Hydrocarbon resource recovery apparatus including RF transmission line and associated methods

Abstract

An apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery from a subterranean formation includes a radio frequency (RF) source, an RF antenna to be positioned within the subterranean formation to deliver RF power to the hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, and an RF transmission line extending between the RF source and the RF antenna. The RF transmission line may include RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation. Each section may include an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, and an outer load-carrying tubular member surrounding the outer conductor. A respective coupling assembly joins ends of adjacent sections together. Each coupling assembly may include an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, and a mechanical coupler connecting ends of adjacent load-bearing tubular members together.

Claims

1. An apparatus for hydrocarbon resource recovery from a subterranean formation comprising: a radio frequency (RF) source; an RF antenna to be positioned within the subterranean formation to deliver RF power to the hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation; an RF transmission line extending between said RF source and said RF antenna; said RF transmission line comprising a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together, said electrical coupler comprising an outer sleeve having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent outer conductor, an inner contact having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor, a dielectric inner spacer received within said outer sleeve and supporting said inner contact, and a contact ring within the second end of said outer sleeve.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each inner conductor has an open interior defining a fluid passageway; and further comprising a cooling fluid source connected to the fluid passageway of each inner conductor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising at least one outer spacer carried by an interior of each outer load-bearing tubular member and supporting each outer conductor; and wherein said at least one outer spacer has a plurality of passageways therethrough connected to said cooling fluid source.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said contact ring comprises a watchband conductive spring contact and an expansion spring carried thereby.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a fluid seal within the second end of each outer sleeve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each mechanical coupler captures a corresponding electrical coupler at a first end of the corresponding load-bearing tubular member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said respective coupling assembly further comprises an outer spacer flange received within said outer load-carrying tubular member and carrying said electrical coupler.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

9. A radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna within a subterranean formation to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, the RF transmission line comprising: a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation within the subterranean formation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent load-bearing tubular members together, said mechanical coupler capturing a corresponding electrical coupler at a first end of the corresponding load-bearing tubular member.

10. The RF transmission line according to claim 9 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

11. A radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna, the RF transmission line comprising: a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together, said electrical coupler comprising an outer sleeve having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent outer conductor, an inner contact having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor, a dielectric inner spacer received within said outer sleeve and supporting said inner contact, and a contact ring within the second end of said outer sleeve.

12. The RF transmission line according to claim 11 wherein said contact ring comprises a watchband conductive spring contact and an expansion spring carried thereby.

13. The RF transmission line according to claim 11 further comprising a fluid seal within the second end of each outer sleeve.

14. The RF transmission line according to claim 11 wherein each mechanical coupler captures a corresponding electrical coupler at a first end of the corresponding load-bearing tubular member.

15. The RF transmission line according to claim 11 wherein said respective coupling assembly further comprises an outer spacer flange received within said outer load-bearing tubular member and carrying said electrical coupler.

16. The RF transmission line according to claim 11 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

17. A method for making a radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna within a subterranean formation to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, the method comprising: providing a plurality of RF transmission line sections to be coupled together in end-to-end relation with each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, and an outer load-carrying tubular member surrounding the outer conductor; using a respective coupling assembly to join opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together, the electrical coupler comprising an outer sleeve having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent outer conductor, an inner contact having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor, a dielectric inner spacer received within the outer sleeve and supporting the inner contact, and a contact ring within the second end of the outer sleeve.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising positioning a fluid seal within the second end of each outer sleeve.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein each mechanical coupler captures a corresponding electrical coupler at a first end of the corresponding load-bearing tubular member.

20. A radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna within a subterranean formation to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, the RF transmission line comprising: a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation within the subterranean formation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, said electrical coupler comprising an outer sleeve having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent outer conductor, an inner contact having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor, a contact ring within the second end of said outer sleeve, and a dielectric inner spacer received within said outer sleeve and supporting said inner contact, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together.

