Downhole wellbore high power laser heating and fracturing stimulation and methods

Abstract

A system for fracturing a formation comprising a laser surface unit configured to generate a laser beam, a power cable electrically connected to a power source, a fluid line connected to a cooling fluid source, a protective shaft extending into the wellbore, the motor configured to rotate a motor shaft, and the thermal shocking tool comprising a protective case, a rotational shaft connected to the motor shaft, the laser delivery device extending from the rotational shaft configured to transform the laser beam to a focused laser beam operable to increase the temperature of the formation to a fracture temperature, and the cooling system extending from the rotational shaft opposite the laser delivery device configured to introduce the cooling fluid stream onto the formation such that the cooling fluid stream reduces the temperature of the formation such that thermal shocks occur and fractures are formed in the formation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for fracturing a formation from a wellbore extending into the formation from a surface, the system comprising:
 a laser surface unit, the laser surface unit located on the surface, the laser surface unit configured to generate a laser beam; 
 a fiber optic cable, the fiber optic cable optically connected to a laser delivery device of a thermal shocking tool, the fiber optic cable configured to transmit the laser beam to the laser delivery device to produce a focused laser beam; 
 a power cable, the power cable electrically connected to a power source on the surface, the power cable configured to transmit electrical energy to a motor; 
 a fluid line, the fluid line connected to a cooling fluid source on the surface, the fluid line configured to supply a cooling fluid to a cooling system of the thermal shocking tool to produce a cooling fluid stream; 
 a protective shaft, the protective shaft extending into the wellbore, wherein the fiber optic cable, the power cable, and the fluid line are contained within the protective shaft; 
 the motor, the motor configured to rotate a motor shaft; 
 a purge nozzle, the purge nozzle positioned between the surface and the motor, where the purge nozzle is configured to keep debris from settling on the motor; and 
 the thermal shocking tool physically connected to the motor, the thermal shocking tool comprising:
 a protective case, the protective case configured to encompass the laser delivery device and the cooling system, 
 a rotational shaft, the rotational shaft connected to the motor shaft such that as the motor shaft rotates the rotational shaft rotates, 
 the laser delivery device extending from the rotational shaft, the laser delivery device configured to transform the laser beam to a focused laser beam, wherein the focused laser beam is operable to increase the temperature of the formation to a fracture temperature, and 
 the cooling system, the cooling system extending from the rotational shaft opposite the laser delivery device, the cooling system comprising one or more cooling nozzles extending through the protective case such that the one or more cooling nozzles are configured to introduce the cooling fluid stream onto the formation such that the cooling fluid stream reduces the temperature of the formation, 
 wherein the laser delivery device and the cooling system rotate around the wellbore as the rotational shaft rotates, 
 wherein rotation of the rotational shaft is configured to alternate between increasing the temperature of the formation and reducing the temperature of the formation such that thermal shocks occur and fractures are formed in the formation. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, liquid nitrogen, helium, air, carbon dioxide, and water. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fracture temperature is 2000 deg. C. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  further comprising an acoustic capability, wherein the acoustic capability is configured to monitor and record a fracturing sound due to the thermal shocking tool, wherein the acoustic capability is selected from the group consisting of transducers, geophones, and combinations of the same. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the laser delivery device is positioned to introduce the focused laser beam to the formation at a pre-determined angle. 
     
     
       6. A method for fracturing a formation from a wellbore extending into the formation from a surface, the method comprising the steps of:
 introducing a focused laser beam to the formation such that the focused laser beam is operable to increase the temperature of the formation to a fracture temperature, wherein the focused laser beam is produced by a laser delivery device, the laser delivery device extending from a rotational shaft; 
 introducing a cooling fluid stream to the formation such that the cooling fluid stream is operable to reduce the temperature of the formation, wherein the cooling fluid stream is produced by a cooling system, the cooling system device extending from the rotational shaft opposite from the laser delivery device; 
 rotating the rotational shaft such that the formation is alternately introduced to the focused laser beam and the cooling fluid such that thermal shocks occur and fractures in the formation are formed; 
 transmitting electrical energy from a power source to a motor through a power cable; 
 transforming the electrical energy to mechanical energy in the motor, such that the mechanical energy rotates a motor shaft, wherein the motor shaft is connected to the rotational shaft such that as the motor shaft rotates the rotational shaft rotates; and 
 introducing a fluid through a purge nozzle positioned between the surface and the motor, where the purge nozzle is configured to keep debris from settling on the motor. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a laser beam in a laser surface unit; and 
 transmitting the laser beam from the laser surface unit to the laser delivery device through a fiber optic cable. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cooling fluid is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas, liquid nitrogen, helium, air, carbon dioxide, and water. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fracture temperature is 2000 deg. C. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6  further comprising the step of measuring by an acoustic capability fracturing sound due to the thermal shocking tools, wherein the acoustic capability is selected from the group consisting of transducers, geophones, and combinations of the same. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the laser delivery device is positioned to introduce the focused laser beam to the formation at a pre-determined angle.