High power microwave petroleum recovery

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for using high-power microwave radiation to recover oil from an oil shale deposit. Embodiments include a microwave generation system, adapted to generate in situ, high-power microwave radiation. In some embodiments, one or more antennae propagate the microwave radiation into the oil shale deposit. The microwave radiation may heat the oil shale, causing oil to be released. The released oil may then be collected, refined, transported, or otherwise processed.

1 . A system for recovering oil from an oil shale deposit, the system comprising:
 a microwave generation system, adapted to generate microwave radiation substantially at a microwave frequency and substantially at a power level; and   a radiation system, operatively coupled with the microwave generation system, and comprising:
 an antenna, adapted to transmit at least a portion of the microwave radiation at the microwave frequency into the oil shale deposit, wherein the antenna is located within the oil shale deposit and the at least a portion of the microwave radiation is transmitted substantially omni-directionally; and 
 a sheath, adapted to be substantially transparent to the microwave frequency in at least one transmission direction, and adapted to mitigate harmful physical exposure of the antenna to the oil shale deposit and released constituents, 
 wherein the released constituents comprise constituents of the oil shale deposit released during heating as a result of the antenna transmitting at least a portion of the microwave radiation at the microwave frequency into the oil shale deposit, one of the released constituents being released oil. 
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microwave generation system comprises:
 a klystron, adapted to generate microwave radiation at the microwave frequency, the microwave frequency being substantially 2.45 to 2.5 GHz.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microwave generation system comprises:
 a klystron, adapted to generate microwave radiation at the power level, the power level being selected from a group consisting of: substantially one-half megawatt; substantially 100 kilowatt; and substantially 4.5 megawatt.   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microwave generation system comprises:
 a klystron, adapted to generate microwave radiation at the microwave frequency as pulsed-wave radiation.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the microwave generation system is located within the oil shale deposit. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation system further comprises:
 a wave guide, operatively coupled with the microwave generation system and the antenna, and adapted to guide the propagation of substantially all of the microwave radiation at the microwave frequency from the microwave generation system to the antenna.   
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises:
 a rectangular cross-section having two wide faces and two narrow faces; and   a plurality of slots penetrating each of the wide faces and adapted to transmit at least a portion of the microwave radiation at the microwave frequency.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation system further comprises:
 a plurality of antennae distributed throughout the oil shale deposit, each of the plurality of antennae being operatively coupled with the microwave generation system, wherein the antenna is one of the plurality of antennae.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the microwave generation system comprises a plurality of microwave generators; and   the radiation system further comprises:
 a plurality of antennae distributed throughout the oil shale deposit, each of the plurality of antennae being operatively coupled with at least one of the microwave generators. 
   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation system further comprises:
 a reflector unit, located substantially within the oil shale deposit and adapted to receive incident microwave radiation in a first direction and transmit at least a portion of the incident microwave radiation in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction and oriented towards a portion of the oil shale deposit,   wherein the incident microwave radiation comprises a portion of the microwave radiation transmitted by the antenna into the oil shale deposit.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation system further comprises:
 a first reflector unit, located substantially within the oil shale deposit at a first distance from the antenna, and adapted to:
 be substantially transparent to microwave radiation received in a first direction; and 
 be substantially reflective to microwave radiation received in a second direction; and 
   a second reflector unit, located substantially within the oil shale deposit at a second distance from the antenna, the second distance being greater than the first distance, wherein the second reflector unit is adapted to:
 be substantially reflective to microwave radiation received in the first direction. 
   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power management system, operatively coupled with the microwave generation system, and adapted to manage power supplied to the microwave generation system.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an oil extraction system, adapted to transport the released constituents from the oil shale deposit to a collection location.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an oil collection system, adapted to collect the released oil at the collection location.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the oil collection system comprises a surface oil collector. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the oil extraction system further comprises:
 piping located in a bore hole bored into the oil shale deposit and adapted to direct the flow of at least a portion of the released constituents toward the collection location.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the piping is substantially sealed and comprises a region adapted to allow entry of at least a portion of the released constituents into the pipe through the region. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the piping comprises a lower end located substantially at the depth of oil shale deposit, the lower end comprising a seal,
 wherein the sheath is operatively coupled with the seal at the lower end of the piping and located within the bore hole.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an oil processing system, adapted to process at least a portion of the released constituents.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the oil processing system is further adapted to extract the released oil from the released constituents and to at least partially refine the released oil. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a power management system, operatively coupled with the microwave generation system, and adapted to manage power supplied to the microwave generation system,   wherein the oil processing system comprises a recycling system, adapted to recycle at least a portion of the released constituents for use by the power management system.   
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor system, adapted to generate feedback information as a function of at least one environmental condition.   
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one environmental condition relates to at least one of: an amount of the released constituents; a composition of the released constituents; a temperature; or a pressure. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the sensor system comprises a plurality of dielectric probes, at least a portion of the dielectric probes being located within the oil shale deposit. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the sensor system comprises a millimeter-wave spectrometer, adapted to determine a composition of at least a portion of the released constituents. 
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a feedback control system, adapted to:
 receive feedback information from the sensor system; and 
 make a reconfiguration determination as a function of the feedback information, wherein the reconfiguration determination relates to at least one of: the microwave frequency; the power level; a polarity of the microwave radiation; a direction of propagation of the microwave radiation; a depth of transmission of the microwave radiation; or a location of transmission of the microwave radiation. 
   
   
   
       27 . A method for recovering oil from an oil shale deposit, the method comprising:
 generating microwave radiation substantially at a microwave frequency; and   transmitting at least a portion of the microwave radiation substantially omni-directionally into the oil shale deposit from an active radiation source located substantially within the oil shale deposit, such that at least a portion of the oil shale deposit heats to a temperature level at which released constituents are released, the released constituents comprising released oil.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 receiving incident microwave radiation in a first direction from a radiation source; and   transmitting at least a portion of the incident microwave radiation in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction and oriented towards a portion of the oil shale deposit.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the incident microwave radiation comprises at least a first portion of the microwave radiation transmitted by the active radiation source, at least a second portion of the microwave radiation transmitted by the active radiation source having been absorbed by a portion of the oil shale deposit. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 transporting at least a portion of the released constituents from the oil shale deposit to a collection location.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 processing at least a portion of the released constituents.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 sensing feedback information as a function of at least one environmental condition; and   making a reconfiguration determination as a function of the feedback information, wherein the reconfiguration determination relates to at least one of: the microwave frequency; the power level; a polarity of the microwave radiation; a direction of propagation of the microwave radiation; a depth of transmission of the microwave radiation; or a location of transmission of the microwave radiation.   
   
   
       33 . A method for recovering oil from an oil reservoir site, the method comprising:
 providing an oil collection system;   pumping a measured amount of water into the oil reservoir site, wherein the oil reservoir site is underground and comprises oil;   generating microwave radiation substantially at a microwave frequency; and   transmitting at least a portion of the microwave radiation into the oil reservoir site from a plurality of active radiation sources located substantially within the oil reservoir site, such that at least a portion of the water heats to a temperature level at which sufficient steam is generated to force the oil into the oil collection system.   
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of active radiation sources comprises a klystron and an antenna.