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US 12,638,217 B2Granted
Geothermal well method and system
AssigneeDynamic Tubular Systems, Inc.
InventorsJeffery Spray, William Ott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various aspects of the invention, the following are provided: a process of creating a geothermal well in high-temperature, impermeable rock is provided; a geothermal well in high-temperature, impermeable rock; a process of operating a geothermal well; a packer; and a process for creating a seal in an annulus between a cylinder and a borehole located in a target zone in high-temperature, impermeable rock.
Claims17
A process of creating a geothermal well in high-temperature, impermeable rock, the process comprising:
- sinking a borehole with a generally-vertical trajectory into the high-temperature, impermeable rock;
- creating a fluid-conductive fracture in the formation, substantially-laterally from an axis of the borehole, at a target zone in a geologic formation of interest for geothermal energy production, wherein said creating causes the fluid-conductive fracture to have a substantially-vertical dimension that is larger than a substantially-horizontal width dimension and a substantially horizontal length dimension extending substantially-radially from the axis, wherein the substantially-horizontal length dimension is longer than the horizontal width dimension;
- installing a flow-resistant, thermally-insulated barrier substantially laterally from the borehole, wherein the barrier is positioned to divert fluid under pressure on a first side of the barrier in the target zone to flow away from the borehole, around the barrier, and into the target zone on a second side of the barrier;
- and
- forcing through the borehole, from a surface location, fluid under pressure on the first side of the barrier in the target zone to flow away from the borehole, around the barrier, and into the target zone on the second side of the barrier toward the borehole;
- and
- retrieving fluid solely from the second side of the barrier to the borehole.
4 more elements
A process of operating a geothermal well in high-temperature, impermeable rock having:
- a borehole with a generally-vertical trajectory in the high-temperature, impermeable rock,
- a fluid-conductive fracture at a target zone in a geologic formation of interest for geothermal energy production, the fluid-conductive fracture extending laterally from an axis of the borehole,
- wherein:
- the fluid-conductive fracture has:
- a substantially-vertical dimension,
- a substantially-horizontal width dimension, and
- a substantially-horizontal length dimension,
- the substantially-vertical dimension is greater than the substantially-horizontal width dimension
- the substantially-horizontal length dimension extends radially from a borehole axis and is longer than the horizontal width dimension,
- within the fluid-conductive fracture, a fluid-impermeable barrier extends substantially-radially from the borehole, capable of diverting fluid under pressure on a first side of the barrier in the target zone to flow away from the borehole, around the barrier, and into the target zone on a second side of the barrier, the process comprising:
- forcing through the borehole fluid under pressure on a first side of the barrier in the target zone to flow away from the borehole, around the barrier, and into the target zone on a second side of the barrier toward the borehole;
- and
- retrieving fluid solely from the second side of the barrier to the borehole.
10 more elements
A geothermal well in high-temperature, impermeable rock, the well comprising:
- a borehole in a target zone in the high-temperature, impermeable rock;
- an induced, fluid-conductive fracture at the target zone in the high-temperature rock includes
- said induced, fluid-conductive fracture has:
- a substantially-vertical dimension,
- a substantially-horizontal width dimension, and
- a substantially-horizontal length dimension,
- the substantially-vertical dimension is greater than the substantially-horizontal width dimension
- the substantially-horizontal length dimension extends radially from a borehole axis and is longer than the horizontal width dimension, within the fluid-conductive fracture,
- a fluid-impermeable barrier extends substantially-radially from the borehole, capable of diverting fluid under pressure on a first side of the barrier in the target zone to flow away from the borehole, around the barrier, and into the target zone on a second side of the barrier toward the borehole,
- a tubing in the borehole, wherein said tubing and said borehole define an annulus between said tubing and said borehole that is in fluid communication said induced fracture;
- a substantially impermeable barrier located in said induced fracture and extending to the substantially the entire width and to a portion of the length of said fracture;
- at least one isolator located in said annulus capable of directing fluid from said annulus into said induced fracture on a first side of said barrier and substantially preventing fluid entering said annulus from said fracture on a second side of said barrier from crossing past said barrier through said annulus;
- wherein the interior of said tubing is in fluid communication solely with said annulus on the second side of said barrier and is configured to retrieve fluid solely from the second side of said barrier.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.