Electro-osmotic production of hydrocarbons utilizing conduction heating of hydrocarbonaceous formations

Patent · Tue Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6746596

Bridges, J E; Taflove, A; Sresty, G C

An electro-osmotic method is described for the production of hydrocarbons utilizing in situ heating of earth formations having substantial electrical conductivity occasioned by the presence of water, the method comprising bonding a particular volume of the earth formation with a waveguide structure formed of respective rows of discrete elongated electrodes in a dense array with the spacing between rows greater than the distance between electrodes in a row wherein the active electrode area and the row separation are chosen in reference to the formation thickness to avoid heating barren layers. The row separation is no greater than about the thickness of the formation, applying electrical power at no more than a relatively low frequency between respective the rows of electrodes to deliver power to the bounded volume of the formation while producing relatively uniform heating thereof and limiting the relative loss of heat to adjacent regions. A d.c. polarized potential is utilized to make the electrodes of one row anodic and the electrodes of another row cathodic and thereby enhance the flow of reservoir fluid toward at least one preselected electrode, at the same time controlling the temperature of the electrodes thereat to retain water and thereby maintain an electrically conductive path between the electrodes and the formation, and removing collected reservoir fluids that have flowed between the rows toward the at least one preselected electrode.

• Assignee: IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4645004
• OSTI ID: 6746596
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 25 Apr 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
OIL WELLS
RESISTANCE HEATING
PETROLEUM
THERMAL RECOVERY
DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
GROUND WATER
HEAT LOSSES
HYDROCARBONS
LAYERS
OSMOSIS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POLARIZATION
WAVEGUIDES
WELL STIMULATION
CURRENTS
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HEATING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LOSSES
MINERAL RESOURCES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
STIMULATION
WATER
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production