摘要:
A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise a temperature of the formation at a selected rate.
摘要:
An in situ thermal desorption (ISTD) soil remediation system may be used to remove or reduce contamination within soil. Heat may be transferred to the soil from resistively heated, bare metal heater elements. The heater elements may be placed directly within the soil. Alternately, the heater elements may be suspended within casings. The heater elements may be conductive heaters, or the heater elements may be radiative heater elements. The ISTD soil remediation system may include temperature-resistant, chemical resistant, flexible conduits that transport off-gas removed from the ground to a treatment facility. A residence time of off-gas within the conduits may be sufficient to allow the off-gas to cool so that the off-gas may pass to a treatment facility through a manifold and piping made of polymeric material.
摘要:
A perforated casing may be placed within contaminated soil. Perforations within the casing may be covered during insertion of the casing into the ground. Covering the perforations may inhibit plugging of the perforations during installation. Covering the perforations may also inhibit worker exposure to contaminant dust or vapors during insertion of the casing into the ground. The covering for the perforations in a casing may be plugs that are placed or formed in the casing perforations. Alternately, the covering for the perforations may be a sleeve placed adjacent to the perforations. After installation of the casing, heating or chemically treating the perforation coverings may remove the coverings and allow insertion or removal of fluids and vapor through the casing.
摘要:
A well heater is provided, the heater effective for heating earth surrounding a wellbore from the wellbore, the well heater including: a) a resistive heating element, the resistive heating element traversing a segment of the wellbore to be heated; b) more than one ceramic insulators, the ceramic insulators defining a channel through which the resistive heating element passes; and c) a support element connected to at least one ceramic insulator, the support element effective for conducting heat from the ceramic insulator and radiating heat to the wellbore wall, and to support the weight of the electrical resistance element and the ceramic insulators through the connection to the at least one ceramic insulator. The wellbore heater of the present invention is easily fabricated from available materials, and provides a reliable and inexpensive wellbore heater.
摘要:
A heater is disclosed, the heater including: a porous metal sheet heating element; and an electrical insulating material surrounding the porous metal sheet heating element; wherein there is no casing surrounding the porous metal sheet heating element.
摘要:
A method is provided to remove volatile liquid contaminates from a contaminated volume of earth, the contaminated volume lying above a noncontaminated layer of earth, the method including the steps of: penetrating the contaminated volume with at least one wellbore so that a wellbore penetrates the contaminated volume and at least one wellbore penetrates the noncontaminated layer; applying heat from the wellbore within the noncontaminated layer to the noncontaminated layer until the temperature of a substantial portion of the noncontaminated layer that is contiguous with the contaminated layer is at least the boiling point temperature of contaminated liquids; and applying heat from the wellbore within the contaminated volume to the contaminated volume wherein the temperature of the contaminated volume rises to the boiling point of contaminated liquids after a substantial portion of the noncontaminated layer that is contiguous with the contaminated layer is about the boiling point of the contaminated liquids.
摘要:
A method for heat injection into a subterranean formation is provided. The method utilizes flameless combustion and a gas fired heater having an electrical heated surface for ignition of the gas. The absence of a flame eliminates the flame as a radiant heat source and results in a more even temperature distribution throughout the length of the burner. Flameless combustion is accomplished by preheating the fuel and the combustion air to a temperature above the autoignition temperature of the mixture. Preheating hydrocarbon fuel requires the inclusion of a carbon formation suppressant such as carbon dioxide or steam to prevent carbon formation.
摘要:
A process to recover oil is provided wherein an oil containing subterranean formation is heated by conductive heat transfer. The high temperature levels of this process result in high recoveries of initial oil in place, and recovery of the oil within a short time period. This process is particularly applicable to diatomite formations that have low permeabilities.
摘要:
An apparatus and method are disclosed for producing thick tar sand deposits by preheating of thin, relatively highly conductive layers which are a small fraction of the total thickness of a tar sand deposit, with horizontal electrodes and steam stimulation. The preheating is continued until the viscosity of the tar in a thin preheated zone adjacent to the highly conductive layers is reduced sufficiently to allow steam injection into the tar sand deposit. The entire deposit is then produced by steam flooding.
摘要:
Methods are provided for determining mechanical and petrophysical properties (density, porosity, bulk compressibility, Young's modulus, Poisson's Ratio) of a material undergoing mechanical deformation studies with an imaging (CT, NMR) apparatus. The methods may also be used to measure and depict any fractures in the material.