Heating tar sands formations while controlling pressure

Stegemeier, George Leo; Beer, Gary Lee; Zhang, Etuan

Title: Heating tar sands formations while controlling pressure

Patent · Tue Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2010

OSTI ID:1015188

Stegemeier, George Leo ^[1]; Beer, Gary Lee ^[1]; Zhang, Etuan ^[1]

Houston, TX

Methods for treating a tar sands formation are described herein. Methods may include heating at least a section of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation. A pressure in the majority of the section may be maintained below a fracture pressure of the formation. The pressure in the majority of the section may be reduced to a selected pressure after the average temperature reaches a temperature that is above 240.degree. C. and is at or below pyrolysis temperatures of hydrocarbons in the section. At least some hydrocarbon fluids may be produced from the formation.

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Research Organization:: Shell Oil Company (Houston, TX); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; AC04-94AL85000

Assignee:: Shell Oil Company (Houston, TX)

Patent Number(s):: 7,644,765

Application Number:: 11/975,713

OSTI ID:: 1015188

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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