Arrangement and method for introducing heat into a geological formation by means of electromagnetic induction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087715-B2
Application number	US-201314650302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2012
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An arrangement and method is provided for introducing heat into a geological formation (e.g., a deposit present in a geological formation) in order to recover a hydrocarbon-containing substance from the deposit, where at least one underground mine working has been mined in the geological formation and the mine working includes at least one shaft and/or at least one gallery. An electrical conductor is introduced at least partially in the geological formation. The conductor extends in a first conductor piece within the mine working. The conductor has at least one conductor section configured such that, during operation, an electromagnetic field acts by electromagnetic induction on the ground adjacent to the conductor section so as to bring about an increase in temperature, and thus a decrease in the viscosity of a substance present in the adjacent ground. A second conductor piece of the conductor is also arranged in a bore in the ground.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arrangement for introducing heat into a deposit present in a geological formation to recover a hydrocarbon-containing substance from the deposit, the arrangement comprising:
at least one underground mine working, wherein the at least one underground mine working comprises at least one shaft, at least one gallery, or the at least one shaft and the at least one gallery; and
an electrical conductor in a form of a conductor loop introduced at least partially in the geological formation, wherein the electronic conductor extends in a first conductor piece within the mine working, wherein the electronic conductor has a plurality of conductor sections provided such that during operation an electromagnetic field acts by electromagnetic induction on a ground adjacent to the plurality of conductor sections, therein increasing an adjacent ground temperature and decreasing a viscosity of a substance present in the adjacent ground, wherein the electronic conductor has a second conductor piece arranged in at least one borehole in the ground,
wherein the conductor loop is provided horizontally with a first conductor section in a first borehole, wherein the first borehole ends in a first gallery running perpendicular thereto,
wherein the conductor loop is provided horizontally with a second conductor section in a second borehole, wherein the second borehole ends in the first gallery, and
wherein the conductor loop comprises a third conductor section which is arranged in the first gallery and provides a connection between the first conductor section and the second conductor section.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one borehole comprises a curved section and a quasi-horizontal section and wherein the at least one borehole comprises an end in the mine working.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second conductor piece is in contact with the ground.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor section is routed by way of the first borehole or routed by way of the at least one shaft to the ground, and
wherein the second conductor section is routed by way of the second borehole or routed by way of the at least one shaft to the ground.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor section ends at an opposite end of the first gallery by way of the first borehole in a second gallery running perpendicular to the first borehole,
wherein the second conductor section ends at the opposite end the first gallery by way of the second borehole in the second gallery running perpendicular to the second borehole, and
wherein a fourth conductor section of the conductor loop is arranged in the second gallery.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 , wherein a fifth conductor section of the conductor loop is arranged in a vertical borehole originating from the second gallery or in a vertical shaft originating from the second gallery, and
wherein the fifth conductor section comprises a connection to a frequency generator.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
an injection pipe, a production pipe, or the injection pipe and the production pipe arranged within the first borehole,
wherein:
the injection pipe is configured to feed a fluid into the geological formation, the deposit, or both the geological formation and the deposit, or
the production pipe is configured to discharge a fluid extracted from the geological formation, from the deposit, or from both the geological formation and the deposit arranged within the second borehole.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frequency generator configured to drive the conductor, wherein the frequency generator is arranged at the ground or in the underground mine working.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein ends of the conductor are connected in an explosion-protected terminal box, a weatherproof terminal box, or both the explosion-protected terminal box and the weatherproof terminal box that is/are self-contained and sealed off from the frequency generator.

10. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gallery comprises a plurality of galleries, and
wherein:
at least one gallery of the plurality of galleries is arranged in a striking direction of an oil-bearing stratum, or
wherein a borehole provided for the conductor between two galleries of the plurality of galleries is arranged in an incline of a dip line or in the floating direction of the oil-bearing stratum.

11. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gallery comprises a plurality of galleries, and
wherein the mine working is provided in an oil-bearing stratum of the deposit, in rocks adjoining the deposit, or both in the oil-bearing stratum of the deposit and in the rocks adjoining the deposit,
wherein the mine working in the adjoining rocks is provided such that the first gallery of the plurality of galleries is arranged in the roof rocks of the oil-bearing stratum, and
wherein a second gallery of the plurality of galleries is arranged in the floor rocks of the oil-bearing stratum.

12. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein, between two quasi-parallel boreholes provided for the conductor, at least two additional quasi-parallel boreholes are provided in the oil-bearing stratum with a fissure lying between the least two additional quasi-parallel boreholes.

13. An arrangement for introducing heat into a deposit present in a geological formation to recover a hydrocarbon-containing substance from the deposit, the arrangement comprising:
at least one underground mine working, wherein the at least one underground mine working comprises at least one shaft, at least one gallery, or the at least one shaft and the at least one gallery;
an electrical conductor introduced at least partially in the geological formation, wherein the electronic conductor extends in a first conductor piece within the mine working, wherein the electronic conductor has at least one conductor section provided such that during operation an electromagnetic field acts by electromagnetic induction on a ground adjacent to the at least one conductor section, therein increasing an adjacent ground temperature and decreasing a viscosity of a substance present in the adjacent ground, wherein the electronic conductor has a second conductor piece arranged in a borehole in the ground; and
an injection pipe, a production pipe, or both the injection pipe and the production pipe arranged between two conductor sections and parallel to the two conductor sections, wherein the two conductor sections are arranged at a first depth and run parallel,
wherein the injection pipe is configured to feed a fluid that is to be injected, and
wherein the production pipe is configured to discharge a fluid extracted from the geological formation from the deposit, or from the geological formation and the deposit.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the injected fluid is supplied to the injection pipe by way of the at least one shaft, the at least one gallery, or both the at least one shaft and the at least one gallery, or
wherein the extracted fluid is discharged, collected, or both discharged and collected from the production pipe by way of the at least one shaft, the at least one gallery or the at least one shaft and the at least one gallery.

15. A method for introducing heat into a deposit present in a geological formation to recover a hydrocarbon-containing substance from the deposit, wherein a temperature in a heated zone is increased by supplying power to a conductor in an arrangement, the method comprising:
providing at least one underground mine wo

Assignees

• Siemens Ag
• Wintershall Holding GmbH

Inventors

• Behr Aron
• Leβner Erich
• Stehle Vladimir
• Wacker Bernd

Classifications

• E21C41/16

  Methods of underground mining (winning machines therefor E21C25/00 - E21C39/00); Layouts therefor · CPC title

• E21B43/305

  comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well · CPC title

• E21B43/2401

  by means of electricity · CPC title

• E21B36/04 Primary

  using electrical heaters · CPC title

• H05B2214/03

  Heating of hydrocarbons · CPC title