System and method for facilitating subterranean hydrocarbon extraction utilizing electrochemical reactions with metals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457853-B2
Application number	US-201515110689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2015
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating extraction of subterranean hydrocarbons from a geologic structure. The present methods include causing corrosion of a base metal within a geologic structure to produce a gaseous product to increase pressure and form fractures in the geologic structure. Some embodiments of the present methods include injecting a fluid composition comprising the base metal into a wellbore (e.g., into a geologic structure via the wellbore).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to facilitate extraction of subterranean hydrocarbons from a geologic structure, the method comprising:
injecting a first fluid composition comprising a base metal into a first wellbore that extends into the geologic structure;
injecting a second fluid composition comprising an activating additive into the wellbore;
injecting a third fluid composition comprising a deactivating additive into a wellbore;
wherein corrosion of the base metal in the wellbore results in electrochemical oxidation of the base metal and electrochemical reduction of a reducible species that generates a gaseous product in sufficient quantities to increase the subterranean pressure in at least a portion of the wellbore and thereby fracture the geologic formation; and
wherein the activating additive activates a corrosion process resulting in electrochemical oxidation of the base metal and electrochemical reduction of a reducible species; and
wherein the deactivating additive deactivates the corrosion process such that the rate of electrochemical oxidation of the base metal and electrochemical reduction of a reducible species is decreased.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base metal comprises one or more of: alkaline metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals and metalloids.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base metal comprises one or more of: aluminum, magnesium, sodium, calcium, zinc, indium, lead, manganese, chromium, iron, cadmium, cobalt, nickel, tin, lead, boron, silicon and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base metal comprises one or more of: aluminum, magnesium, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base metal is configured in a physical form having a particles with an aggregate transverse dimension of between 1 and 100 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the base metal comprises a physical form of one or more of: a powder, particles, and flakes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid composition further comprises a surface passivating additive.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the surface passivating additive is configured to degrade over time.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the surface passivating additive comprises an anion.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the surface passivating additive includes one or more of: a sulfate, a phosphate, a nitrite, a chromate, a phosphonate, and a molybdate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating additive comprises one or more of: an acid, an acid precursor, a halide ion, and a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating additive decreases the pH proximal to the base metal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating additive decreases a hydrogen overvoltage of the base metal.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating additive disrupts a passive oxide film of the base metal.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducible species comprises water and the gaseous product comprises hydrogen gas.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating additive comprises one or more of: a water, an acid, an acid precursor, a base, a base precursor, an anion, an amine, an amine ester, an organoamine, a nitrite, a borate, a phosphate, a phosphate ester, a dispersant, and any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating additive increases the pH proximal to the base metal.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating additive increases a hydrogen overvoltage of the base metal.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating additive increases the pH in proximity to the base metal.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
substantially sealing a portion of the wellbore after injection of the second fluid composition to restrict the sealed portion of the subterranean volume and thereby maximize a pressure gradient resulting from generation of the gaseous product.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein a branching bore extends from the first wellbore into the geologic structure.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
selectively providing the first fluid composition comprising a base metal into the branching bore; and
injecting the second fluid composition comprising the activating additive into the branching bore.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maximizing local pressure gradients within the geologic structure by selectively positioning the first fluid composition in a localized manner within the wellbore, within a branching bore, within a natural subterranean discontinuity, proximal to natural deposits of ore, proximal to natural deposits of minerals, or combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
maximizing local pressure gradients within the geologic structure by selectively positioning the second fluid composition in a localized manner within the wellbore, within a branching bore, within a natural subterranean discontinuity, proximal to natural deposits of ore, proximal to natural deposits of minerals, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geologic structure comprises one or more of: a shale formation, a siltstone formation, a sandstone formation, and a conglomerate formation.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subterranean hydrocarbons comprise one or more of: natural gas, natural gas liquids, kerogen, coal seam gas, tight gas, shale gas, tight oil, shale oil, coal bed methane, gas hydrates.

27. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
extracting the first fluid composition from the wellbore.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid composition, the second fluid composition, and the third fluid composition comprises a proppant.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Friesen Cody
• Rugolo Jason

Classifications

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C09K8/80

  Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open · CPC title

• C09K8/62 Primary

  Compositions for forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/2605 Primary

  using gas or liquefied gas · CPC title