Method and apparatus for forming and/or augmenting an energy wave

Claim 2

A process of electrically producing pulsating energy of varying intensities and frequencies in an energy wave transmitting medium by the use of electrodes, comprising the steps of: exposing at least one of the electrodes in operative relation to another of said electrodes by the pressure of a fluid medium; varying the mean pressure of said fluid medium to conrollably expose one of the electrodes relative to the energy wave transmitting medium in operative relation to a selected one of the other of the electrodes; and supplying electrical energy to said controllably exposed and selected electrodes producing an arc therebetween emitting said pulsating energy through the energy wave transmitting medium.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 including the step of: applying pulsations or energy waves to the fluid medium and thereby causing arcing of said controllably exposed electrode to intermittently vary into and out of operative relation with the selected electrode.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 including the step of: intermittently varying said mean pressure to intermittently place said controllably exposed electrodes into operative relation with each of said other electrodes individually. 4, The process of claim 1 including the steps of: intermittently varying said mean perssure to intermittently place the controllably exposed electodes into operative relation with each of said other electrodes individually; and applying pulsations or energy waves to the fluid medium and causing thereby intermittent arcing of the controllably exposed electrodes into and out of operative relation with each of said other electrodes.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said energy wave transmitting medium is an earth formation.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said energy wave transmitting medium is an oil or gas bearing formation.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein said energy wave transmitting medium produces fluids from a permeable formation. 8, The process of claim 1 wherein said energy wave transmitting medium is a liquid through which energy waves are applied to an earth formation.

Claim 8

Apparatus for electrically producing pulsating energy of varying intensities and frequencies in an energy wave transmitting medium, comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed in heat exchange relation to said energy wave transmitting medium, pressure operated means for cyclic movement thereof between operative positions relative to one of said electrodes as to other of the electrodes, a source of electrical energy, and means supplying said electrical energy to the electrodes for establishing arcing therebetween only in said operative positions of said electrodes to intermittently emit pulses of energy through the energy wave transmitting medium.

Claim 9

Apparatus for electrically producing pulsating energy of varying intensities and frequencies in an energy wave transmitting medium, comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed in heat exchange relation to said energy wave transmitting medium, pressure operated means for cyclic movement thereof between operative positions relative to one of said electrodes as to other of the electrodes, a source of electrical energy, and means supplying said electrical energy to the electrodes for establishing arcing therebetween only in said operative positions of said electrodes to intermittently emit pulses of energy through the energy wave transmitting medium.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 10 wherein said pressure operative means imparts reciprocation to said arcing means.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 10 and wherein said energy wave transmitting medium is an earth formation.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 11 wherein said earth formation includes oil or gas bearing strata.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 11 wherein said earth formation is fractured or disintegrated by variably intensifying said energy waves.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 10 and wherein said energy wave transmitting medium is a fluid entrained within an eaRth formation.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 14 wherein said fluid is water in energy wave applying relationship to said earth formation. 16. The combination of claim 14 wherein said earth rormation is permeable through which the fluid is displaced by a fluid medium.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 16 wherein said fluid medium includes a formation acidizing agent.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 17 wherein sad fluid is a treating medium for said earth formation.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 18 wherein said treating medium includes an acidizing agent.

Claim 19

The process of generating pulsating energy waves in a heat or energy wave transmitting fluid medium in energy wave applying relationship to an earth formation from a source of electrical current through electrodes comprising the steps of: positioning the electrodes in heat or energy wave relation to said fluid medium; conducting current from said source to the electrodes; periodically varying the intensity of said current to produce pulses of heat energy or energy waves in said fluid medium; and transmitting said heat energy pulses or energy waves through said fluid medium to establish an energy wave to said formation ; including the further step of moving the current varying intensifier along a predetermined path while in heat or energy wave relation to said fluid medium.

Claim 20

The process of generating pulsating energy waves in a heat or energy wave transmitting fluid medium in energy wave applying relationship to an earth formation from a source of electrical current through electrodes comprising the steps of: positioning the electrodes in heat or energy wave relation to said fluid medium; conducting current from said source to the electrodes; periodically varying the intensity of said current to produce pulses of heat energy or energy waves in said fluid medium; and transmitting said heat energy pulses or energy waves through said fluid medium to establish an energy wave to said formation ; including the further step of moving the current varying intensifier along a predetermined path while in heat or energy wave relation to said fluid medium.

