System and method for pulsed electrical reservoir stimulation
US11091991B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 2019 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B49/00
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
This invention provides a novel system and method for Electrical Reservoir Stimulation (ERS) that increases reservoir permeability for petroleum and geothermal applications without requiring pumping of material into the subsurface. This system and method can provide an inexpensive, reliable and more-environmentally friendly increase in reservoir productivity by releasing hydrocarbons from traps and captives, increasing fluid mobility due to viscosity reduction from electrical heating of the reservoir (extremely important for the extraction of highly viscous hydrocarbons), and providing increased reservoir permeability in the direction of interest from the vibrational removal of particles within sediment pores and initiating micro-fractures. The ERS system and method can also be applied in non-petroleum producing applications, such as for use in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), and generally avoids pumping high-pH chemicals and proppant material into the subsurface, a problem that has generally challenged operators in the geothermal and petroleum industries.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.