US3817332A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for catalytically heating wellbores
Assignee: Sunoco Inc
•
Filing: 1972-09-01
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Granted: 1974-06-18
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Expires: 1992-09-01
Abstract
Abstract A catalytic heater is used in supplying heat to wellbores and has a catalytic surface open to the wellbore for contacting and causing the reaction of a fuel mixture. The preferable catalytic material is platinum supported on a matrix of asbestos, asbestosburlap, ceramic, or other non-combustible material. Air and fuel gas is injected into the wellbore to contact the catalyst. Initiation of a catalytic reaction is brought about by use of a fuel gas containing hydrogen which will spontaneously react with air at standard conditions in the presence of the catalyst. Once the hydrogen-air reaction reaches the reaction temperature of a hydrocarbon fuel gas and air, hydrogen injection is terminated. A carrier fluid may be used to transport the heat of reaction to a formation or other appropriate location.
Inventors
- 👤 H Berry
- 👤 W Hardy
- 👤 D Zadow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:17
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B36/00; E21B36/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including at least one thermocouple located adjacent the catalytic material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the catalytic material is run into the wellbore on a wireline which is constructed to act as a conductor cable for transmitting thermocouple information to the surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus for providing heat in a wellbore comprising: a catalytic material having a flow channel therethrough located in the wellbore and openly communicating with the wellbore; means for passing one component of a fuel mixture through said flow channel; and means for passing the remaining portion of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalytic material, wherein the means for passing one component of a fuel mixture through the flow channel comprises well pipe and the means for passing the remaining portion of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst comprises the annulus between the well pipe and the wellbore.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the catalytic material is in the form of a tubular member and wherein the interior of the catalytic tubular member communicates with the interior of the well pipe and the exterior of the catalytic tubular member communicates with the annulus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The apparatus of claim 5 including a seating means attached to the lower end of the well pipe, sealing means between the catalytic tubular member and the seating means, and a flange member on the catalytic member for contacting the seating means and supporting the weight of the catalytic member, wherein the sealing means prevents direct communication between the well pipe interior and the catalytic member exterior surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
108 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: an uncontained supported oxidation catalyst located in a predetermined position in the wellbore, wherein said supported catalyst is formed to provide a fluids flow channel therethrough; and means for flowing a fuel mixture into the wellbore and into contact with said catalyst, said means for flowing a fuel mixture into the wellbore comprising first conduit means communicating with the fluids flow channel of the catalyst, and second conduit means communicating with the exterior surface of the catalyst and providing a fluids flow path to the exterior surface which does not bring fluids therein into contact with said fluids flow channel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
90 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: a supported catalytic material located in the wellbore; means forming a first fluids flow channel through the catalytic material for passing first components of a fuel mixture to the catalytic material; and means forming a second separate fluids flow channel to the exterior surface of the catalytic material for passing second components of the fuel mixture to the catlaytic material wherein the first and second fuel components are not mixed until they are present on the exterior surface of the catalytic material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus of claim 8 including means for supplying a fuel gas to said first fluid flow channel means and means for supplying air to the exterior of said catalytic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: a supported catalytic material located in the wellbore and completely open to the wellbore; and means forming a first fluids flow channel through the catalytiC material said catalytic material being in tubular form and comprising a permeable inner wall, a permeable outer wall, and a baffling means therebetween.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 10 including a permeable retaining means encircling the permeable outer wall of the tubular catalytic material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: a supported oxidation catalyst suspended in the wellbore and completely open to the wellbore, said catalyst having a fluids flow channel therein; and means for flowing a fuel mixture to said catalyst, wherein the fuel mixture comprises a hydrocarbon gas and air and wherein the fuel mixture flow means comprises first means for flowing the hydrocarbon gas into contact with said catalyst through said fluids flow channel and second means for flowing the air into contact with the exterior surface of said oxidation catalyst, wherein fluids flowing through said first and second means are not mixed until they are contacted on the exterior surface of said oxidation catalyst.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