21. The RF transmission line according to claim 20 wherein said contact ring comprises a watchband conductive spring contact and an expansion spring carried thereby.

22. The RF transmission line according to claim 20 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

23. A radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna within a subterranean formation to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, the RF transmission line comprising: a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation within the subterranean formation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, said electrical coupler comprising an outer sleeve having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent outer conductor, an inner contact having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor, a fluid seal within the second end of said outer sleeve, and a dielectric inner spacer received within said outer sleeve and supporting said inner contact, and a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together.

24. The RF transmission line according to claim 23 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

25. A radio frequency (RF) transmission line to be coupled between an RF source and an RF antenna within a subterranean formation to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource within the subterranean formation, the RF transmission line comprising: a plurality of RF transmission line sections coupled together in end-to-end relation within the subterranean formation; each RF transmission line section comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding said inner conductor, and an outer load-bearing tubular member surrounding said outer conductor; a respective coupling assembly joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together, each coupling assembly comprising an electrical coupler being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner and outer conductors and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner and outer conductors, a mechanical coupler connecting opposing ends of adjacent outer load-bearing tubular members together, and an outer spacer flange received within said outer load-bearing tubular member and carrying said electrical coupler.

26. The RF transmission line according to claim 25 wherein each outer load-bearing tubular member comprises steel; and wherein said inner and outer conductors each comprises copper.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a subterranean formation including an RF transmission line in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of two RF transmission line sections of the RF transmission line of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is an end view of an RF transmission line section of FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an electrical coupler of the two RF transmission line sections of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical coupler of FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the two RF transmission line sections and coupling assembly of FIG. 2 prior to joining; and

(7) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the two RF transmission line sections of FIG. 6 after joining.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

(9) Effective pressure balancing of cooling fluid pumped through the coaxial feed is essential to minimizing cost of copper transmission lines by allowing thin wall tubular. Also, decoupling thermal stresses from thin wall transmission line is highly desirable.

(10) It may thus be desirable to provide a high strength RF transmission line for use in a subterranean formation. More particularly, it may be desirable to provide a high strength RF transmission line that includes efficient non-threaded connections for fragile inner and outer conductors but uses standard connections for the tubular, which can withstand relatively high stresses associated with hydrocarbon resource recovery in a subterranean formation. To address this, one approach uses a tubular with inner and outer conductors carried therein, where the tubular assumes the installation and operational loads rather than the inner and outer conductors.

(11) Referring initially to FIG. 1, a radio frequency (RF) transmission line 108 is positioned within a wellbore 112 in a subterranean formation 102. The subterranean formation 102 includes hydrocarbon resources 105. The wellbore 112 is illustratively in the form of a vertically extending wellbore 112, for example, as may be particularly advantageous for use with RF assisted hydrocarbon resource recovery techniques. Of course, more than one wellbore 112 and RF transmission line 108 may be used, and/or other techniques for hydrocarbon resource recovery may be used, for example, the steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) hydrocarbon resource recovery technique. A separate producer well could be positioned below the wellbore 112. The wellbore 112 could also be horizontal in other embodiments.

(12) The RF transmission line 108 is coupled to an RF source 104 and cooling fluid source 107, which are positioned at the wellhead above the subterranean formation 102. The RF source 104 cooperates with the RF transmission line 108 to transmit RF energy from the RF source 104 to within the subterranean formation 102 and the hydrocarbon resources 105, for example, for heating the subterranean formation 102. An antenna 106 is coupled to the RF transmission line 108 within the wellbore 112. The RF transmission line 108 includes a series of RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b, for example, each on the order of forty feet in length, coupled together in end-to-end relation.

(13) Referring now to FIG. 2, a perspective fragmentary view of the RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b is provided. The RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b include a respective inner conductor 114a, 114b, an outer conductor 116a, 116b surrounding the respective inner conductor 114a, 114b, and an outer load-carrying tubular member 118a, 118b surrounds the respective outer conductor 116a, 116b. The RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b also include coupling assemblies 120a, 120b for joining opposing ends of adjacent RF transmission line sections together. Mechanical couplers 124a, 124b of the coupling assemblies 120a, 120b may be used to connect opposing ends of adjacent load-bearing tubular members together as described below.

