# US 12,595,784 B2 · Vertical and helical well designs for enhanced geothermal systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,595,784 B2 - Document ID: US12595784B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/225,215 - Filed: 2023-07-24 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-25 - Assignees: Gti Energy - Applicants: Gti Energy - Inventors: Jordan Ciezobka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595784B2 ## CPC - F03G 4/00: Devices for producing mechanical power from geothermal energy - E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures - E21B 43/30: Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells - Y02E 10/10: Geothermal energy - F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method and system of recovering heat from geothermal energy with a curved producing well extending around an injection well. The injection well is substantially vertical, and the producing well is helical about the injection well. The producing well extends through a plurality of geologic fractures about the injection well formed by multiple injections made through the injection well. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of recovering heat from geothermal reservoirs, the method comprising: forming an injection well in a geothermal reservoir; creating a geologic fracture structure in the geothermal reservoir about the injection well, wherein the geologic fracture structure comprises a plurality of radial fractures about the injection well, and creating the geological fracture structure comprises: a first injection into the injection well creating a first radial fracture around a section of the injection well; a second injection into the injection well creating a second radial fracture around the section of the injection well, and adjacent the first single radial fracture; additional injections into the injection well creating additional radial fractures around the section of the injection well, and adjacent the first and second single radial fractures; forming a curved producing well that is helical about the injection well and curved through each of the plurality of radial fractures; injecting a heat recovery fluid into the injection well to fill the geologic fracture structure and recover heat energy; and extracting a heated heat recovery fluid within the geologic fracture structure using the curved producing well. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection well is substantially vertical. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a second geologic fracture structure beneath the geologic fracture system, the second geological fracture system comprising a second plurality of radial fractures about a second section of the injection well; and extending the curved producing well through the geologic fracture structure and curved through each of the second plurality of radial fractures of the second geologic fracture structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising dividing the injection well into two injection zones to create the geologic fracture structure and the second geologic fracture structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: dividing the injection well into a plurality of injection zones; creating a geologic fracture structure about each of the injection zones of the injection well; and extending the curved producing well through the geologic fracture structure about each of the injection zones. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat recovery fluid is water. ### Claim 7 A method of recovering heat from geothermal reservoirs, the method comprising: creating a geologic fracture structure in a geothermal reservoir about an injection well, wherein the geologic fracture structure comprises a plurality of radial fractures about the injection well, and creating the geological fracture structure comprises a plurality of separate injections through the injection well, each of the separate injections forming one of the plurality of radial fractures; injecting water through the injection well into the geologic fracture structure to recover heat from the geothermal reservoir; and collecting heated water from the geologic fracture structure in a producing well path that is helical about the injection well and curved through each of the plurality of radial fractures in the geologic fracture structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the injection well is generally vertical. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: forming a second geologic fracture structure beneath the geologic fracture system; and extending the producing well path through both the geologic fracture structure and the second geologic fracture structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the injection well is a slant well. ### Claim 11 A system for recovering heat from geothermal energy, comprising: an injection well extending into a geothermal reservoir rock; a plurality of radial fractures intersecting the injection well; a helical producing well extending curved through each of the plurality of radial fractures; and a supply of water configured to be injected in the injection well and recovered as heated water from the producing well. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the injection well is vertical, extending in a direction of gravity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the injection well comprises a plurality of injection zones, each with a geologic fracture structure intersecting the injection zone, the curved producing well extends about each of the injection zones.