Rows of horizontal production wells and rows of horizontal injection wells are drilled and alternating in a formation. The horizontal production wellbores and the horizontal injection wellbores are placed in the direction of a minimum horizontal stress in the formation. Within casing strings of the wells, at least two hydraulic frac ports are installed and multi-stage fracturing is performed through them in the production wells and in the injection wells in such way that fractures are formed along each production well and along each injection well in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal wellbore, the hydraulic fractures in the injection wells are offset from the hydraulic fractures in the production wells. The production and the injection wells are put into operation by injecting a fluid into the injection wells, a flow rate and/or a volume of the injected fluid are controlled in such a way that the injection pressure is below a fracturing pressure.

A method includes completing multiple wellbores in a subsurface formation. The method includes a first wellbore having been drilled along a first selected trajectory through the subsurface formation. The first wellbore is fracture treated. A second wellbore is drilled along a second selected trajectory through the subsurface formation. The second trajectory is laterally spaced from the first trajectory. The second wellbore is fracture treated. A third wellbore is drilled along a third selected trajectory through the subsurface formation. The third trajectory is disposed between the first and second trajectories. The third wellbore is fractured treated such that a fracture network extending therefrom hydraulically connects to fracture networks extending from the first and second wellbores and hydraulically connects the first, second and third wellbores proximate an upper end thereof so that the first, second and third wellbores may all produce fluids.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for planning a well are provided. The method includes defining a well in a representation of a domain, and identifying an offset well in the domain that is within a threshold distance of the well. The method also includes deconstructing the offset well into a plurality of offset bases, and determining that a first offset base of the plurality of offset bases is within the threshold distance of the well. The method further includes determining that a second offset base of the plurality of offset bases is not within the threshold distance of the well, and performing a proximity computation for the well with respect to the first offset base but not the second offset base.

Computing systems, computer-readable media, and methods for seismic processing. The method includes receiving seismic data including acquired seismic waveforms that were acquired from a seismic receiver and represent a subterranean area, generating synthetic waveforms based on an initial model of the subterranean area, determining a model error by minimizing a local travel time shift error between one or more of the acquired seismic waveforms and one or more of the synthetic waveforms, and adjusting the initial model based on the model error to generate an adjusted model.

Wellbore synthesis techniques are disclosed suitable for use in geothermal applications. Embodiments are provided where open hole drilled wellbores are sealed while drilling to form an impervious layer at the wellbore/formation interface. The techniques may be chemical, thermal, mechanical, biological and are fully intended to irreversibly damage the formation in terms of the permeability thereof. With the permeability negated, the wellbore may be used to create a closed loop surface to surface geothermal well operable in the absence of well casing for maximizing thermal transfer to a circulating working fluid. Formulations for the working and drilling fluids are disclosed.

Systems and methods for extracting minerals from an underground mineralization zone located below the surface at an oil and gas drilling site. The system includes a vertical drilling means for drilling a vertical bore extending from the surface at the oil and gas drilling site into the mineralization zone, a second horizontal drilling means for drilling at least one horizontal production bore into the mineralization zone. The first horizontal drilling means and the second horizontal drilling means are configured to return material from the mineralization zone to the surface where the mineral content of the material is analyzed and a separator separates minerals, waste and drilling mud from the material. The method includes steps of drilling a horizontal assessment bore, analyzing assessment material for a desired mineral, drilling a horizontal production bore, producing production material containing the desired mineral, and separating the desired material from waste and drilling mud.

The invention is directed to a device and to a method for utilizing groundwater, comprising two wells whose well water levels are at different elevations, a connecting line between the well water reservoirs of the two wells, a hydraulic motor, or a pump that is operable as a generator, inside the connecting line, and an electrical generator that is mechanically coupled to the hydraulic motor or to the pump that is operable as a generator.

The invention is directed to a device and to a method for utilizing groundwater, comprising two wells whose well water levels are at different elevations, a connecting line between the well water reservoirs of the two wells, a hydraulic motor, or a pump that is operable as a generator, inside the connecting line, and an electrical generator that is mechanically coupled to the hydraulic motor or to the pump that is operable as a generator.

A method of drilling multiple boreholes within a single caisson, for recovery of methane gas from a coal bed, including the steps of drilling first and second vertical boreholes from a single location within a single caisson; drilling at least one or more horizontal wells from the several vertical bore hole, the horizontal wells drilled substantially parallel to a face cleat in the coal bed; drilling at least one or more lateral wells from the one or more horizontal wells, the lateral wells drilled substantially perpendicular to one or more face cleats in the coal bed; continuously circulating water through the drilled vertical, horizontal and lateral wells to recover the water and entrained methane gas from the coal bed; applying friction or choke manifold to the water circulating down the well bores so that the water appears to have a hydrostatic pressure within the well sufficient to maintain an equilibrium with the hydrostatic pressure in the coal bed formation; and drilling at least a third vertical borehole within the single caisson, with one or more horizontal boreholes and one or more lateral boreholes for returning water obtained from the lateral wells into a water zone beneath the surface.

A geothermal heat mining system can operate within a single primary borehole in a geothermal reservoir. A primary fluid loop can include a cold working fluid line leading into the primary borehole and a hot working fluid line coming out of the primary borehole. A secondary fluid loop can be located down the primary borehole, where the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with the geothermal reservoir and is entirely subsurface. A downhole heat mining device can control a rate of heat transfer from the secondary fluid loop to the primary fluid loop by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both.