Claim 21

The process of claim 20 wherein said fluid medium is water in heat or energy wave applying relationship to said formation.

Claim 22

The process of claim 20 wherein said formation is an oil or gas bearing formation.

Claim 23

The process of claim 20 wherein said fluid medium is a drive fluid for producing fluids from said earth formation.

Claim 24

The process of claim 23 wherein said drive fluid contains an acidizing agent fo acidizing of said earth formation.

Claim 25

The process o claim 20 including positioning in heat or energy wave relation to said fluid medium electrodes other than said positioned electrodes and intermittently conducting current to said other electrodes in phase angle relationship to the current being conducted to said positioned electrodes to thereby controllably intensify, vary or modify the characteristics of the energy wave being generated in said fluid medium.

Claim 26

The process of claim 25 wherein said fluid medium is water in heat or energy wave applying relationship to said formation.

Claim 27

The process of claim 25 wherein said earth formation is fractured or disintegrated by said controllable intensifying, varying or modifying of said energy wave.

Claim 28

The process of claim 25 wherein said formation is an oil or gas bearing formation.

Claim 29

The process of claim 28 wherein said oil or gas bearing formation is fra ctured or disintegrated by said controllable intensifying, varying or modifying of said energy wave.

Claim 30

The process of claim 25 wherein said fluid medium is a treating fluid containing an acidizing agent for acidizing said earth formation.

Claim 31

The process of claim 30 wherein the energy wave applied to said treating fluid is controllably intensified, varied or modified to fracture or disintegrate said earth formation.

Claim 32

A process for creating the compressions and rarefactions of a periodic energy wave within an energy or heat transmitting liquid medium contained within an earth formation by electrical current, comprising positioning spaced electrodes attached to a source of electrical current in heat transmitting relation to said liquid medium; discharging electrical current from said source in a continuing intermittent application to said electodes positioned to said liquid medium to produce successive flows of electrical current through said liquid medium; producing series of compressional heated and expanded impulses of molecular activity alternated with contracted rarfactions of cooler molecular movement within said liquid medium by continuing intermittent discharging of said electrical current through said liquid medium from said electrodes to initiate and maintain an energy wave in said liquiD medium; including intermittently discharging said electrical current from electrodes other than said spaced electrodes but adjacent thereto in said liquid meeium, in phase angle relationship to said discharges from said spaced electrodes to thereby controllably intensify, vary or mofify the characteristics of energy waves being produced in said liquid medium.

Claim 33

A process for creating the compressions and rarefactions of a periodic energy wave within an energy or heat transmitting liquid medium contained within an earth formation by electrical current, comprising positioning spaced electrodes attached to a source of electrical current in heat transmitting relation to said liquid medium; discharging electrical current from said source in a continuing intermittent application to said electodes positioned to said liquid medium to produce successive flows of electrical current through said liquid medium; producing series of compressional heated and expanded impulses of molecular activity alternated with contracted rarfactions of cooler molecular movement within said liquid medium by continuing intermittent discharging of said electrical current through said liquid medium from said electrodes to initiate and maintain an energy wave in said liquiD medium; including intermittently discharging said electrical current from electrodes other than said spaced electrodes but adjacent thereto in said liquid meeium, in phase angle relationship to said discharges from said spaced electrodes to thereby controllably intensify, vary or mofify the characteristics of energy waves being produced in said liquid medium.

Claim 34

The process of claim 32 wherein said liquid medium in water in heat or energy wave applying relationship to said earth formation. 34 The process of claim 32 wherein said liquid medium is a drive fluid for producing fluids from said earth formation.

Claim 35

The process of claim 32 wherein said liquid medium is a treating fluid containing an acidizing agent for acidizing said earth formation.

Claim 36

The process of claim 32 wherein said earth formation is fractured o disintegrated by said controllable intensifying, varying or modifying of said energy wave. 37 The process of claim 32 wherein said liquid medium is the fluids of an oil or gas bearing formation.

Claim 37

The process of claim 37 wherein said oil or gas bearing formation is fractured or disintegrated by said contrllable intensifying, varying or modifying of said energy wave.

