Thermal energy is extracted from geological formations using a heat harvester. In some embodiments, the heat harvester is a once-through, closed loop, underground heat harvester created by directionally drilling through hot rock. The extracted thermal energy can be converted or transformed to other forms of energy.

A method and system are provided for the creation of vertical and horizontal freeze wells, in a dome-like pattern around the ore body, as a hydraulic barrier to ensure the ISR mining solution and the mined minerals do not flow out of the ore body. A method to formulate a suitable mining solution used for ISR mining, where the lixivant does not freeze when using the freeze dome containment method and where the resulting PLS has a high concentration of dissolved minerals and thus eliminates the need for the solvent extraction/ion exchange step during processing is also described.

A method and system are provided for the creation of vertical and horizontal freeze wells, in a dome-like pattern around the ore body, as a hydraulic barrier to ensure the ISR mining solution and the mined minerals do not flow out of the ore body. A method to formulate a suitable mining solution used for ISR mining, where the lixivant does not freeze when using the freeze dome containment method and where the resulting PLS has a high concentration of dissolved minerals and thus eliminates the need for the solvent extraction/ion exchange step during processing is also described.

A first well, configured to act as a production well or an injection well, is formed. The first well includes a first horizontal portion. A second well, configured to act as a production well or an injection well, is formed. The second well includes a second horizontal portion substantially parallel to the first horizontal portion. The first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion are at different depths. A fluid is injected into a geologic formation through the first well for a first duration of time. Hydrocarbons are produced from the geologic formation through the second well for the first duration of time. A fluid is injected into a geologic formation through the second well for a second duration of time. Hydrocarbons are produced from the geologic formation through the first well for the second duration of time.

The invention provides a method and an apparatus for determining an integrated exploitation approach for a shale and adjacent oil reservoirs. The method includes: determining a thickness of an effective shale, a top effective boundary and a bottom effective boundary of adjacent effective oil reservoirs; determining a maximum seepage radius of each of the adjacent effective oil reservoirs to the effective shale; determining a well pattern; determining a well completion approach; and determining a total number of perforation clusters of gas injection wells, a number of perforation clusters corresponding to each of the adjacent effective oil reservoirs, a gas injection amount per unit time of each of the perforation clusters, and a total gas injection amount per unit time of the gas injection wells. The effective shale is in communication with all the adjacent effective oil reservoirs by boring-through of a fluctuating horizontal well or a vertical well.

The invention provides a method and an apparatus for determining an integrated exploitation approach for a shale and adjacent oil reservoirs. The method includes: determining a thickness of an effective shale, a top effective boundary and a bottom effective boundary of adjacent effective oil reservoirs; determining a maximum seepage radius of each of the adjacent effective oil reservoirs to the effective shale; determining a well pattern; determining a well completion approach; and determining a total number of perforation clusters of gas injection wells, a number of perforation clusters corresponding to each of the adjacent effective oil reservoirs, a gas injection amount per unit time of each of the perforation clusters, and a total gas injection amount per unit time of the gas injection wells. The effective shale is in communication with all the adjacent effective oil reservoirs by boring-through of a fluctuating horizontal well or a vertical well.

Methods and systems for producing fluids from a subterranean well include forming the subterranean well having at least one lateral wellbore. The lateral wellbore is completed with a lateral production tubular. The lateral wellbore is subdivided into subsequent lateral segments. Each lateral segment is defined by a downhole lateral packer and an uphole lateral packer that seal an annular lateral space defined by an outer diameter surface of the lateral production tubular and an inner diameter surface of the lateral wellbore. A main production tubular extends into the subterranean well, the main production tubular including a lateral access system that provides selective access to the lateral wellbore. A flow of a fluid within the lateral segment is controlled with an inflow control device of the lateral segment. The inflow control device is mechanically adjusted by a tool that is delivered to the inflow control device through the lateral access system.

A computer-implemented method may include obtaining well logs data pertaining to a well of interest. The method may further include training a physics-constrained machine learning (PCML) model using the obtained well logs data as inputs. The method may further include outputting one or more sonic logs and mechanical properties of interest determined by using the trained PCML model and the obtained well logs data for the well of interest. The method may further include updating the determined sonic logs and mechanical properties of interest based on a breakout model and field breakout data for the well of interest. The method may further include outputting the final sonic logs for the well of interest. The method may further include determining one or more mechanical properties for well planning based on the final sonic logs for the well of interest.

Embodiments herein relate to identifying occurrence of a trigger condition related to an existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to simulating, based on identification of the occurrence of the trigger condition, a plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells in a vicinity of the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to determining one or more simulated parameters related to respective ones of the plurality of computer-simulated ancillary wells. Embodiments further relate to determining, based on the one or more simulated parameters, a parameter of a sidetrack well that is to be related to the existing physical well. Embodiments further relate to outputting an indication of the parameter of the sidetrack well. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.

Provided are embodiments for hydrocarbon reservoir development that include the following: identifying proposed well locations within a reservoir boundary, for each location, developing a well plan by: (a) identifying layers of the reservoir located below the proposed location; (b) iteratively assessing the layers (from deepest to shallowest) to identify a deepest “suitable” layer that is not dry, congested, or unsuitable for gas production; and (c) performing the following for the identified layer and the location: (i) determining a borehole configuration for the location; (ii) determining a completion type for the location; and (iii) determining a stimulation treatment for the location, where a well plan for the location (e.g., for use in developing the reservoir) is generated that specifies some or all of a well location, the target layer, a borehole configuration, a completion type, and a stimulation treatment that corresponds to those determined for the proposed well location.