System and method for using subterranean biological reactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11939248-B2
Application number	US-202318298011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A system and method using a subterranean biological reactor can include a pre-reactor storage unit configured to receive a feedstock including a slurry of biologically derived material and at least one pump configured to pump the effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit. The system may include at least one wellbore containing a subterranean biological reactor configured to receive the effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit. At least a portion of the subterranean biological reactor may be configured to perform anaerobic digestion upon the effluent to generate a biogas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a pre-reactor storage unit configured to receive a feedstock including a slurry of biologically derived material;
at least one pump configured to pump effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit;
at least one wellbore containing a subterranean biological reactor configured to receive the effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit, wherein at least a portion of the subterranean biological reactor is configured to perform anaerobic digestion upon the effluent to generate a biogas, and wherein the subterranean biological reactor comprises an agitator.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock includes at least one of agricultural waste, sewage, manure, food processing plant waste, fermentation processes waste, municipal solid waste, biosolids, source separated organics, locally generated waste, and transported waste.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is blended with one or more of water, nitrogen gas, one or more of microbes capable of performing the anaerobic digestion, chemical additives and minerals to generate chemical content suitable for the subterranean biological reactor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is stored on site prior to injection into the subterranean biological reactor and wherein initial stages of the anaerobic digestion occur prior to injection into the subterranean biological reactor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wellbore includes a plurality of wellbores connected by hydraulic fractures.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subterranean biological reactor is in communication with one or more subterranean formations.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the agitator is configured to provide agitation in an annulus between the at least one wellbore and a tubing disposed in the at least one wellbore.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biogas includes a combination of methane, carbon dioxide, and trace gas species.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subterranean biological reactor includes one or more downhole separators configured to separate out gas, solid, and liquid.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the agitator is configured to provide agitation via movement of a tubing disposed in the at least one wellbore, jetting, or a combination thereof.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the subterranean biological reactor is configured to selectively operate in a first flow direction and a second flow direction in a backflow condition, and the second flow direction is reversed relative to the first flow direction.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the subterranean biological reactor is associated with one or more downhole sensors to determine each of temperature, pressure, pH, and solid volume fraction.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the subterranean biological reactor comprises:
a packer disposed in the at least one wellbore about a tubing between an upper chamber and a lower chamber;
a valve coupled to the packer;
a reacting fluid region in the lower chamber; and
a biogas pocket in the lower chamber between the packer and the reacting fluid region, wherein the valve is configured to control flow of the effluent from the upper chamber to the lower chamber.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein spent fluid and solid residues are returned to the surface through the at least one wellbore, and the biogas is provided to a subterranean formation.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system selectively operates in continuous, semi continuous, and cyclical modes.

16. A method comprising:
receiving a feedstock including a slurry of biologically derived material at a pre-reactor storage unit;
pumping, using at least one pump, effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit;
receiving, at one or more wellbores containing a subterranean biological reactor, the effluent from the pre-reactor storage unit, wherein at least a portion of the subterranean biological reactor is configured to perform anaerobic digestion upon the effluent to generate a biogas, and wherein the subterranean biological reactor comprises an agitator.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the feedstock includes at least one of agricultural waste, sewage, manure, food processing plant waste, fermentation processes waste, municipal solid waste, biosolids, source separated organics, locally generated waste, and transported waste.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
blending the feedstock with one or more of water, nitrogen gas, chemical additives, and minerals to generate chemical content suitable for the subterranean biological reactor.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
storing the feedstock on site prior to injection into the subterranean biological reactor and wherein initial stages of the anaerobic digestion occur prior to injection into the subterranean biological reactor; and
blending the feedstock with one or more of microbes capable of performing the anaerobic digestion.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the agitator is configured to provide agitation via movement of a tubing disposed in the one or more wellbores.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Willberg Dean Michael
• Pomerantz Andrew
• Kristjansson Thorarinn

Classifications

• C02F11/04 Primary

  Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes · CPC title

• C02F3/2866

  Particular arrangements for anaerobic reactors · CPC title

• C09K8/582

  characterised by the use of bacteria · CPC title

• C09K8/594

  Compositions used in combination with injected gas {, e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gas}(C09K8/592 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title