Method for introducing an inductor loop into a rock formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221666-B2
Application number	US-201415100832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An induction device and method for introducing an inductor loop into a rock formation to heating an oil reservoir in the rock formation to extract oil extraction, wherein a first inductor bore is chilled for introducing a first inductor arm, a second inductor bore is drilled for introducing a second inductor arm, at least one intersecting bore is drilled to create a first area of intersection with the first inductor bore and a second area of intersection with the second inductor bore, the first inductor arm is introduced into the first inductor bore and the second inductor arm is introduced into the second inductor bore, and at least one connecting arm is introduced into the intersecting bore for electrically conductive connection to the two inductor arms in the two areas of intersection so as to form the inductor loop.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for introducing an inductor loop into a rock formation to heat an oil reservoir in the rock formation to extract oil, the method comprising:
drilling a first inductor bore for introducing a first inductor arm;
drilling a second inductor bore for introducing a second inductor arm;
drilling at least one intersecting bore to create a first region of intersection with the first inductor bore and a second region of intersection with the second inductor bore;
introducing the first inductor arm into the first inductor bore and the second inductor arm into the second inductor bore;
introducing at least one connecting arm into the intersecting bore for electrically conductive connection to the first and second inductor arms in the first and second regions of intersection so as to form the inductor loop; and
introducing an electrically conductive fluid into at least one of the first and second regions of intersection via the at least one intersecting bore to create the electrically conductive connection of the at least one connecting arm and a respective adjacent inductor arm of the first and second inductor arms.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first inductor bore and the second inductor bore are drilled through a shared inductor bore opening.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second inductor bores have at least one redirection point.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the intersecting bore has at least one redirection point.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a locator is arranged at a bore end of at least one of the first and second inductor bores to detect said bore end when drilling the intersecting bore.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the intersecting bore is closed off.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second inductor bores within the oil reservoir are drilled at uniform or essentially uniform separating distances of more than approximately 50 m.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing at least one transverse bore, via the at least one intersecting bore, into the first and second regions of intersection of the at least one intersecting bore to introduce the electrically conductive fluid.

9. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first and second inductor bores have one redirection point.

10. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one redirection point is drilled sectionally along a curved path.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the intersecting bore is filled in adjacent to the at least one connecting arm to close off said at least one intersecting bore.

12. An induction device for heating an oil reservoir in a rock formation to extract oil, comprising:
a first inductor arm in a first inductor bore;
a second inductor arm in a second inductor bore; and
at least one connecting arm arranged in an intersecting bore which forms a first region of intersection with the first inductor bore and a second region of intersection with the second inductor bore;
wherein the at least one connecting arm connects the first and second inductor arms together in an electrically conductive manner so as to form an inductor loop; and
wherein an electrically conductive fluid is introduced into at least one of the first and second regions of intersection via the intersecting bore to create an electrically conductive connection of the at least one connecting arm and a respective adjacent inductor arm of the first and second inductor arms.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Blendinger Stefan
• Danov Vladimir
• Diehl Dirk
• Koch Andreas

Classifications

• E21B43/30

  Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells · CPC title

• E21B43/305

  comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well · CPC title

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B43/2401 Primary

  by means of electricity · CPC title

• E21B36/00 Primary

  Heating, cooling or insulating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones · CPC title