(14) At least one outer spacer 156a, 156b is carried by an interior of the respective outer load-bearing tubular member 118a, 118b and supporting the respective outer conductor 116a, 116b, where the outer spacer 156a, 156b includes fluid passageways therethrough connected to the cooling fluid source 107. Similarly, at least one inner spacer 158a, 158b is carried by an interior of the respective outer conductor 116a, 116b and supporting the respective inner conductor 114a, 114b, where the respective inner spacer 158a, 158b includes fluid passageways also connected to the cooling fluid source 107. The path of the cooling fluid may flow from the cooling fluid source 107 through the inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b and back towards the cooling fluid source 107 (FIG. 1) via a return passageway defined between the tubular 118a, 118b and the outer conductors 116a, 116b. Pressure balancing with cooling fluid on both sides of the inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b reduces copper wall thickness allowing for access to deeper reservoirs of hydrocarbon resources 105 (FIG. 1).

(15) The outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b may be a wellbore casing, which may be available from any number of manufacturers. For example, the outer load-carrying tubular member 118a, 118b may be steel or stainless steel, and may be a GRANT PRIDECO wellbore casing available from National Oilwell Varco of Houston, Tex., or an ATLAS BRADFORD wellbore casing available from Tenaris S.A. of Liuxembourg. Advantageously, the outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b of the RF transmission line 108 (FIG. 1) may be formed using a commercial off the shelf (COTS) tubular or well pipe, for example. Additionally, the coupling arrangement between adjacent outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b may include an exterior interrupt arrangement, a flush interrupt arrangement, a semi-flush interrupt arrangement, or a pin-box-pin arrangement, for example. Of course, other coupling arrangements may be used.

(16) More particularly, the outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b may have an outer diameter of 5 inches, a maximum tensile strength of 546,787 lbs, and a maximum internal pressure of 12,950 psi. The outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b may be another type of wellbore casing having different sizes or strength parameters. The outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b, while being relatively strong, may not be a relatively good conductor compared to copper, for example.

(17) Each coupling assembly 120a, 120b of the apparatus may include a respective electrical coupler 122a, 122b being fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner 114a and respective outer conductors 116a and being slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner 114b and outer conductors 116b. Some elements of the electrical couplers 122a, 122b are not shown in FIG. 2 for sake of clarity.

(18) Referring now to FIG. 3, the inner conductor 114a includes an open interior defining a fluid passageway 160a for receiving a cooling fluid from the cooling fluid source 107 (FIG. 1), which is in turn connected to the fluid passageway 160a of the inner conductor 114a. In addition, an intermediate fluid passageway 162a is defined between the outer conductor 116a and the inner conductor 114a, and an outer fluid passageway 154a is similarly defined between the outer load-carrying tubular member 118a and the outer conductor 116a for receiving the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid source 107 (FIG. 1).

(19) Referring now to FIG. 4, the electrical coupler 122a includes an outer sleeve 126 a having a respective first end 128a to be fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding outer conductor 116a (FIG. 2) and a second end 130a to be slidably connected to the second end of the corresponding outer conductor 116b (FIG. 2). The electrical coupler 12a may also include an outer spacer flange 146a received within the outer load-carrying tubular member 118a (FIG. 2) and carrying the electrical coupler 122a. The mechanical coupler 124 a described above captures the corresponding electrical coupler 122a at a first end of the corresponding load-bearing tubular member 118a (FIG. 2) The inner 114a and outer conductors 116a (FIG. 2) are supported at one of the outer load-carrying tubular members and are uncoupled from thermal elastic effects of the outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b (FIG. 2). The outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b (FIG. 2) can rotate with respect to the inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b (FIG. 2) to minimize wear. In addition, welds and solder joints may be eliminated by the use of the electrical couplers 122a, 122b to electrically couple the inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b (FIG. 2) of RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b together.

