Hydrogen production by downhole electrolysis of reservoir brine for enhanced oil recovery

A method of enhancing oil recovery with an electrochemical apparatus, the method including:

• introducing the electrochemical apparatus into an injection well bore such that the electrochemical apparatus is located in a water bearing formation, where a fluid within the water bearing formation includes injection water, and where the electrochemical apparatus includes an anode, a cathode and an interior wall, where the interior wall defines an interior that contains both the anode and the cathode;
• operating the electrochemical apparatus such that the injection water is introduced into the interior of the electrochemical apparatus;
• introducing electrical power from a solar photovoltaic panel to the electrochemical apparatus such that a portion of the injection water is converted into a product gas, where the product gas includes hydrogen gas and oxygen gas;
• and
• operating the electrochemical apparatus such that the product gas forms product gas bubbles and the product gas bubbles travel into a formation, where the product gas bubbles react with a reservoir hydrocarbon of the formation to form a production fluid that is produced through a production well bore, where the production well bore is spaced apart from and closer to an earth's surface than the injection well bore.

A system for enhancing oil recovery with an electrochemical apparatus, the system having:

• the electrochemical apparatus located in an injection well bore such that the electrochemical apparatus is located in a water bearing formation of the injection well bore, where a fluid within the water bearing formation includes injection water, and where the electrochemical apparatus includes an anode, a cathode and an interior wall, where the interior wall defines an interior that contains both the anode and the cathode;
• a fluid flow path from the injection well bore into the interior of the electrochemical apparatus;
• an electrical power source operable to provide electrical power to the electrochemical apparatus such that a portion of the injection water is converted into a product gas that forms product gas bubbles, where the product gas includes hydrogen gas and oxygen gas;
• and
• a production well bore having a production fluid formed from the product gas bubbles reacted with a reservoir hydrocarbon of a formation that is located in a path of the product gas bubbles.