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US 8,939,207 B2Granted
Insulated conductor heaters with semiconductor layers
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsEdward Everett De St. Remey, Valerio Giuliani, Christopher Kelvin Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heater used to heat a subsurface formation includes an electrical conductor, a semiconductor layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, an insulation layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, an electrically conductive sheath at least partially surrounding the insulation layer. The heater may be located in an opening in the subsurface formation.
Claims20
A heater configured to heat a subsurface formation, comprising:
- an electrical conductor;
- a semiconductor layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor;
- an insulation layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, wherein the semiconductor layer has a higher dielectric constant than the insulation layer;
- and
- an electrically conductive sheath at least partially surrounding the insulation layer;
- wherein the heater is configured to provide resistive heat output to heat at least a portion of the subsurface formation.
3 more elements
A method for heating a subsurface formation, comprising:
- providing heat to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation from a heater at least partially located in an opening in the hydrocarbon containing layer, the opening extending from the surface of the formation through an overburden section of the formation and into the hydrocarbon containing layer of the formation, the heater comprising:
- an electrical conductor;
- a plurality of semiconductor layers at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, wherein the semiconductor layers comprise different dielectric constants to provide a graded dielectric constant that varies with radial distance from a central axis of the electrical conductor;
- an insulation layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor;
- and
- an electrically conductive sheath at least partially surrounding the insulation layer;
- allowing heat to transfer to the formation such that at least some hydrocarbons in the formation are mobilized;
- and
- producing at least some of the mobilized hydrocarbons from the formation.
6 more elements
A heater configured to heat a subsurface formation, comprising:
- an electrical conductor;
- a semiconductor layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers with varying dielectric constants;
- an insulation layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, wherein the semiconductor layer has a higher dielectric constant than the insulation layer;
- and
- an electrically conductive sheath at least partially surrounding the insulation layer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.