based on the assessed permeability.

131. The method of claim 130, wherein the wellbores selected for explosion are in parts of the formation with a permeability of at most about 50 μ

darcy.

132. The method of claim 117, further comprising assessing a clay content of a part of the formation and selecting the wellbores for explosion based on the assessed clay content.

133. The method of claim 132, wherein the wellbores selected for explosion are in parts of the formation with at least about 2% clay content by volume.

134. The method of claim 132, further comprising using a clay stabilizer in drilling fluids when forming the wellbore in zones with a clay content of at least about 2% by volume.

135. The method of claim 117, wherein the exploding inhibits sloughing of material in at least one wellbore during heating.

136. The method of claim 117, wherein the zones are near one or more wellbores in the formation.

137. The method of claim 117, wherein at least one of the wellbores has a liner placed between the heater in the wellbore and the formation, and wherein the liner comprises openings that are sized such that fluids can pass through the liner but particles of a selected size cannot to pass through the liner.

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

providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation;

allowing the heat to transfer from one or more of the heaters to one or more zones of the formation; and

controlling heating of the zones of the formation such that a heating rate of one or more zones is maintained below 20°

C./day for at least about 15 days, thereby inhibiting sloughing of material proximate the heater during and/or subsequent to the heating.

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

providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation, wherein at least one of the heaters is in at least one wellbore in the formation, wherein at least one of the wellbores has a liner placed between the heater in the wellbore and the formation, wherein the liner comprises openings that are sized such that fluids can pass through the liner but particles of a selected size cannot pass through the liner;

allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation; and

producing a mixture from the formation.

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

providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation, wherein one or more of the heaters are in one or more of wellbores sized, at least in part, such that a space between the wellbore and one of the heaters in the wellbore has a width that inhibits particles of a selected size from freely moving in the space;

allowing the heat to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation; and

producing a mixture from the formation.

141-536. -536. (canceled)