DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MEASURING THERMAL FLUX AND ESTIMATING RATE OF CHANGE OF REACTIVE MATERIAL WITHIN A SUBSURFACE FORMATION

摘要

Devices and methods for measuring subsurface thermal fluxes and for estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using the measured thermal fluxes are described herein. The methods of measuring subsurface thermal fluxes may use at least one array of temperature sensors distributed along a vertical transect projecting from the surface and into the subsurface of a region of interest. Methods of estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a portion of the region of interest based on perturbations of the thermal profile within the subsurface due to an endothermic or exothermic degradation of the reactive material within the portion of the region of interest are also described herein.

主权项

1. A method for detecting a rate of change of an amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation, wherein the reactive material undergoes an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction within the subsurface formation, the method comprising:
monitoring at least one thermal parameter at one or more positions within the subsurface formation, the at least one thermal parameter comprising at least one of: a temperature or a thermal flux; removing the effects of non-reactive material-related energy sources or sinks from the at least one thermal parameter to obtain at least one corrected thermal parameter; calculating one or more energy fluxes using the at least one corrected thermal parameter according to a plurality of energy transfer rules; calculating a net rate of energy change produced by the endothermic reaction or the exothermic reaction of the reactive material within the subsurface formation by combining the one or more energy fluxes; converting the net rate of energy change into the rate of change of the amount of the reactive material according to a reaction rule representing the endothermic reaction or the exothermic reaction of the reactive material within the subsurface formation.