Claim 38

A process for creating the compressions and rarefactions of a periodic energy wave within an energy or heat transmitting liquid medium contained within an earth formation by electrical current, comprising positioning spaced electrodes attached to a source of electrical current in heat transmitting relation to said liquid medium, discharging electrical current from said source in a continuing intermittent application to said electrodes positioned to said liquid medium to produce successive flows of electrical current through said liquid medium; producing series of compressional heated and expanded impulses of molecular activity alternated with contracted rarefactions of cooler molecular movement within said liquid medium by continuing intermittent discharging of said electrical current trough said liquid medium from said electrodes to initiate and maintain an energy wave in said liquid meeium; including the stp of moving the electrical current discharger along a predetermined path in relationship to said earth formation.

Claim 39

A process for creating the compressions and rarefactions of a periodic energy wave within an energy or heat transmitting liquid medium contained within an earth formation by electrical current, comprising positioning spaced electrodes attached to a source of electrical current in heat transmitting relation to said liquid medium, discharging electrical current from said source in a continuing intermittent application to said electrodes positioned to said liquid medium to produce successive flows of electrical current through said liquid medium; producing series of compressional heated and expanded impulses of molecular activity alternated with contracted rarefactions of cooler molecular movement within said liquid medium by continuing intermittent discharging of said electrical current trough said liquid medium from said electrodes to initiate and maintain an energy wave in said liquid meeium; including the stp of moving the electrical current discharger along a predetermined path in relationship to said earth formation.

Claim 40

The process of claim 39 wherein said liquid medium is water in heat or energy wave applying relationship to said earth formation.

Claim 41

The process of claim 39 wherein said liquid medium is the fluids of an oil or gas bearing formation.

Claim 42

The process of claim 39 wherein said energy wave is sufficiently intensified to fracture or disintegrate said earth formation.

Claim 43

The process of claim 39 wherein said liquid medium is a treating fluid containing an acidizing agent for acidizing said earth formation.

Claim 44

The process of claim 43 wherein the energy wave applied to said treating fluid is sufficiently intensified to fracture or disintegrate said earth formation.

Claim 45

The process of electrically producing pulsating heating impulses or energy waves of a relatively low frequency in a heat or energy wave transmitting medium from a source of electrical current which is pulsing at a relatively higher frequency comprising positioning a pair of electrodes in heat transmitting relation to said heat or energy wave transmitting medium; applying a source of electrical urrent having a relatively high frequency but relatively low intensity of pulsation to said electrodes to produce thereby an electric arc and resulting heat, both of which are pulsing at a relatively high frequency and with a relatively low intensity; intermittently varying the flow of the electrical current to thereby produce a relatively low frequency but high intensity pulsations in the electrical current, producing thereby an arc and heating effect between said electrodes of a relatively low frequency but relatively high intensity of pulsation or energy wave; including positioning in heat or energy wave relation to said heat or energy wave transmitting medium electrodes other Than said pair of positionined electrodes and intermittently applying electrical current to said other electrodes in phase angle relationship to thereby controllably intensify, vary or modify the characteristics of said heat impulses or energy waves of relatively low frequency but relatively high intensity being produced in said medium.

Claim 46

The process of electrically producing pulsating heating impulses or energy waves of a relatively low frequency in a heat or energy wave transmitting medium from a source of electrical current which is pulsing at a relatively higher frequency comprising positioning a pair of electrodes in heat transmitting relation to said heat or energy wave transmitting medium; applying a source of electrical urrent having a relatively high frequency but relatively low intensity of pulsation to said electrodes to produce thereby an electric arc and resulting heat, both of which are pulsing at a relatively high frequency and with a relatively low intensity; intermittently varying the flow of the electrical current to thereby produce a relatively low frequency but high intensity pulsations in the electrical current, producing thereby an arc and heating effect between said electrodes of a relatively low frequency but relatively high intensity of pulsation or energy wave; including positioning in heat or energy wave relation to said heat or energy wave transmitting medium electrodes other Than said pair of positionined electrodes and intermittently applying electrical current to said other electrodes in phase angle relationship to thereby controllably intensify, vary or modify the characteristics of said heat impulses or energy waves of relatively low frequency but relatively high intensity being produced in said medium.

Claim 47

The process of claim 45 wherein said heat or energy wave transmitting medium is an earth formation. 47. The process of claim 46 wherein said heat impulse of energy wave is controllably intensified, varied or modified to fracture or disintegrate said earth formation.

Claim 48

The process of claim 45 wherein said heat or energy wave transmitting medium is fluids contained in an earth formation.

Claim 49

The process of claim 48 wherein said fluid medium is water.

Claim 50

The process of claim 48 wherein said fluid medium is a treating fluid containing an acidizing agent for acidizing said earth formation.