Patent ID: 9644465
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: C10B,C25B,E21B,H05H

Claim:
1. A method for heating a subterranean formation containing an electrically conductive fluid, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of electric glow discharge devices, wherein each electric glow discharge device comprises: a first electrically conductive cylindrical screen having a first end, a second end, and a first diameter, a second electrically conductive cylindrical screen having a first end, a second end, and a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the second electrically conductive cylindrical screen is concentrically disposed with respect to the first electrically conductive screen and separated from the first electrically conductive screen by a substantially equidistant gap, a first insulator attached to the first end of the first electrically conductive cylindrical screen and the first end of the second electrically conductive cylindrical screen, wherein the first insulator maintains the substantially equidistant gap between the first electrically conductive cylindrical screen and the second electrically conductive cylindrical screen, a second insulator attached to the second end of the first electrically conductive cylindrical screen and the second end of the second electrically conductive cylindrical screen, wherein the second insulator maintains the substantially equidistant gap between the first electrically conductive cylindrical screen and the second electrically conductive cylindrical screen, a non-conductive granular material disposed within the substantially equidistant gap, wherein (a) the non-conductive granular material does not pass through either electrically conductive screen, (b) the non-conductive granular material allows the electrically conductive fluid to flow between and contact the first electrically conductive screen and the second electrically conductive screen, and (c) the combination of the non-conductive granular material and the electrically conductive fluid prevents electrical arcing between the electrically conductive screens during the electric glow discharge, a first electrical terminal electrically connected to the first electrically conductive screen, and a second electrical terminal electrically connected to the second electrically conductive screen; connecting the first and second electrical terminals of each electric glow discharge device to a DC electrical power supply; positioning the plurality of electric glow discharge devices at multiple locations within the subterranean formation via one or more wells; and heating the subterranean formation by applying a DC voltage to the first electrically conductive screen as a cathode and the second electrically conductive screen as an anode of each electric glow discharge device using the DC electrical power supply such that a glow discharge is created in the electrically conductive fluid between the first electrically conductive screen and the second electrically conductive screen.