Method and system for downhole steam generation using laser energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525347-B2
Application number	US-202117242838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus may include an inlet and an enclosure includes a container that is coupled to the inlet. The container may receive water from the inlet. The apparatus may further include various check valves coupled to the container. The apparatus may further include a laser head coupled to the container. The laser head may receive a laser signal that converts the water inside the container into steam. The check valves may release the steam outside the enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a laser source; and
a steam generating apparatus coupled to the laser source and disposed in a wellbore, wherein the steam generating apparatus comprises:
a container, and
a plurality of check valves,

wherein the steam generating apparatus is configured to convert water inside the container into steam using a laser signal transmitted to the container from the laser source, and
wherein the steam is released into the wellbore using the plurality of check valves.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical fiber cable,
wherein the steam generating apparatus comprises a laser head, and
wherein the optical fiber cable couples the laser source to the laser head.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water source coupled to an inlet of the steam generating apparatus,
wherein the water source transmits water from a surface to the container in the steam generating apparatus.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cable conveyance system,
wherein the steam generating apparatus comprises a cable head coupled to the cable conveyance system using a cable, and
wherein the steam generating apparatus is configured to move to a predetermined location in the wellbore using the cable and the cable conveyance system.

5. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the steam generating apparatus comprises a temperature sensor coupled to the container, and
wherein the temperature sensor is configured to determine a temperature of the water.

6. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the steam generating apparatus comprises a processor and a communication interface coupled to the processor, and
wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit sensor data regarding the temperature of the water to a control system.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control system coupled to the laser source and the steam generating apparatus,
wherein the control system is configured to perform a well stimulation operation, and
wherein the well stimulation operation comprises heating oil in a reservoir zone to a predetermined viscosity using the steam.

8. The system of claim 7 ,
wherein the well stimulation operation is a cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) operation.

9. The system of claim 7 ,
wherein the well stimulation operation is a steam flooding operation.

10. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the container is a spherical steel chamber.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alharith Abdullah M

Classifications

• E21B43/24 Primary

  using heat, e.g. steam injection · CPC title

• F22B3/00

  Other methods of steam generation; Steam boilers not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• F22B1/281

  other than by electrical resistances or electrodes · CPC title

• E21B43/2406 Primary

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title