DOE Patents Database - Search Results

Patent Title	Inventor(s)	Issue Date	Patent Number
A method for installing a horizontal or inclined subsurface heater includes placing a heating section of a heater in a horizontal or inclined section of a wellbore with an installation tool. The tool is uncoupled from the heating section. A lead in section is mechanically and electrically coupled to the heating section of the heater. The lead-in section is located in an angled or vertical section of the wellbore. Multi-step heater deployment in a subsurface formation	Mason, Stanley Leroy	04/03/2012	8,146,669
Systems, methods, and heaters for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. At least one system for electrically insulating an overburden portion of a heater wellbore is described. The system may include a heater wellbore located in a subsurface formation and an electrically insulating casing located in the overburden portion of the heater wellbore. The casing may include at least one non-ferromagnetic material such that ferromagnetic effects are inhibited in the casing. Non-ferromagnetic overburden casing	Vinegar, Harold J. , Harris, Christopher Kelvin , Mason, Stanley Leroy	09/14/2010	7,793,722
A system for heating a subsurface formation is described. The system includes a first elongated heater in a first opening in the formation. The first elongated heater includes an exposed metal section in a portion of the first opening. The portion is below a layer of the formation to be heated. The exposed metal section is exposed to the formation. A second elongated heater is in a second opening in the formation. The second opening connects to the first opening at or near the portion of the first opening below the layer to be heated. At least a portion of an exposed metal section of the second elongated heater is electrically coupled to at least a portion of the exposed metal section of the first elongated heater in the portion of the first opening below the layer to be heated. Subsurface connection methods for subsurface heaters	Vinegar, Harold J. , Bass, Ronald Marshall , Kim, Dong Sub , Mason, Stanley Leroy , Stegemeier, George Leo , Keltner, Thomas Joseph , Carl, Jr., Frederick Gordon	12/28/2010	7,860,377
A system for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The system includes two or more groups of elongated heaters. The group includes two or more heaters placed in two or more openings in the formation. The heaters in the group are electrically coupled below the surface of the formation. The openings include at least partially uncased wellbores in a hydrocarbon layer of the formation. The groups are electrically configured such that current flow through the formation between at least two groups is inhibited. The heaters are configured to provide heat to the formation. Grouped exposed metal heaters	Vinegar, Harold J. , Coit, William George , Griffin, Peter Terry , Hamilton, Paul Taylor , Hsu, Chia-Fu , Mason, Stanley Leroy , Samuel, Allan James , Watkins, Ronnie Wade	11/09/2010	7,831,134
A system for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The system includes two or more groups of elongated heaters. The group includes two or more heaters placed in two or more openings in the formation. The heaters in the group are electrically coupled below the surface of the formation. The openings include at least partially uncased wellbores in a hydrocarbon layer of the formation. The groups are electrically configured such that current flow through the formation between at least two groups is inhibited. The heaters are configured to provide heat to the formation. Grouped exposed metal heaters	Vinegar, Harold J. , Coit, William George , Griffin, Peter Terry , Hamilton, Paul Taylor , Hsu, Chia-Fu , Mason, Stanley Leroy , Samuel, Allan James , Watkins, Ronnie Wade	07/31/2012	8,233,782

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