Patent ID: 9458704
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: E21B

Claim Text:
1. A method of using an electrochemical gas lift apparatus to induce artificial gas lift in a production fluid, the method comprising the steps of: introducing the electrochemical gas lift apparatus into a well bore such that the electrochemical gas lift apparatus is located in the production zone of the well bore, where the well bore is defined by a well bore wall and traverses the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, where the production zone contains a well bore fluid and where the well bore fluid comprises a hydrocarbon fluid and a formation water, and wherein the electrochemical gas lift apparatus includes an anode, a cathode and an interior wall, where the interior wall defines an interior that contains both the anode and the cathode; operating the electrochemical gas lift apparatus such that the well bore fluid is introduced into the interior of the electrochemical gas lift apparatus; introducing electrical power to the electrochemical gas lift apparatus such that a portion of the formation water in the well bore fluid in the interior of the electrochemical gas lift apparatus is converted into a product gas, where the product gas includes hydrogen gas and oxygen gas; and operating the electrochemical gas lift apparatus such that the product gas forms product gas bubbles and the production fluid forms, where the production fluid comprises hydrocarbon fluid, unconverted formation water and product gas bubbles, and where the product gas bubbles induce artificial gas lift in the production fluid.