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:
Feb. 13, 2018
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2014
Chevron U.s.a. Inc., San Ramon, CA (US);
Raymond Stanley Kasevich, Mt. Washington, MA (US);
Jeb Xiaobing Rong, Mt. Washington, MA (US);
James Preston Koffer, Delta, CO (US);
Mark Dean Looney, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Margaretha Catharina Maria Rijken, Houston, TX (US);
CHEVRON U.S.A. INC., San Ramon, CA (US);
Abstract
Controlled fracturing in geologic formations is carried out in a method employing a combination of alternating and impulsive current waveforms, applied in succession to achieve extensive fracturing and disintegration of rock materials for liquid and gas recovery. In a pre-conditioning step, high voltage discharges and optionally with highly ionizable gas injections are applied to a system of borehole electrodes, causing the formation to fracture with disintegration in multiple directions but confined between the locations of electrode pairs of opposite polarity. After pre-conditioning, intense current waveform of pulse energy is then applied to the system of borehole electrodes to create waves of ionization or shock waves with bubbles of heated gas that propagate inside and outside the high conductivity channels, resulting in rock disintegration with attendant large scale multiple fracturing.