Electro-thermal process for production of off shore oil through on shore walls

Claim 2

An electro-thermal method for stimulating flow of oil from a porous and substantially homogeneous underground oil bearing stratum formation having a first region including a body of oil penetrated by a well bore and a second region laterally contiguous to said oil body which comprises, a. locating an electrode in a cavity in said second region and outside said oil body, said electrode being sufficiently small to constitute effectively a point source of resistance heating and said cavity being positioned at an approximately medial stratum elevation in the proximate portion of said second region, b. immersing said electrode in a pressurized conductive fluid constituting an electro-conductive path between the electrode and said formation, said fluid forming an expanding body of liquid surrounding said electrode, c. locating an exposed conductor in current conductive relation with said formation in the vicinity of said well bore, d. applying a unipolarity voltage between said electrode and said conductor, said electrode being positive relative to said conductor, the resulting unidirectional current through said porous formation having sufficiently high density at the surface of said electrode to heat said liquid body appreciably above the surrounding ambient temperature of said formation as said liquid body expands, and e. extracting oil from said body of oil through said well bore.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said pressurized fluid substantially continuously injected under pressure sufficient to ensure flow thereof into said formation from said cavity.

Claim 4

An electro thermal method for directing flow of oil from an off-shore underground oil bearing stratum formation to an on-shore well bore penetrating the formation which comprises, a. locating an electrode in a cavity in an offshore region of a porous and substantially homogeneous oil bearing formation and at an approximately medial elevation in the proximate portion of said off-shore region, said off-shore region being selected to include between said wellbore and said cavity at least a portion of a body of oil in said formation and said electrode being sufficiently small to constitute effectively a point source of resistance heating, b. immersing said electrode in a pressurized conductive fluid constituting an electro-conductive path between the electrode and said formation, said fluid forming an expanding body of liquid surrounding said electrode, c. locating an exposed conductor in said formation in the vicinity of said well bore and in current conductive relation with said formation, d. applying a unilateral voltage between said electrode and said conductor with said electrode being positive relative to said conductor, the resulting unidirectional current through said porous formation having sufficiently high density at the surface of said electrode to heat said liquid body appreciably above the surrounding ambient temperature of said formation as said liquid body expands, and e. extracting oil from said body through said well bore.

Claim 5

An electro thermal method for directing flow of oil from an off-shore underground oil bearing stratum formation to an on-shore well bore penetrating the formation which comprises, a. locating an electrode in a cavity in an offshore region of a porous and substantially homogeneous oil bearing formation and at an approximately medial elevation in the proximate portion of said off-shore region, said off-shore region being selected to include between said wellbore and said cavity at least a portion of a body of oil in said formation and said electrode being sufficiently small to constitute effectively a point source of resistance heating, b. immersing said electrode in a pressurized conductive fluid constituting an electro-conductive path between the electrode and said formation, said fluid forming an expanding body of liquid surrounding said electrode, c. locating an exposed conductor in said formation in the vicinity of said well bore and in current conductive relation with said formation, d. applying a unilateral voltage between said electrode and said conductor with said electrode being positive relative to said conductor, the resulting unidirectional current through said porous formation having sufficiently high density at the surface of said electrode to heat said liquid body appreciably above the surrounding ambient temperature of said formation as said liquid body expands, and e. extracting oil from said body through said well bore.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 wherein said cavity is located in a region of said formation contiguous to but beyond said body of oil.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 3 wherein said body of oil lies only partially off shore and is penetrated by said well bore.

Claim 8

The method of claim 3 wherein said oil body surrounds said cavity.

Claim 9

The method of claim 3 wherein said off-shore region is under a body of saline water and said saline water is introduced into said cavity to immerse said electrode.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 wherein said cavity is exposed to said body of saline water at a predetermined depth below the surface thereof.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7 which includes also opening said bore hole to admit saline water from said body of water at one of a plurality of selectable depths below the surface of said water.

Claim 12

The method of claim 3 which includes also maintaining said fluid substantially continuously under pressure sufficient to ensure flow of fluid into said formation from said cavity, whereby current between said electrode and conductor heats said fluid and directs its flow toward said well bore.