Production stimulation method for oil wells

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING AN OIL WELL IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE STRING OF CASING IS SUSPENDED THEREIN, ON THE UPPER END OF WHICH MEANS IS PROVIDED THAT CAN BE OPENED TO PERMIT ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AND THE EARTH FORMATION FROM WHICH SAID WELL PRODUCES A FLUID INCLUDING OIL, WHICH MEANS IS CAPABLE OF BEING CLOSED TO OBSTRUCT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, SAID EARTH FORMATION, AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, WITH SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) OPENING SAID MEANS AND DISCHARGING A FIRST SOLID OR LIQUID MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL, WHICH UPON BEING SUBJECTED TO HEAT, IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN INERT GAS; (B) DISCHARGING A SECOND MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID MEANS AFTER SAID FIRST MATERIAL HAS BEEN DISCHARGED THERETHROUGH; (C) DISCHARGING A THIRD MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID MEANS AFTER SAID SECOND MATERIAL HAS BEEN DISCHARGED THERETHROUGH, WITH SAID THIRD MATERIAL BEING OF SUCH COMPOSITION THAT WHEN IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND MATERIAL AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION DEVELOPS WITH THE EVOLUTION OF A GAS, WHICH SECOND AND THIRD MATERIALS ARE ADDED TO SAID WELL IN SUCH QUANTITIES AS TO TRANSFORM ALL OF SAID FIRST MATERIAL INTO A GAS AND HEAT IN SAID FORMATION, OUTWARDLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID WELL; (D) CLOSING SAID MEANS AFTER SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD MATERIALS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO SAID WELL TO PERMIT SAID GAS EVOLVED FROM SAID EXOTHERMIC REACTION AND SAID GAS EVOLVED FROM THE TRANSFORMATION OF SAID FIRST MATERIAL TO INCREASE THE FLUID-CARRYING CAPABILITY OF SAID FORMATION WHEN THE PRESSURE FROM SAID GASES IS EXERTED ON SAID FORMATION, WITH SAID FLUID FLOWING INTO SAID WELL FROM SAID FORMATION AT A FASTER RATE THAN BEFORE SAID TREATMENT OF SAID WELL DUE TO HEATING OF SAID FLUID TO LOWER THE VISCOSITY THEREOF AND LEND A GREATET FLUID-CARRYING CAPABILITY THERETO; AND (E) OPENING SAID MEANS TO REMOVE SAID FLUID FROM SAID WELL AFTER SAID FORMATION HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SAID PRESSURE AND HEAT FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PERIOD OF TIME.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING AN OIL WELL IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE STRING OF CASING IS SUSPENDED THEREIN, ON THE UPPER END OF WHICH MEANS IS PROVIDED THAT CAN BE OPENED TO PERMIT ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AND THE EARTH FORMATION FROM WHICH SAID WELL PRODUCES A FLUID INCLUDING OIL, WHICH MEANS IS CAPABLE OF BEING CLOSED TO OBSTRUCT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, SAID EARTH FORMATION, AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, WITH SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) OPENING SAID MEANS AND DISCHARGING A FIRST SOLID OR LIQUID MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL, WHICH UPON BEING SUBJECTED TO HEAT, IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN INERT GAS; (B) DISCHARGING A SECOND MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID MEANS AFTER SAID FIRST MATERIAL HAS BEEN DISCHARGED THERETHROUGH; (C) DISCHARGING A THIRD MATERIAL INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID MEANS AFTER SAID SECOND MATERIAL HAS BEEN DISCHARGED THERETHROUGH, WITH SAID THIRD MATERIAL BEING OF SUCH COMPOSITION THAT WHEN IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND MATERIAL AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION DEVELOPS WITH THE EVOLUTION OF A GAS, WHICH SECOND AND THIRD MATERIALS ARE ADDED TO SAID WELL IN SUCH QUANTITIES AS TO TRANSFORM ALL OF SAID FIRST MATERIAL INTO A GAS AND HEAT IN SAID FORMATION, OUTWARDLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID WELL; (D) CLOSING SAID MEANS AFTER SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD MATERIALS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO SAID WELL TO PERMIT SAID GAS EVOLVED FROM SAID EXOTHERMIC REACTION AND SAID GAS EVOLVED FROM THE TRANSFORMATION OF SAID FIRST MATERIAL TO INCREASE THE FLUID-CARRYING CAPABILITY OF SAID FORMATION WHEN THE PRESSURE FROM SAID GASES IS EXERTED ON SAID FORMATION, WITH SAID FLUID FLOWING INTO SAID WELL FROM SAID FORMATION AT A FASTER RATE THAN BEFORE SAID TREATMENT OF SAID WELL DUE TO HEATING OF SAID FLUID TO LOWER THE VISCOSITY THEREOF AND LEND A GREATET FLUID-CARRYING CAPABILITY THERETO; AND (E) OPENING SAID MEANS TO REMOVE SAID FLUID FROM SAID WELL AFTER SAID FORMATION HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SAID PRESSURE AND HEAT FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PERIOD OF TIME.