Inhibiting wellbore deformation during in situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation
US7219734B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | May 22, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B2214/03
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. At least one heater may be located in at least one wellbore in the formation. At least one wellbore may be sized, at least in part, based on a determination of formation expansion caused by heating of the formation so that formation expansion caused by heating of the formation is not sufficient to cause substantial deformation of one or more heaters in the sized wellbores. The ratio of the outside diameter of a heater to the inside diameter of a wellbore may be less than about 0.75. In certain embodiments, heat may transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation. In some embodiments, a mixture may be produced from the formation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.