Method of hydrocarbon resource recovery including actuator operated positioning of an RF sensor and related apparatus

摘要

A method of hydrocarbon resource recovery from a subterranean formation may include forming a plurality of spaced apart injector/producer well pairs in the subterranean formation. Each injector/producer well pair may include a laterally extending producer well and a laterally extending injector well spaced thereabove. The method may include forming an intermediate well adjacent a given injector/producer well pair, and operating a positioning actuator to position a radio frequency (RF) sensor coupled to the positioning actuator to at least one predetermined location within the intermediate well. The method may further include operating the RF sensor at the at least one predetermined location within the intermediate well to selectively sense at least one corresponding portion of the subterranean formation adjacent the given injector/producer well pair. The method may also include recovering hydrocarbon resources from the plurality of injector/producer well pairs including the given injector/producer well pair.

主权项

1. An apparatus for a subterranean formation with a plurality of spaced apart injector/producer well pairs therein, each injector/producer well pair comprising a laterally extending producer well and a laterally extending injector well spaced thereabove, and an intermediate well adjacent a given injector/producer well pair, the apparatus comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) sensor; a positioning actuator coupled to said RF sensor and configured to position said RF sensor within the intermediate well; and an RF analyzer coupled to said RF sensor and configured to determine at least one failure location associated with the given injector/producer well pair by at least analyzing impedance data of the adjacent subterranean formation based upon diverging electric fields from said RF sensor to establish a resistivity based profile of hydraulic communication between the given injector/producer well pair along a length thereof, the diverging electric fields penetrating deeper within the subterranean formation than any magnetic fields associated with said RF sensor.