Patent ID: 11959666
Assignee: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  E  Y | IPC E  F

Claim 0:
1. A method of harvesting geothermal energy in a subterranean formation, comprising:
providing an injection wellbore that extends into the subterranean formation;
positioning a plurality of selectively opening sleeves in the injection wellbore spaced apart within the subterranean formation, each of said plurality of selectively opening sleeves being actuatable between an open position and a closed position, wherein said plurality of selectively opening sleeves are threadably connected to a casing string, and wherein at least some of said plurality of selectively opening sleeves are encased in cement;
providing at least one producing wellbore that extends into the subterranean formation in a predetermined location proximate to said injection wellbore;
fracturing said cement encasing said selectively opening sleeves and fracturing the subterranean formation in a plurality of locations proximate to the plurality of selectively opening sleeves to enhance a fluid pathway between said injection wellbore and said at least one producing wellbore when said plurality of selectively opening sleeves are in the open position;
injecting a fluid down said injection wellbore at a first temperature, wherein said injected fluid harvests geothermal energy from the subterranean formation as it flows through the fluid pathway to said at least one producing wellbore; and
producing a heated fluid from said at least one producing wellbore at a second temperature higher than said first temperature.