Apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery including a double-wall structure and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856724-B2
Application number	US-201414561657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A device for hydrocarbon resource recovery from at least one well in a subterranean formation may include a radio frequency (RF) source, a solvent source, and a double-wall structure coupled to the RF source to define an RF antenna within the at least one well to provide RF heating to the subterranean formation. The double-wall structure may absorb heat from adjacent portions of the subterranean formation. The double-wall structure may also include inner and outer walls defining a solvent passageway therebetween coupled to the solvent source. The outer wall may have a plurality of openings therein to eject solvent into the subterranean formation. The double-wall structure may transfer heat to the solvent so that the ejected solvent is in a vapor state.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery from at least one well in a subterranean formation comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) source;
a solvent source;
a coolant source;
a double-wall structure coupled to said RF source to define an RF antenna within the at least one well to provide RF heating to the subterranean formation;
said double-wall structure comprising inner and outer walls defining a solvent passageway therebetween coupled to said solvent source, said outer wall having a plurality of openings therein to eject solvent into the subterranean formation, said double-wall structure transferring heat from adjacent material to the solvent so that at least a portion of the ejected solvent is in a vapor state; and
an RF transmission line extending within said double-wall structure and coupling said RF source to said double-wall structure, said RF transmission line being coupled to said coolant source so that the coolant absorbs heat from said RF transmission line and transfers the heat to the solvent via the inner wall of said double-wall structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a choke coupled to said transmission line; and wherein said choke generates heat transferred to the solvent.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said double-wall structure comprises a plurality of double-wall sections coupled together in end-to-end relation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a coupler joining together respective ends of adjacent double-wall sections.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising at least one jumper line coupling adjacent double-wall sections.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a clamp surrounding said coupler.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one wellbore comprises a horizontally extending injection wellbore and a horizontally extending production wellbore therebelow; and wherein said double-wall structure is to be positioned within the horizontally extending injection wellbore.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a producer structure to be positioned within the horizontally extending production wellbore.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said solvent source comprises a source of at least one of butane and propane.

10. An apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery from at least one well in a subterranean formation comprising:
a double-wall structure to be coupled to a radio frequency (RF) source to define an RF antenna within the at least one well to provide RF heating to the subterranean formation;
said double-wall structure comprising inner and outer walls defining a solvent passageway therebetween coupled to said solvent source, said outer wall having a plurality of openings therein to eject solvent into the subterranean formation, said double-wall structure transferring heat from adjacent material to the solvent so that at least a portion of the ejected solvent is in a vapor state; and
an RF transmission line extending within said double-wall structure and coupled to said double-wall structure, said RF transmission line to be coupled to a coolant source so that the coolant absorbs heat from said RF transmission line and transfers the heat to the solvent via the inner wall of said double-wall structure.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a choke coupled to said transmission line; and wherein said choke generates heat transferred to the solvent.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said double-wall structure comprises a plurality of double-wall sections coupled together in end-to-end relation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a coupler joining together respective ends of adjacent double-wall sections.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the at least one wellbore comprises a horizontally extending injection wellbore and a horizontally extending production wellbore therebelow; and wherein said double-wall structure is to be positioned within the horizontally extending injection wellbore.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a producer structure to be positioned within the horizontally extending production wellbore.

16. A method for hydrocarbon resource recovery from at least one well in a subterranean formation comprising:
supplying radio frequency (RF) power to a double-wall structure within the at least one well to define an RF antenna to provide RF heating to the subterranean formation;
supplying solvent to a solvent passageway defined between inner and outer walls of the double-wall structure, the outer wall having a plurality of openings therein to eject solvent into the subterranean formation, the double-wall structure transferring heat from adjacent material to the solvent so that at least a portion of the ejected solvent is in a vapor state; and
supplying coolant to an RF transmission line extending within the double-wall structure so that the coolant absorbs heat from the RF transmission line and transfers the heat to the solvent via the inner wall of the double-wall structure.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the at least one wellbore comprises a horizontally extending injection wellbore and a horizontally extending production wellbore therebelow; and wherein the double-wall structure is positioned within the horizontally extending injection wellbore.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising recovering hydrocarbons from a producer structure positioned within the horizontally extending production wellbore.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein supplying solvent comprises supplying at least one of butane and propane.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the adjacent material comprises adjacent portions of the subterranean formation.

21. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the adjacent material comprises adjacent portions of the subterranean formation.

22. The method according to claim 16 wherein the adjacent material comprises adjacent portions of the subterranean formation.

23. An apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery from at least one well in a subterranean formation comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) source;
a coolant source;
a solvent source;
a double-wall structure coupled to said RF source to define an RF antenna within the at least one well to provide RF heating to the subterranean formation;
said double-wall structure comprising inner and outer walls defining a solvent passageway therebetween coupled to said solvent source, said outer wall having a plurality of openings therein to eject at least a portion of the solvent in a vapor state into the subterranean formation; and
an RF transmission line extending within said double-wall structure and coupling said RF source to said double-wall structure, said RF transmission line being coupled to said coolant source so that the coolant absorbs heat from said RF transmission line and transfers the heat to the solvent via said double-wall structure.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 further comprising a choke coupled to said transmission line; and wherein said choke generates heat transferred to the solvent.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said double-wall structure comprises a plurality of double-wall sections coupled together in end-to-end relation.

Assignees

• Harris Corp

Inventors

• White John E
• Hann Murray T
• Wright Brian N
• Trautman Mark A
• Hewit Raymond C

Classifications

• E21B43/2406

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title

• E21B43/2401 Primary

  by means of electricity · CPC title

• E21B43/2408

  SAGD in combination with other methods · CPC title