Down-hole selective ion removal water ionizer system for subsurface applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788392-B2
Application number	US-202117232838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2021
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A method for selectively optimizing water chemistry within a wellbore may include positioning a system tubing in the wellbore. The system tubing may include an electrochemical cell, a first chamber, and a second chamber. The method may also include injecting a fluid into the electrochemical cell and directing an electrical current into the electrochemical cell wherein the fluid separates by charge into a first fluid and a second fluid. The method may also include passing the first fluid into the first chamber and the second fluid into the second chamber. Also, the method may include rotating the system tubing, wherein the first fluid flows from the first chamber to the wellbore through a first radial conduit and the second fluid flows from the second chamber to the wellbore through a second radial conduit.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for selectively optimizing water chemistry within a wellbore, the system comprising:
an electrochemical cell configured for a downhole environment, wherein the electrochemical cell is configured to produce an anionic enriched fluid and a cationic enriched fluid;
a first chamber configured to receive the anionic enriched fluid from the electrochemical cell and comprising at least a first radial conduit;
a second chamber configured to receive the cationic enriched fluid from the electrochemical cell and comprising at least a second radial conduit;
a tubing configured to contain at least the first chamber and second chamber, wherein the first radial conduit and the second radial conduit are configured to extend through the tubing into the wellbore, wherein the tubing is configured to rotate along a longitudinal axis of the wellbore.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first chamber further comprises a first axial conduit in fluid communication with the tubing and the second chamber further comprises a second axial conduit in fluid communication with the tubing.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an ionic selective membrane filter configured to filter at least the anionic enriched fluid or cationic enriched fluid.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises an electrical diffuser disposed between the anionic enriched fluid and the cationic enriched fluid and defining an anode cell and a cathode cell.

5. A system for selectively optimizing water chemistry within a wellbore, the system comprising:
a tubular segment defining an interior chamber configured to contain an electrochemical cell, a first chamber, and a second chamber, wherein the tubular segment is configured to rotate along a longitudinal axis, wherein
the electrochemical cell comprises an anode and a cathode configured to receive power from a power source, an electrical diffuser disposed between the anode and the cathode defining an anode cell and a cathode cell wherein the electrical diffuser is configured to be permeable;
the first chamber configured to receive fluid from the anode cell though a first conduit, the first chamber comprising a first radial conduit in fluid communication with the wellbore and a first axial conduit in fluid communication with the interior chamber;
the second chamber configured to receive fluid from the cathode cell through a second conduit, the second chamber comprising a second radial conduit in fluid communication with the wellbore and a second axial conduit in fluid communication with the interior chamber;

at least one ionic selective membrane, wherein the ionic selective membrane is configured to extend diametrically across at least one of the first conduit, the second conduit, the first radial conduit, the first axial conduit, the second radial conduit or the second axial conduit; and,
a mechanical motor configured to rotate the tubular segment within the wellbore.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the power source is a direct current power source.

7. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one ionic selective membrane is a nano filtration membrane.

8. The system according to claim 5 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect an equilibrium state in the electrochemical cell.

9. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the electrical diffuser is hydrophobic and flexible.

10. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the electrical diffuser is configured to detect equilibrium in the electrochemical cell.

11. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the anode and the cathode are composed of inert metals.

12. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the first radial conduit further comprises a first radial valve and the second radial conduit further comprises a second radial valve.

13. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the interior chamber comprises at least one pump configured to induce a fluid flow towards a surface.

14. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one ionic selective membrane is configured to output a fluid with a target salinity, composition, and pH.

15. A method for selectively optimizing water chemistry within a wellbore, the method comprising:
positioning a system tubing in the wellbore, the system tubing comprising an electrochemical cell, a first chamber, and a second chamber;
injecting a fluid into the electrochemical cell;
directing an electrical current into the electrochemical cell, wherein the fluid separates by charge into a first fluid and a second fluid;
passing the first fluid into the first chamber and the second fluid into the second chamber;
rotating the system tubing, wherein the first fluid flows from the first chamber to the wellbore though a first radial conduit and the second fluid flows from the second chamber to the wellbore through a second radial conduit.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising passing the first fluid in the first chamber through a first axial conduit and the second fluid in the second chamber through a second axial conduit.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising positioning at least one ionic selective membrane in the first radial conduit, the first axial conduit, the second radial conduit, or the second axial conduit.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one ionic selective membrane outputs a fluid with a target salinity, composition, and pH.

19. A method for selectively optimizing water chemistry within a wellbore, the method comprising:
positioning an interior chamber within the wellbore,
positioning an electrochemical cell within the interior chamber, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrical diffuser, wherein the electrical diffuser is permeable and is disposed between the anode and cathode, the electrical diffuser configured to extend across the electrochemical cell to thereby separate the electrochemical cell into an anode cell and a cathode cell;
positioning a first chamber and a second chamber within the interior chamber, the first chamber comprising a first radial conduit coupled with a first radial valve and a first axial conduit coupled with a first axial valve, and the second chamber comprising a second radial conduit coupled with a second radial valve and a second axial conduit coupled with a second axial valve, wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the anode cell by an anode conduit and the second chamber is in fluid communication with the cathode cell by a cathode conduit, the anode conduit comprising an anode valve and the cathode conduit comprising a cathode valve;
injecting a fluid into the electrochemical cell;
powering the anode and the cathode in the presence of the fluid and thereby producing an anionic enriched fluid in the anode cell and a cationic enriched fluid in the cathode cell,
opening the anode valve and the cathode valve, wherein the anionic enriched fluid flows into the first chamber through the anode conduit and the cationic enriched fluid flows into the second chamber through the cathode conduit;
opening the first axial valve and the second axial valve, wherein the anionic fluid flows through the first axial conduit and the cationic fluid flows through the second axial conduit;
rotating the interior chamber, wherein the anionic enriched fluid flows through the first radial conduit into the wellbore and the cationic enriched fluid flows through the second radial

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alghamdi Amani O
• Ayirala Subhash C
• Alyousef Ali Abdallah

Classifications

• E21B43/20 Primary

  Displacing by water · CPC title

• B01D61/027

  Nanofiltration · CPC title

• B01D61/04

  Feed pretreatment · CPC title

• C02F1/442

  by nanofiltration · CPC title

• C02F1/4618

  for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water · CPC title