Method for hydrocarbon resource recovery including actuator operated positioning of an RF applicator 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) applicator coupled to the positioning actuator to at least one predetermined location within the intermediate well. The method may further include supplying RF energy to the RF applicator at the at least one predetermined location within the intermediate well to selectively heat 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. A method of hydrocarbon resource recovery from a subterranean formation comprising:
forming a plurality of spaced apart injector/producer well pairs in the subterranean formation, each injector/producer well pair comprising a laterally extending producer well and a laterally extending injector well spaced thereabove; determining whether a given injector/producer well pair has failed; forming an intermediate well between the injector well and the producer well in the given injector/producer well pair after determining the given injector/producer well pair has failed; determining at least one failure location associated with the given injector/producer well pair by at least creating a profile of hydraulic communication between the given injector/producer well pair along a length thereof and after determining whether the given injector/producer well pair has failed; operating a positioning actuator to position a radio frequency (RF) applicator coupled to the positioning actuator within the intermediate well adjacent the at least one failure location based upon the profile of hydraulic communication; supplying RF energy to the RF applicator within the intermediate well to selectively heat at least one corresponding portion of the subterranean formation adjacent the at least one failure location; and recovering hydrocarbon resources from the plurality of injector/producer well pairs including the given injector/producer well pair.