Method of controlling electrical properties of the sub-surface metallic structure of oil and gas wells

Claim 1

A METHOD OF EFFECTIVELY NEUTRALIZING A FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS WHERE THE FIRST CURRENT FLOW RESULTS FROM A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS AND WHERE THE OIL WELLS HAVE A CONDUCTOR PIPE OF A RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTH, HAVE A SURFACE PIPE DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONDUCTOR PIPE WITH AN INCREASED LENGTH RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE CONDUCTOR PIPE AND HAVE AN OIL STRING DISPOED WITHIN THE SURFACE PIPE WITH AN INCREASED LENGTH RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE SURFACE PIPE AND WHERE THE CONDUCTOR PIPE, THE SURFACE PIPE AND THE OIL STRING OF EACH OIL WELL RESPECTIVELY EXTEND AT PROGRESSIVE DISTANCES INTO THE EARTH AT SPACED POSITIONS FROM THE CONDUCTOR PIPE, THE SURFACE PIPE AND THE OIL STRING OF THE OTHER OIL WELL, THE METHOD CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS WHICH MAY BE MADE WHILE THE FIRST AND SECOND WELLS CONTINUE IN OPERATION: DISPOSING A PLURALITY OF FIRST ELECTRODES INTO THE EARTH AT SPACED POSITIONS AROUND THE FIRST OIL WELL TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND EACH OF THE FIRST ELECTRODES AND TO DETERMINE SUCH POLARITY AND THE DIRECTION OF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS, DISPOSING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS AT A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A LINE DEFINING THE DIRECTION OF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS, CONNECTING A VARIABLE RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND THE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE TO PRODUCE A SECOND FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND THE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT, AND VARYING THE VALUE OF THE VARIABLE RESISTANCE TO PROVIDE THE SECOND FLOW OF CURRENT WITH A MAGNITUDE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF THE FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT TO NEUTRALIZE THE FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WELLS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF EFFECTIVELY NEUTRALIZING A FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS WHERE THE FIRST CURRENT FLOW RESULTS FROM A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS AND WHERE THE OIL WELLS HAVE A CONDUCTOR PIPE OF A RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTH, HAVE A SURFACE PIPE DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONDUCTOR PIPE WITH AN INCREASED LENGTH RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE CONDUCTOR PIPE AND HAVE AN OIL STRING DISPOED WITHIN THE SURFACE PIPE WITH AN INCREASED LENGTH RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE SURFACE PIPE AND WHERE THE CONDUCTOR PIPE, THE SURFACE PIPE AND THE OIL STRING OF EACH OIL WELL RESPECTIVELY EXTEND AT PROGRESSIVE DISTANCES INTO THE EARTH AT SPACED POSITIONS FROM THE CONDUCTOR PIPE, THE SURFACE PIPE AND THE OIL STRING OF THE OTHER OIL WELL, THE METHOD CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS WHICH MAY BE MADE WHILE THE FIRST AND SECOND WELLS CONTINUE IN OPERATION: DISPOSING A PLURALITY OF FIRST ELECTRODES INTO THE EARTH AT SPACED POSITIONS AROUND THE FIRST OIL WELL TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND EACH OF THE FIRST ELECTRODES AND TO DETERMINE SUCH POLARITY AND THE DIRECTION OF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS, DISPOSING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS AT A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A LINE DEFINING THE DIRECTION OF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OIL WELLS, CONNECTING A VARIABLE RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND THE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE TO PRODUCE A SECOND FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE FIRST OIL WELL AND THE ADDITIONAL ELECTRODE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT, AND VARYING THE VALUE OF THE VARIABLE RESISTANCE TO PROVIDE THE SECOND FLOW OF CURRENT WITH A MAGNITUDE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF THE FIRST FLOW OF CURRENT TO NEUTRALIZE THE FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WELLS.