Spontaneous supercritical fluid recovery and refining of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-bearing formations applying fuel cell gas in situ

Abstract

A plume of combined gases are infused into hydrocarbon-bearing formations, “inert” as the major gas and “reactive” as the minor gas, where the minor gas reacts with hydrocarbons to fully saturate hydrocarbons with supercritical fluid, which migrate hydrocarbons out of formations, even at great distances from the regulated fuel cell source. Coal, tar sands, petroleum-contaminated soil, and/or oil wells that have lost gas pressure can also be desorbed by this in-situ method.

1 . A method for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-bearing formations comprising:
 forming a bore hole seal assembly having an elongated substantially cylindrical outer housing,   providing said elongated bore hole seal assembly with an interior containing a port to an upwardly extending intake air supply line and including in said upwardly extending intake air supply line a minor reactive gas intake regulator and valve,   drilling two bore holes into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation,   lowering said elongated bore hole seal assembly into one of two said bore holes to a position surrounded by the hydrocarbon-bearing formation with said first and second bore holes having been drilled to define a diameter relative to said elongated bore hole seal assembly housing, insuring a close fit there between while providing a gas space between,   providing a plurality of seal members within said bore hole around said elongated bore hole seal assembly restricting gas leaks, whereby   supplying a major inert gas to said supply line from gas supply means disposed above ground,   supplying a minor reactive gas that is reactive to hydrocarbon to said regulator valving in major inert gas air line from gas supply means disposed above ground,   regulating said major inert gas supply means and said minor reactive gas supply means to progressively and radially infuse gas into surrounding undisturbed hydrocarbon-bearing formation,   monitoring the hydrocarbon-bearing formations and manipulating said regulation of said gas supply means to maintain supercritical fluid (SCF) gas cell formation in hydrocarbon-bearing formation,   insuring, during said regulating of said major inert gas supply means and said minor reactive gas supply means, that microbursts of reactive gas form SCF from the major inert gas reacting with hydrocarbons,   insuring, during said monitoring of the temperature and pressure of the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, that a pressure at over 1 to 7 atmospheres is maintained, whereby,   collecting the hydrocarbon generated from said first bore hole through said adjacent bore hole near the same hydrocarbon-bearing formation.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein,
 said seals are horizontally located to separate gases. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen diamers. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen compounds. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen compound anhydrous ammonia. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen compound nitrates. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen compound nitrites. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein,
 said working fluid is nitrogen compound azides. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein,
 said working fluid is reactive with hydrocarbons. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein,
 said working fluid violently reacts with hydrocarbons in microbursts to instantly compress surrounding inert gas into SCF. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein,
 said SCF saturates hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon-bearing formations followed by an immediate bubbling, energy release, and migration of hydrocarbons out of hydrocarbon-bearing formations. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-bearing formations comprising:
 forming a heater assembly having an elongated substantially cylindrical outer housing,   providing said elongated heater assembly with an interior containing a fuel cell therein joined to an upwardly extending intake air supply line and including in said interior an upwardly extending exhaust gas line disposed adjacent an upwardly extending combustion air line,   drilling a bore hole into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation,   lowering said fuel cell assembly into said bore hole to a position surrounded by the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, with said bore hole having been drilled to define a diameter relative to said fuel cell assembly housing insuring a close fit there between while providing a gas space between,   providing a plurality of seal members within said bore hole above said heater assembly, whereby supplying fuel gas to said fuel gas supply line from fuel gas supply means disposed above ground,   supplying air to said air line from air supply means disposed above ground,   regulating said gas supply means and said combustion air supply means to operate said fuel cells in heater assembly and said heater assembly outer housing and thence, through convection and radiation, to progressively and radially heat the surrounding undisturbed hydrocarbon-bearing formation,   monitoring the temperature of the heated hydrocarbon-bearing formations and manipulating said regulating of said supply means to maintain the temperature of the heated hydrocarbon-bearing formations at approximately 1200° F. to 1800° F.,   insuring, during said regulating of said gas supply means and said air supply means, that a temperature of over 150° C. is maintained,   insuring, during said monitoring of the temperature of the heated hydrocarbon-bearing bed formation, that a temperature in the range of 150° C. to 1371° C. and gas pressure at 3 to 7 atmospheres is maintained, whereby,   collecting the hydrocarbon generated gases from said bore hole through said fuel cell line and,   natural gas within said bore hole is precluded from exiting said bore hole other than through said fuel cells.   
     
