ENHANCED HYDROCARBON RECOVERY FROM A SINGLE WELL BY ELECTRICAL RESISTIVE HEATING OF A SINGLE INCLUSION IN AN OIL SAND FORMATIONS

摘要

The present invention is a method and apparatus for enhanced recovery ofpetroleumfluids from the subsurface by electrical resistive heating of the oil sandformation and the heavyoil and bitumen in situ, by electrically energizing vertical inclusion planescontaining electricallyconductive proppant. The inclusion is propagated into a portion of theformation having aSkempton's B parameter of greater than 0.95 exp(-0.04 p')+0.008 p', where p'is a mean effectivestress in MPa at the depth of the inclusion. Multiple propped verticalinclusions at variousazimuths are constructed from multiple wells. Electrodes are placed in thewells in electricalcontact with the inclusions and an alternating direction current is passedthrough the proppant.By electrically resistive heating of the inclusion, the formation is heated byconduction andassociated hydrocarbon fluids are lowered in viscosity and drain by gravityback to the well andproduced to the surface. By controlling the reservoir temperature andpressure, a particularfraction of the in situ hydrocarbon reserve is extracted and water inflow intothe heated zone isminimized.