Circulation methodologies and systems for hydrocarbon production from oil shale and oil sands and well-rehabilitation and formational pressurization of conventional hydrocarbon systems

Abstract

The extraction of hydrocarbons from two or more wells is enhanced by creating microwave induced permeability zones between the wells, with the zones intersecting or overlapping, so that a fluid pathway is open between the wells and superheated or supercritical fluids and/or selected catalytic compounds flow through the wells and pathways to extract the hydrocarbons and the extracted hydrocarbon flows to a pump for removal from one or more of the wells. For conventional well system, the microwave can rehabilitate stripper wells and increase formational pressure in existing well fields. Porous cavities created by the microwave are suitable for carbon sequestration.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of increasing the extraction of hydrocarbons between two or more wells comprising the steps of creating a permeable pathway between selected wells and circulating fluids through the wells across the pathways. 
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance to  claim 1 , wherein the creation of permeable pathways uses gain and directivity of the antenna to efficiently create microwave induced permeability zones (MIPZs) used in the circulation process. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance to  claim 1 , wherein the circulating fluids through the wells are heated and pressurized to efficiently strip hydrocarbon deposits. 
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance to  claim 1 , wherein the permeable pathways are created by an HPM system that includes a directional coupler to measure reflected power and links to a feedback control circuit that tunes the klystron to remain essentially on antenna cavity resonance when subjected to thermal expansion effects or load variations. 
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the directional coupler measures transmitted and reflected power and/or quantifies permittivity, water content, and phase boundary changes that occur in geologic formations during microwave heating. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure and temperature are controlled for on-site gas separation and distillation of hydrocarbon products. 
     
     
         7 . A method to rehabilitate conventional low volume stripper wells by applying high power, high frequency microwave energy to remove high viscosity compounds that clogs the formation and creating a high permeable region surrounding the interior of the well that mimics large diameter wells increasing drainage areas and conventional oil production rates. 
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance to  claim 7 , wherein an in-situ HPM system capable of reaching depths on the order of 1 kilometer or greater is employed. 
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance to  claim 7 , wherein low-loss permeable casings such as ceramic, fused quartz or fiberglass replace the production string allowing efficient microwave propagation into the rock formation and increasing drainage areas. 
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance to  claim 7 , wherein the microwave energy is applied by an antenna that is offset to increase the distance from the antenna slots to the load in order to reduce VSWR. 
     
     
         11 . A method that produces pore and bound water that is not hydraulically connected to existing water rights. 
     
     
         12 . A method to selectively target existing subsurface permeable zones, increase the formational pressure over a large radial distance from the well with an installed microwave system and increase hydrocarbon production from existing wells. 
     
     
         13 . A method that produces porous subsurface cavities capable of efficient CO 2  sequestration. 
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance in  claim 13  uses local limestone resources to produce cement and sequester CO 2  in microwave created cavities