Heater cable installation

Patent · Tue Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5865979

Vanegmond, C F; Van Meurs, P

This patent describes a process for installing an electrical heater within a well. This process consists of: spooling and arranging electrical cables to provide at least one spooling means drum containing at least one power supply cable which are spliced to a metal-sheathed temperature stable heating cable having its outermost end connected to, or adapted to be connected to, at least one other heating cable or other circuit-completing electrical conductor; spooling a relatively flexible strand which is heat and tension stable and is capable of supporting the weight of the cables within a well at the temperature provided by the heating cables; correlating the dimensions and properties of the cables and strands so that the power supply cables, power transmission cables, heater cables and strand have lengths arranged for (a) extending from a surface location to, respectively, the depths selected for the top of the power transmission cables and the heater cables and bottom ends of the heater cables and weight supporting strand and (b) having electrical resistances within the cables such that, while conducting the current required for generating the temperature to which the interval of earth formations is to be heated, relatively insignificant amounts of heating occurs above the interval to be heated; and concurrently unspooling the cables and weight supporting strand into the well while attaching the weighting means to the outermost end of the strand, interconnecting the heater cables and attaching all of the cables to at least portions of the strand before those items are lowered into the well.

• Assignee: Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX
• Patent Number(s): US 4572299
• OSTI ID: 5865979
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 30 Oct 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
HEATERS
HOISTING
OIL WELLS
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTRIC CABLES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
INSTALLATION
PETROLEUM
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
THERMAL RECOVERY
WELL STIMULATION
WELL TEMPERATURE
CABLES
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
MATERIALS HANDLING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
STIMULATION
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production