The University of Texas System

Bryan Bunkowski

Hsing-Pang Liu

Mukul Mani Sharma

Kent R Davey

Raymond C Zowarka

Siddharth B Pratap

Jim L Upshaw

Michael Worthington

Clay Hearn

Michael D Werst

Charles Penney

Stephen Manifold

Ray Zowarka

John Uglum

David Prater

Jon Hahne

Described herein are methods and system that use electromagnetic heating to heat wellbores and the fluids therein. The heating is achieved by placing one or more permanent magnets in the wellbore and moving a metallic component and/or the one or more permanent magnets relative to each other. This generates eddy currents in the metallic component, which heat the metallic component. This heat is transferred to the fluids in the wellbore from the metallic component by convection. In some embodiments, permanent magnets are installed in the tubing to induce eddy current heating in a well by converting the linear motion of a sucker rod to rotary motion of a conducting tube using a lead or ball screw. The heater may directly integrate with existing pump jack equipment with little or no additional infrastructure required.

Downhole induction heater and coupling system for oil and gas wells

An electromagnetic system having a reaction mass with a field winding embedded therein, a base plate having an inner annular surface and an outer annular surface, and an armature winding coupled to at least a portion of the inner annular surface and at least a portion of the outer annular surface of an upper end portion of the base plate. In operation, directing an electric current in at least one of the field winding and the armature winding causes at least one of the base plate and the reaction mass to move relative to each other. The electromagnetic system can be used for seismic exploration and vibroseis applications, among other uses.

Electromagnetic seismology vibrator systems and methods

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Bryan Bunkowski