Systems and methods for thermal reach enhancement
AssigneeXGS Energy, Inc.
InventorsPiotr D. Moncarz, Poodipeddi V. Suryanarayana, Louis Capuano, Jr., Axel-Pierre Bois, Daniel Bour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal reach enhanced geothermal wellbore has a plurality of fissures at a target location that distally extend into the formation and that are at least partially filled with a compacted high-thermal k material. The compacted high-thermal k material terminates on a proximal end of the fissure at the target location of the wellbore and is thermally coupled to a high-thermal conductivity grout or slurry through which heat is conducted to a working fluid that is contained in a closed loop working fluid conduit embedded in the grout or slurry.
Claims16
A method of enhancing thermal reach in a geothermal wellbore, comprising:
- forming a geothermal wellbore that extends from a topside surface to a target location in a formation, wherein the formation is a formation with low or no permeability;
- pumping a fluid into a wellbore to a target location in the formation;
- increasing pressure of the fluid at the target location to a fracture pressure that is sufficient to open a plurality of fissures at the target location in the formation;
- pumping at the fracture pressure or a pressure higher than the fracture pressure a slurry comprising a high-thermal k material dispersed in a carrier fluid into the wellbore to allow the slurry to at least partially fill the fissures;
- reducing pressure at the target location and the fissures to thereby partially close the fissures to so expel at least some of the carrier fluid from the slurry in the fissures, thereby creating fissures containing compacted high-thermal k material;
- wherein the compacted high-thermal k material terminates on a proximal end at the wellbore and extends to a distal end within the formation;
- and
- installing a high-thermal conductivity composition in the wellbore, wherein the high-thermal conductivity composition contacts the proximal end of the compacted high-thermal k material and an outer surface of a casing located in the wellbore.
A thermal reach enhanced geothermal wellbore, comprising:
- a wellbore extending from a topside surface to a target location in a formation, wherein the formation is a formation with low or no permeability;
- wherein a plurality of fissures distally extend from the target location into the formation and are at least partially filled with a compacted high-thermal k material;
- wherein the compacted high-thermal k material terminates on a proximal end at the target location of the wellbore;
- and
- wherein the wellbore further comprises a high-thermal conductivity composition that contacts the proximal end of the compacted high-thermal k material and an outer surface of a casing located in the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.