(20) The electrical coupler 122a may also include at least one contact ring 136a within the first end 128a of the outer sleeve 126a. The contact ring 136a may include a watchband conductive spring contact and an expansion spring carried thereby. The electrical coupler 122a may also include a fluid seal 142a within the first end 128a of the outer sleeve 126a.

(21) Referring now to FIG. 5, the electrical coupler 122a includes an inner contact 132a having a first end fixedly connected to the first end of the corresponding inner conductor 114a and a second end slidably connected to the opposing second end of the adjacent inner conductor 114b. A dielectric spacer 134a is received within the outer sleeve 126a and supports the inner contact 132a. The inner conductor 114a may be copper, for example, because of its relatively high conductivity. Of course, the inner conductor 114a may be another material, for example, aluminum, nickel, gold, brass, beryllium, or a combination thereof.

(22) Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the coupling assembly 120a may include the mechanical coupler 124a having threads 127a for connecting opposing ends of the adjacent load-bearing tubular members 118a, 118b together, where each of the outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b includes threaded ends 125a, 125b. Accordingly, the outer load-carrying tubular members 118a, 118b are coupled together using the mechanical coupler threads 127a defining overlapping mechanical threaded joints.

(23) In another particular illustrative embodiment, a method is directed to making an RF transmission line 108 to be coupled between an RF source 104 and an RF antenna 106 within a subterranean formation 102 to deliver RF power to a hydrocarbon resource 105 within the subterranean formation 102. The method includes forming a plurality of RF transmission line sections 110a, 110b to be coupled together in end-to-end relation so that each RF transmission line section 110a, 110b includes a respective inner conductor 114a, 114b, an outer conductor 116a, 116b surrounding the respective inner conductor, and an outer load-carrying tubular member 118a, 118b surrounding the respective outer conductor 116a, 116b.

(24) The method also includes using a respective coupling assembly 120a, 120b to join opposing ends of adjacent sections 110a, 110b together. As described above, each coupling assembly 120a, 120b may include an electrical coupler 122a, 122b fixedly connected to first ends of corresponding inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b, and slidably connected to opposing second ends of adjacent inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b. A mechanical coupler 124a, 124b connects opposing ends of adjacent load-bearing tubular members 118a, 118b together. In addition, the method includes positioning a contact ring 136a within the first end 128a of the outer sleeve 126a described above, and positioning a fluid seal 142a within the first end 128a of the outer sleeve 126a.

(25) The modular nature of the RF transmission line 108 offloads weight and expansion, and decouples thermal, structural, and weight stresses from thin wall tubes. Moreover, the loads are independent of total length of the RF transmission line 108. Thus, decoupling stresses from the RF transmission line 108 relieves structural stress and allows for smaller wellbore diameter, which directly affects costs of installation of the RF transmission line 108.

(26) Another advantage of the RF transmission line 108 is that it uses a sliding interface rather than threads between the ends of adjacent inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b so that the rig does not require rotation during assembly of the RF transmission line 108. Also, visual inspection for coupling the inner 114a, 114b and outer conductors 116a, 116b into the respective electrical coupler 122a, 122b is permitted. The sliding interface also reduces part count and complexity, and reduces installation time on the rig, which greatly increases the efficiency of assembling the high strength RF transmission line 108 and reduces installation costs of the RF transmission line 108.

(27) Of course, the RF transmission line embodiments as described herein may have application other than for hydrocarbon resource recovery in a subterranean formation as described above. For example, the RF transmission line may be used in any long transmission line run with a significant amount of power (heat) variations. The transmission line could be strung along towers, up tall buildings or coupled among wellheads hundreds of meters apart. High power runs may heat substantially and the temperatures in certain locations can fluctuate fairly drastically between seasons, and this might account for variations in the ground/support structures moving by isolating the loads. In addition, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.