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US 4,223,729 AGranted
Method for producing a geothermal reservoir in a hot dry rock formation for the recovery of geothermal energy
OwnerJohn W. Fosterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for creating a hot dry rock oven for the extraction of heat energy is disclosed wherein the geothermal fluid injection and withdrawal wells are brought into positive hydraulic communication during the creation of the hot dry rock oven. The oven complex is produced by fracturing the formation from a plurality of bore holes simultaneously.
Claims7
A process for creating a fracture complex in a hot dry rock formation, comprising the steps of:
- (a) drilling at least one fluid injection well and one fluid withdrawal well which are approximately vertical to the approximate location within a crystalline rock formation at which a temperature exists from which useful heat energy may be extracted;
- (b) deviating said wells from their vertical orientation in a direction approximately perpendicular to the compass direction of the most likely fracture plane of said formation such that said withdrawal well lies above, parallel to and in approximately the same vertical plane as the fluid injection well;
- (c) simultaneously fracturing said formation from said injection and withdrawal wells to produce a single interconnecting fracture of large surface area connecting said wells for hydraulic communication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.