# US 11,739,614 B2 · Method of preventative water well maintenance

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- Number: US 11,739,614 B2
- Document ID: US11739614B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/461,357
- Filed: 2017-11-16
- Published: 2020-02-20
- Granted: 2023-08-29
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-16
- Assignees: Subsurface Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Subsurface Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Neil Mansuy; Steven Catania; Joseph Orlando
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11739614B2

## CPC

- E21B 37/08: cleaning in situ of down-hole filters, screens, {e.g. casing perforations,} or gravel packs (E21B37/06 takes precedence)
- E03B 3/15: Keeping wells in good condition, e.g. by cleaning, repairing, regenerating; Maintaining or enlarging the capacity of wells or water-bearing layers (with artificial enrichment E03B3/32 {; cleaning, in general B08B})
- E21B 37/00: Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence)
- E21B 43/164: {Injecting CO2 or carbonated water (in combination with organic material C09K8/594)}
- C09K 8/52: Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E03B: INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER (drilling wells, obtaining fluids in general from wells E21B; pipe-line systems in general F17D)
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A method of preventive well maintenance with pumping equipment in the well for well rehabilitation using CO2 with varying lengths of producing intervals utilizing varying methods to deliver cleaning energy and varying porosity of aquifers to determine varying quantities of energy over the entire well structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a method of preventative well maintenance using CO2 in a well comprising permanent equipment for well maintenance and water pumping equipment, the water pumping equipment remaining in the well during the maintenance, the improvement comprising
using the permanent equipment for well maintenance remaining in the well to inject liquid and vapor CO2 into the well,
controlling CO2 phase changes during CO2 injection cycles by manipulating injection cycles of liquid and vapor CO2 and providing a distribution of energy throughout an entire well structure including all parts of a producing interval of the well and surrounding formation,
causing a surging effect in the well by the distribution of energy, and
maintaining and distributing the surging effect throughout the entire well structure, and the surging effect being distributed by at least one energy resulting from controlling CO2 phase changes during injection of the liquid and vapor CO2,
wherein the at least one energy includes chemical energy, thermal energy, and mechanical energy.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a volume displacement pipe (VDP) into the well prior to carbon dioxide injection and the well comprising a well screen or borehole wall, wherein the volume displacement pipe has a smaller diameter than the well screen or borehole wall, and the VDP is adapted to displace water in the well and to direct the cleaning combination energies to the screen or fractures in a rock well.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein surging is maximized by injecting carbon dioxide in a fashion to create a vortex in an annular space between the volume displacement pipe and the well screen or borehole and casing, allowing a combination of at least two of the at least one energy to be delivered to all areas of the well.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, comprising directing an injection nozzle for carbon dioxide at a desired angle to achieve a vortex in an annular space between the Volume Displacement Pipe (VDP) and the well screen or borehole wall, wherein the vortex distributes energy or a combination of at least two of the at least one energy throughout the well and surrounding aquifer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising selecting a volume of carbon dioxide by evaluating a porosity of an aquifer to determine a buffering capacity of the aquifer, wherein the buffering capacity can be determined by assessment of an amount of carbonates in the aquifer and a total alkalinity of water.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising injection of carbon dioxide into a sealed well to surge the well by switching between liquid injection and vapor injection cycles, wherein a length of each cycle is calculated based upon a length of the producing interval, a volume of water in a well treatment zone and a flow rate of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a volume of CO2 is refined by determining and using a total porosity and a volume in the treatment zone inside the well, and keeping a cleaning energy confined to the producing interval and a distance horizontally from the well.