Mini-well temperature profiling process

Patent · Tue Oct 14 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5058440

Stegemeier, G L; Van Meurs, P; Van Egmond, C F.H.

This patent describes a process in which an elongated electrical resistance heater is installed and operated within a well for substantially uniformly heating an interval of subterranean earth formations which interval is longer than about 100 feet and is heated to a temperature between about 600/sup 0/C. and a temperature damaging to the well or earth formation. The improvement described here is for installing and operating the heater and measuring the pattern of temperature with depth along the heater, comprising: positioning a spooled electrical heater and a spooled tubular stainless steel measuring conduit having an internal diameter of from about 5/16ths to 9/16ths inch at the well site; interconnecting a flexible weighting member, a thermocouple and a metal-sheathed cable for telemetering thermocouple responses, with those elements having outer diameters small enough to slide freely within the measuring conduit; arranging the telemetering cable and a means for spooling and unspooling the metal-sheathed cable arranging the metal-sheathed cable spooling means for unattended automatic operation capable of moving the thermocouple through the interval being heated at a rate capable of maintaining a substantial thermal equilibrium between the thermocouple and the temperature within the well; and operating the heater while measuring the pattern of temperature with depth throughout the interval.

• Assignee: Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX
• Patent Number(s): US 4616705
• OSTI ID: 5058440
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 24 Mar 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
RESISTANCE HEATING
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
OIL WELLS
BENDING
ELECTRIC CABLES
FORMATION DAMAGE
GRAVITATION
HEATERS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INSTALLATION
OPERATION
POSITIONING
STAINLESS STEELS
TELEMETRY
TEMPERATURE LOGGING
THERMOCOUPLES
WELL TEMPERATURE
ALLOYS
CABLES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COMMUNICATIONS
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DATA TRANSMISSION
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
STEELS
WELL LOGGING
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing