Apparatus and method for oil sand exploitation

Abstract

A downhole apparatus for oil sand exploitation, including at least a casing for housing a water conduit for receiving water, at least one steam generation chamber being in fluid communication with said water conduit and having at least one steam outlet, at least one electrical heater, being thermally connected to said steam generation chamber, at least one crude oil conduit for recovering crude oil. A method including injecting steam from at least one steam generation chamber coupled to an oil recovery conduit into a reserve; and removing oil from the reserve through the conduit, wherein the least one steam generation chamber is disposed on the oil recovery conduit, and the steam generation chamber includes a plurality of heating conduits each including a heating element and a thermally conductive material therein, and at least one reservoir surrounding the plurality of heating conduits from which the steam is produced.

1 . A downhole apparatus for oil sand exploitation, comprising at least:
 a casing for housing a water conduit for receiving water,   at least one steam generation chamber being in fluid communication with said water conduit and having at least one steam outlet,   at least one electrical heater, being thermally connected to said steam generation chamber,   at least one crude oil conduit for recovering crude oil.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the casing houses the at least one crude oil conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a plurality of and the at least one water conduit and the at least one crude oil conduit are each one of the plurality of conduits. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one steam generation chamber is coupled to the peripheral surface of the casing. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least two steam generation chambers are arranged in a bundle arranged around the peripheral surface of the casing. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the steam generation chamber comprises a cladding compartment surrounding a heating conduit; and   the heating conduit houses at least one electrical heating element.   
     
     
         7 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the heating conduit is hollow, the apparatus further comprising a thermally conductive material disposed in the heating conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the heating conduit is evacuated. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the heating conduit extends axially through the steam generation chamber. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a heating conduit having a length dimension;   a shell having a length dimension that extends over a length dimension of the heating tube, a width dimension, and opposing end walls sufficient to surround the heating conduit, the body disposed a distance from the heating conduit to define a volume between the heating conduit;   a heating element disposed in a portion of heating conduit; and   a thermally conductive material disposed in the heating conduit.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the shell comprises a cylindrical body having a diameter as the width dimension and the heating conduit extends axially through the shell. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein one of the opposing ends of the shell comprises an inlet and the width dimension of the shell comprises a plurality of outlets. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the heating conduit comprises a volume and the heating element is disposed in less than the entire volume, and the thermally conductive material in the heating conduit is present in amount that is less than the remaining volume. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally conductive material is a combination of the following substances:
 sodium peroxide;   disodium oxide;   silicon;   diboron trioxide;   titanium;   copper oxide;   cobalt oxide;   beryllium oxide;   dirhodium trioxide;   trimanganese tetraoxide; and   strontium carbonate.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 injecting steam from at least one steam generation chamber coupled to an oil recovery conduit into a reserve; and   removing oil from the reserve through the conduit,   wherein the least one steam generation chamber is disposed on the oil recovery conduit, and the steam generation chamber comprises a plurality of heating conduits each comprising a heating element and a thermally conductive material therein, and at least one reservoir surrounding the plurality of heating conduits from which the steam is produced.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the thermally conductive material is a combination of the following substances:
 sodium peroxide;   disodium oxide;   silicon;   diboron trioxide;   titanium;   copper oxide;   cobalt oxide;   beryllium oxide;   dirhodium trioxide;   trimanganese tetraoxide; and   strontium carbonate.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprises producing steam in the at least one reservoir.