ExxonMobil Electrofrac
Encyclopedia
ExxonMobil Electrofrac is an in situ
shale oil extraction technology to convert kerogen
in oil shale
to shale oil
. It is developed by ExxonMobil
.
created in the oil shale formation. Preferably these fractures would be longitudinal vertical fractures created from horizontal wells and conducting electricity from the heel to the toe of each heating well. For conductibility, an electrically-conductive material such as calcined petroleum coke is injected into the wells in fractures, forming a heating element. Heating wells are placed in a parallel row with a second horizontal well intersecting them at their toe. This will allow opposing electrical charges to be applied at either end. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that electrical continuity is unaffected by kerogen conversion and that hydrocarbons will be expelled from heated oil shale even under in situ stress. Planar heaters are used because thy require fewer wells than wellbore heaters and offer a reduced surface footprint. The shale oil is extracted by separate dedicated production wells.
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
shale oil extraction technology to convert kerogen
Kerogen
Kerogen is a mixture of organic chemical compounds that make up a portion of the organic matter in sedimentary rocks. It is insoluble in normal organic solvents because of the huge molecular weight of its component compounds. The soluble portion is known as bitumen. When heated to the right...
in oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
to shale oil
Shale oil
Shale oil, known also as kerogen oil or oil-shale oil, is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock into synthetic oil and gas...
. It is developed by ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
.
Technology
ExxonMobil Electrofrac uses a series of hydraulic fracturesHydraulic fracturing
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of utilizing pressurized water, or some other liquid, to fracture rock layers and release petroleum, natural gas, or other...
created in the oil shale formation. Preferably these fractures would be longitudinal vertical fractures created from horizontal wells and conducting electricity from the heel to the toe of each heating well. For conductibility, an electrically-conductive material such as calcined petroleum coke is injected into the wells in fractures, forming a heating element. Heating wells are placed in a parallel row with a second horizontal well intersecting them at their toe. This will allow opposing electrical charges to be applied at either end. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that electrical continuity is unaffected by kerogen conversion and that hydrocarbons will be expelled from heated oil shale even under in situ stress. Planar heaters are used because thy require fewer wells than wellbore heaters and offer a reduced surface footprint. The shale oil is extracted by separate dedicated production wells.