     
         13 . A method for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-bearing formations comprising: Regulated low-energy infusion of hydrocarbon-reactant compounds into hydrocarbon-bearing formations that violently react (micro-bursts of energy) with hydrocarbons, forming micro-cells of supercritical fluids (SCFs) that dissolve and evaporate hydrocarbons into their components, diffuse solids, and then evaporate liquids into an internal global motive force migrating hydrocarbons for recovery out of hydrocarbon-bearing formations. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said working fluid violently reacts with hydrocarbons in microbursts to instantly compress surrounding inert gas into SCF, 
 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said working fluid is a plume of combined gases infused into hydrocarbon-bearing formations, “inert” as the major gas and “reactive” as the minor gas, where the minor gas reacts with hydrocarbons to fully saturate hydrocarbons with supercritical fluid, which migrate hydrocarbons out of formations, 
 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said SCF saturates hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon-bearing formations followed by an immediate bubbling, energy release, and migration of hydrocarbons out of hydrocarbon-bearing formations. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen diamers. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen compounds. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen compound anhydrous ammonia. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen compound nitrates. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen compound nitrites. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is nitrogen compound azides. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant fluid is reactive with hydrocarbons. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 supplying a minor reactive gas (reactive to hydrocarbon) to said regulator valving in major inert gas air line from gas supply means disposed above ground, 
 regulating said major inert gas supply means and said minor reactive gas supply means to progressively and radially infuse gas into surrounding undisturbed hydrocarbon-bearing formation, 
 monitoring the hydrocarbon-bearing formations and manipulating said regulation of said gas supply means to maintain SCF gas cell formation in hydrocarbon-bearing formation, 
 insuring, during said regulating of said reactive gas supply means, that microbursts of reactive gas form SCF from the major inert gas reacting with hydrocarbons, 
 collecting the hydrocarbon. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant source is fuel cell products. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said reactant is produced from combustion gases. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26  wherein,
 said reactant is produced from an internal combustion engine. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26  wherein,
 said reactant is produced from a turbine exhaust. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein,
 said reactant is produced from natural gas exhaust provided from fuel cell turbine hybrid. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein,
 said reactant is produced from natural gas exhaust provided from fuel cell turbine hybrid. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein,
 said water is produced from inverse rotation intake filter. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 said more than one reactant is provided. 
 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 mass spectrometers can rapidly and accurately measure crude oil to see if SCF events occurred. 
 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 SCF collapses formations to form geologic seals. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 motive forces are produced in HBF by dissolving materials into their components, diffuse solids, and then evaporate liquids into an “internal” global motive force. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 SCF cell phases last only a few seconds per micro-burst of energy. 
 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 SCFs dissolve/evaporate hydrocarbons in the 1st phase. 
 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 a catalyst, chemical decomposer, scrubbers, fluids, or powder materials can be forced down hole into heatexchanger space through a conduit. 
 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein,
 adsorption materials can be modified within the heat exchanger to produce any chemical compound that hydrocarbons can produce aboveground. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein,
 intake conduits, housing, tube, heat exchanger end caps are positioned concentrically within the hydrocarbon-bearing formation bore hole relationship by a suitable plurality of gas seals that are infinity adjustable to seal gas clearances between tubes and hydrocarbon-bearing formation bore hole. 
 
     
     
         41 . A hydrocarbon refinery comprises:
 fuel cells gases are from complex hydrocarbons broken down in situ by SCF's migration within the hydrocarbon formation; and   the fuel cell circuit will be described hereinafter; and   separate the gases and select the best gas for each fuel cell type until most of the desorbed hydrocarbon-bearing gases are consumed by fuel cells matched to the gas types (e.g. hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide); and   adjustments can be made in the fuel cells to supply the ratio of gases best for hydrocarbon gas infusion and in-situ refining technology; and   rotating conduits can be turned to register to inlet ports relative to the ports in housing; and   conduits can be rotated from above ground on the manifold regulating gases; and   pressure and the mix of gases in fuel supply are controlled to decompose the crosslinked organics to their lowest molecular weight material; and   residue gases decomposed from heat absorption radially around the fuel cell housing will be applied as fuel cell fuel or reinjected into the formation as working fluid when the gas available matches the formation survivability; and   down hole gas separation with a plurality of seals is gas refining in situ comprises and in addition to gas separation, a plurality of down hole gas seals provides a higher gas pressure, which is required at the inlet fuel-port of fuel cells; and   a plurality of down hole gas seals are applied at variable depths to isolate and separate gas in the gradient of gases desorbed from hydrocarbons; and   the lighter gases are at the top and larger gas molecules are at the bottom of the bore hole; and   the fuel cell heater assembly integrated refinery in situ, which combines the refining components of adsorbent molsieves, catalysts, and fuel cell components.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein,
 fuel cell elements-fuel, product, proton exchange membrane (PEM), cathode, and anode are operated within SCFs in situ or on site to increase electrical and chemical reaction efficiencies. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42  wherein,
 regulating and cycling the fuel cells in and out of the SCF phase to process a selected gas (fluid) species through the fuel cell or not. 
 
     
     
         44 . A water membrane filtration within boreholes in shale provide a shale water pipe for centuries of gravitational fed recharging potable water through activated spent shale activated by supercritical fluid desorption hydrocarbons from shale. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44  wherein,
 several horizontal boreholes can drain potable water into a common transport pipe. 
 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 44  wherein,
 several sets of horizontal boreholes can be structured over each other in parallel positions to provide a cascade filter system and aid in stripping the shale.