115 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: a supported oxidation catalyst suspended in the wellbore and completely open to the wellbore, said catalyst having a fluids flow channel therein; and means for flowing a fuel mixture to said catalyst, wherein the fuel mixture comprises a hydrocarbon gas and air and wherein the fuel mixture flow means comprises means for flowing the hydrocarbon gas into contact with said catalyst through said fluids flow channel and means for flowing the air into contact with the exterior surface of said oxidation catalyst, and wherein the hydrocarbon gas flow means comprises well pipe and the air flow means is the annulus between the well pipe and the wellbore.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the oxidation catalyst is shaped to provide an interior chamber which communicates with the well pipe interior and wherein the fluids flow channel comprises a multiplicity of passages through the wall of the chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
157 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: an uncontained supported oxidation catalyst located in a predetermined position in the wellbore and having a plurality of passageways therethrough; means for passing one component of a fuel mixture into contact with the catalyst adjacent the passageways; means for passing the remainder of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst; and means for monitoring the temperature adjacent the catalyst wherein the supported catalyst is formed to provide an interior surface and an exterior surface with a permeable thickness therebetween, and wherein the means for passing one component of a fuel mixture into contact with the catalyst adjacent the passageways comprises well pipe in communication with the interior surface of the supported catalyst, and further wherein the means for passing the remainder of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst comprises the annulus between the well pipe and the wellbore.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: an uncontained supported oxidation catalyst located in a predetermined position in the wellbore and having a plurality of passageways therethrough; means for passing one component of a fuel mixture into contact with the catalyst adjacent the passageways; means for passing the remainder of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst; and means of monitoring the temperature adjacent the catalyst, wherein the means for monitoring the temperature adjacent the catalyst comprises a thermocopple connected to the surface of the earth by electrical cable which also acts as means for lowering and retrieving the catalyst from the wellbore.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: an uncontained supported oxidation catalyst located in a predetermined position in the wellbore and having a plurality of passageways therethrough; means for passing one component of a fuel mixture into contact with The catalyst adjacent the passageways; means for passing the remainder of the fuel mixture into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst; and means for monitoring the temperature adjacent the catalyst, wherein the supported catalyst is shaped in the form of a tubular member having perforated conduit means therein extending the length of said tubular member, and wherein the means for passing one component of a fuel mixture into contact with the catalyst adjacent the passageways comprises well pipe connected to said perforated conduit means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus for supplying heat to a wellbore comprising: well pipe extending from the surface to a selected point in the wellbore and; a heater comprised of a supported oxidation catalyst having an interior surface in communication with the interior of said well pipe, an exterior surface completely open to the wellbores and a permeable wall between the interior and exterior surfaces.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 18 including means attached to the lower end of the well pipe for seating the heater, and means on the heater for engaging the seating means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 19 including a perforated tubular member commencing from a point above the seating means and extending through the heater adjacent the interior surface of the catalyst.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 19 including cable means attached to the heater for lowering the heater into the wellbore, at least one thermocouple positioned adjacent the heater, and means located in the cable means, for conveying thermocouple information to the earth''s surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 18 including means for monitoring the temperature adjacent the heater.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
97 words
The process of providing heat in a wellbore having well pipe therein and an annular space between the well pipe and the wellbore, comprising the steps of: locating a catalytic material at the end of the well pipe, so that said material extends from the end of the well pipe; flowing one component of a fuel mixture through the well pipe and through the catalytic material; flowing the remaining portion of the fuel mixture down the annulus and into contact with the exterior surface of the catalytic material; and initiating a catalytic reaction of the fuel mixture.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 23 wherein the component of the fuel mixture flowed through the well pipe and catalytic material comprises a hydrocarbon gas, and the remaining portion of the fuel mixture flowed through the annulus and into contact with the exterior surface of the catalyst comprises air.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 24 including the step of flowing additional air down the annulus as an agent to transport heat.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 23 wherein the catalytic reaction is initiated by flowing a hydrogen gas into contact with the catalyst whereupon a spontaneous hydrogen-air reaction occurs.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 23 wherein the catalytic reaction is initiated by applying electrical current to a heating element located adjacent the catalytic material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-17 | 1977-12-17 | 1978-06-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-17 | 1981-12-17 | 1982-06-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-17 | 1985-12-17 | 1986-06-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |