University of Texas System

Jon Hahne

Mukul Mani Sharma

Raymond C Zowarka

Siddharth B Pratap

Hsing-Pang Liu

Michael D Werst

Clay Hearn

Michael Worthington

Bryan Bunkowski

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

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, TX, United States of America

Jon Hahne