US 11,867,040 B2
Apparatus and methods for electromagnetic heating of hydrocarbon formations
Michal M. Okoniewski, Calgary (CA); Damir Pasalic, Calgary (CA); Pedro Vaca, Calgary (CA); and Geoffrey Clark, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to Acceleware Ltd., Calgary (CA)
Filed by Acceleware Ltd., Calgary (CA)
Filed on May 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/744,196.
Application 17/744,196 is a continuation of application No. 16/934,146, filed on Jul. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,359,473.
Application 16/934,146 is a continuation of application No. 16/092,335, granted, now 10,760,392, issued on Sep. 1, 2020, previously published as PCT/CA2017/050437, filed on Apr. 10, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/409,079, filed on Oct. 17, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/321,880, filed on Apr. 13, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0333470 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E21B 43/24 (2006.01); H05B 6/52 (2006.01); H05B 6/46 (2006.01); E21B 36/04 (2006.01); H05B 6/50 (2006.01); H05B 6/62 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 43/2401 (2013.01) [E21B 36/04 (2013.01); E21B 43/2408 (2013.01); H05B 6/46 (2013.01); H05B 6/50 (2013.01); H05B 6/52 (2013.01); H05B 6/62 (2013.01); H05B 2214/03 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for electromagnetic heating of a hydrocarbon formation, the apparatus comprising:
an electrical power source;
at least one electromagnetic power source for generating at least a first and a second time-varying current or voltage, each of the first and the second time-varying current or voltage; the at least one electromagnetic power source being powered by the electrical power source;
at least a first and a second transmission line coupled to the at least one electromagnetic power source, each of the first and the second transmission lines having at least a first and a second transmission line conductor, each of the first and the second transmission line conductors of the first and the second transmission lines having a proximal end and a distal end, the first and the second transmission line conductors of the first and the second transmission lines being excitable by the first and the second time-varying current or voltage to propagate electromagnetic waves from the proximal ends of the transmission line conductors toward the distal ends of the transmission line conductors within the hydrocarbon formation.