The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2003
Taixu Bai, Katy, TX (US);
Harold J. Vinegar, Bellaire, TX (US);
Kirk Samuel Hansen, Houston, TX (US);
Taixu Bai, Katy, TX (US);
Harold J. Vinegar, Bellaire, TX (US);
Kirk Samuel Hansen, Houston, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. At least one heater may be located in at least one wellbore in the formation. At least one wellbore may be sized, at least in part, based on a determination of formation expansion caused by heating of the formation so that formation expansion caused by heating of the formation is not sufficient to cause substantial deformation of one or more heaters in the sized wellbores. The ratio of the outside diameter of a heater to the inside diameter of a wellbore may be less than about 0.75. In certain embodiments, heat may transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation. In some embodiments, a mixture may be produced from the formation.