Enhanced well extraction tool

Abstract

Improved techniques for fracking are presented, including simultaneous stimulation and resource extraction. The improved techniques include stimulating a rock formation surrounding a length along a borehole of a well, the length including alternating stimulation and extraction sections along the length, and extracting extraction fluid from the rock formation simultaneously with the stimulating of the well. A resource extraction tool may include a series of stages, each stage including a stimulation section and an extraction section.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A mining method, comprising:
 stimulating a length along a borehole of a well, the length located within a reservoir and including a plurality of stimulation sections alternating along the length with a plurality of extraction sections, and the stimulating including injecting pressurized fracking fluid into rock surrounding the plurality of stimulation sections; and   extracting extraction fluid from the well simultaneously with the stimulating of the well, the extracting including extracting the extraction fluid from rock surrounding the plurality of extraction sections.   
     
     
         2 . The mining method of  claim 1 , further including:
 expanding, from a fracking system in the borehole, at least one barrier positioned between a stimulation section and a neighboring extraction section and forming a seal between the barrier and a casing of the borehole.   
     
     
         3 . The mining method of  claim 2 , further including:
 providing pressure to the pressurized fracking fluid in the fracking system;   wherein the expanding the barrier includes inflating a bladder in the mining tool with the pressurized fracking fluid until the barrier contacts the casing of the borehole.   
     
     
         4 . The mining method of  claim 1 , further including:
 positioning a fracking system along the length of the borehole, wherein the fracking system includes
 an extraction pathway for the extraction fluid, and 
 a stimulation pathway, separate from the extraction pathway, for the fracking fluid. 
   
     
     
         5 . The mining method of  claim 4 , wherein the fracking system further includes a wiring pathway separate from the extraction pathway and separate from the stimulation pathway, and the method further includes one or more of: sensing the well with a sensor connected to wiring in the wiring pathway; and controlling the fracking system by controlling a device connected to the wiring in the wiring pathway. 
     
     
         6 . The mining method of  claim 4 , wherein the resource extraction tool including a plurality of resource extraction tools, each tool corresponding to a stage of the well, each stage tool mated in a series along the borehole of the well, and each tool including at least one extraction section and at least one stimulation section. 
     
     
         7 . A fracking system, comprising:
 a plurality of resource extraction tools, each tool corresponding to a stage of a well, and each tool including:
 an outer casing; 
 a stimulation section along a length of the respective stage, 
 an extraction section neighboring the stimulation section along the length of the respective stage; 
 a stimulation pathway through each of the stimulation section and the extraction section, the stimulation pathway connected to a stimulation perforation in the outer casing and configured to provide a fracking fluid from the stimulation pathway to an exterior of the respective tool through the stimulation perforation; 
 an extraction pathway through each of the stimulation section and the extraction section, the extraction pathway connected to an extraction perforation in the outer casing and configured to drain an extraction fluid from the exterior of the respective tool through the extraction perforation and into the extraction pathway; and 
 a barrier between the stimulation section and the extraction section, the barrier configured to expand beyond the outer casing and into the exterior of the respective tool, mate with a casing of a borehole, and divide the exterior of the respective tool into a stimulation portion of the exterior and an extraction portion of the exterior. 
   
     
     
         8 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , each tool further comprising:
 a first mating section at a first end of the respective tool; and   a second mating section at a second end of the respective tool;   wherein the first mating section is configured to mate with a second mating section of a neighboring tool, and wherein the first and second mating sections include a connection for the stimulation pathways of the respective tool and the neighboring tool and include a connection for the extraction pathways of the respective tool and the neighboring tool.   
     
     
         9 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , each tool further comprising:
 a wiring pathway separate from the extraction pathway and separate from the stimulation pathway; and   a device connected to wiring in the wiring pathway.   
     
     
         10 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , wherein:
 a cross section along the length of a tool is substantially circular;   the extraction pathway runs through an inner portion of the cross section including a center of the cross section; and   the stimulation pathway runs through an outer portion of the cross section not including the center of the cross section.   
     
     
         11 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , each tool further including:
 a middle casing between the stimulation pathway and a wiring pathway; and   an inner casing between the wiring pathway and the extraction pathway.   
     
     
         12 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , each tool further including:
 a bladder configured to receive the fracking fluid from the stimulation pathway positioned to engage the barrier as the bladder inflates with the fracking fluid.   
     
     
         13 . The fracking system of  claim 7 , each tool further including:
 a motor configured to receive electrical power from a wiring pathway and to engage the barrier and cause the expansion of the barrier.