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:
Jan. 26, 2016
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2013
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Mikhail Boris Geilikman, Houston, TX (US);
John Michael Karanikas, Houston, TX (US);
Mohamad Fereydoon Khodaverdian, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Ernesto Rafael Fonseca Ocampos, Houston, TX (US);
Sau-Wai Wong, Rijswijk, NL;
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method is provided to produce hydrocarbons from a formation, the method includes the steps of: placing a pair of electrodes within a formation; applying differential voltages between pairs of electrodes wherein the voltage differences between the electrodes is greater than at least 10,000 volts; and producing hydrocarbons from the formation or an adjacent formation wherein the formation has an initial permeability of less than ten millidarcy. The invention also includes an apparatus effective to release pulses of electrical energy into the formation as this frequency and voltage at least until the formation has reached a point where the electrical potential arcs from one electrode to at least one other electrode.