1. A method of producing hydrocarbon from a subsurface formation comprising:
a) forming a gravity drainage production well pair within a formation comprising an injection well and a production well;
b) beginning a pre-soaking stage by soaking at least one of the wells of the well pair with an added solvent to generate at least one soaked well, wherein the added solvent does not include water;
c) beginning a pre-heating stage by heating said at least one soaked well with a radio frequency device, capable of emitting radio frequencies (RF), to produce a solvent vapor, wherein the radio frequencies emitted from the radio frequency device are optimized to heat the solvent;
d) beginning a squeezing stage by continuing to heat with RF until vapor pressure increases sufficiently to squeeze said at least one soaked well to introduce convection heating to the formation; and
e) beginning a gravity drainage production of a hydrocarbon.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gravity drainage production is a solvent vapor assisted gravity drainage production.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the injection and production wells are vertically spaced about 4 to 10 meters apart.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the injection and production wells are vertically spaced about 5 to 6 meters apart.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the injection and production wells are parallel, horizontal, and vertically spaced apart.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-soaking stage is no more than about 4 months.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-soaking stage is about 2 to 3 months.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of butane, pentane, hexane, diesel, and mixtures thereof.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones and mixtures thereof.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is a gaseous solvent.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the gaseous solvent is selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, natural gas and mixtures thereof.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-heating stage is about 1 to 3 months.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-heating stage is about one month.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the squeezing stage is at least 1 day.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the squeezing stage is about 1 to 30 days.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-soaking stage is conducted within a range from 500 kPa to 6 MPa.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency device comprises an isotropic antenna.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency device comprises a RF lineal power density in the range from 0.5 kWm to 8 kWm of a lateral well length.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency device comprises an antenna having a guided wire transmission line having an impedance between 50 ohms and 300 ohms.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequencies are at least 20 MHz.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequencies are between 100 MHz and 1000 MHz.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequencies are between 902-928 MHz.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequencies emitted from the radio frequency device are optimized to heat both the solvent and connate water in the formation.
24. A method of producing a hydrocarbon from a subsurface formation comprising:
a) forming a solvent vapor assisted gravity drainage production well pair within a subsurface formation comprising an injection well and a production well;
b) beginning a pre-soaking stage by soaking at least one of the wells of the well pair with a solvent to generate at least one soaked well, wherein the solvent does not include water;
c) beginning a pre-heating stage by heating said at least one soaked well with a radio frequency device, capable of emitting radio frequencies (RF), to produce a vapor, wherein the radio frequencies (RF) emitted from the radio frequency device are optimized to heat both the solvent and connate water in the formation to form a vapor;
d) beginning a squeezing stage by continuing to heat with RF until vapor pressure increases sufficiently to said at least one soaked well to introduce convection heating to the formation; and
e) beginning a solvent vapor assisted gravity drainage production when said well pair are in thermal communication.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein additional solvent vapor is introduced into said wellbore in squeezing stage d).
26. A method comprising:
a) forming a solvent vapor assisted gravity drainage well pair within a formation comprising:
i) an injection well; and
ii) a production well; and
iii) wherein the injection well is vertically spaced proximate to the production well;
b) beginning a pre-soaking stage by soaking at least one of the wells of the well pair with a solvent to generate at least one soaked well, wherein the solvent does not include water;
c) beginning a pre-heating stage by heating said at least one soaked well with a radio frequency device, capable of emitting radio frequencies (RF), wherein the radio frequencies emitted from the radio frequency device are optimized to heat the solvent and connate water in the formation into a vapor;
d) stopping the heating of step (c) and continuing a squeezing stage where said at least one soaked well exists at a higher pressure as a result of vapor formation in step c); and
e) beginning a solvent vapor assisted gravity drainage production.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for diagnosing a mental disorder by injecting electric input signals into and measuring electric output signals from a brain via electrodes arranged in an array comprising a symmetrical electrode distribution attached to a skull of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
operating a diagnostic mode comprising automatic sequential injection of diagnostic input signals in a predetermined sequence into combinations of pairs of electrodes chosen from the array of electrodes,
measuring output signals from each combination of pairs of electrodes, and
displaying the measured output signals in association with the combination of pairs of electrodes for detection and diagnosis of a mental disorder when operating in a diagnostic mode.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
electrodes of the array of electrodes are identified by designations including a designation of a row, a column, an electrode pair, an opposite electrode pair, an electrode and an opposite electrode.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the array of electrodes comprises at least 4 electrodes and at most 60 electrodes operative in all possible combinations of electrode pairs.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the array of electrodes includes 24 electrodes operative in 276 combinations of pairs of electrodes.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
the diagnostic input signal is an alternative current signal with predetermined signal current parameters comprising current amplitude, current frequency and current duration, and
the output signals are measured from each combination of pairs of electrodes and from each opposite electrode pair.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
the current amplitude of the diagnostic input signal is selected from the group consisting of current amplitudes spanning the range from 0.1 mA to 5 mA in association with a current frequency of between 16 KHz and 250 KHz.
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
the current frequency of the diagnostic input signal is selected from the group consisting of current frequencies spanning the range from 16 KHz to 250 KHz.
8. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
the current duration of the diagnostic input signal is selected from the group consisting of current durations spanning the range from 1 msec to 500 msec, in association with a current frequency of between 16 KHz and 250 KHz.
9. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
the diagnostic input signal is selected to comprise a current amplitude of 0.5 mA, a current frequency of 25 KHz and a current duration of 10 msec.
10. The method according to the claim 5, wherein:
each injection signal for injection into combinations of pairs of electrodes has an injection signal beginning and an Injection signal end, and
an injection delay for insertion between the injection signal end and the injection signal beginning of two successive diagnostic injection signals is chosen as a diagnostic injection delay selected from the group of delays consisting of a range spanning from 4 msec to 400 msec.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein:
the injection delay duration is selected as 40 msec.
12. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
an output signal is measured over the pair of electrodes selected for signal injection within a specific injection delay after beginning signal injection but before ending signal injection.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:
the injection delay is selected as 5 msec.
14. The method according to claim 5, wherein:
an output signal is measured over the pair of electrodes opposite to the pair of electrodes injected with the diagnostic signal injection within a specific opposite delay after starting but before ending signal injection.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:
the opposite delay is selected as 7 msec.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically sequentially injecting a diagnostic input signal in pairs of electrodes includes:
selecting a first pair of electrodes for injecting therein an electrical diagnostic input signal; and
selecting a next electrode-pair for injecting therein the injection signal, and successively injecting the injection signal in all possible combinations of electrode-pairs possible out of the array of electrodes.
17. The method according to the claim 5, wherein:
diagnostic output signals are measured in association with diagnostic input signals in dimensions selected from the group of dimensions consisting of voltage, frequency, impedance, resistance and conductance.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein:
the diagnostic output signals are processed for display, and
diagnostic output signals are displayed in association with an electrode pair designation indicating each combination of electrode pairs for detection and diagnosis of mental disorder.
19. The method according to claim 16, wherein:
multiplication of the current amplitude of the diagnostic input signals injected over an array of 24 electrodes into the skull of a patient by the duration of current injection, results in a product smaller than 0.015.
20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: operating a treatment mode, wherein operation of the treatment mode includes injecting a treatment input signal in at least one pair of electrodes chosen in response to detection and diagnosis achieved in the diagnostic mode.
21. The method according to claim 20 wherein:
the treatment input signal is selected as an alternative current signal with predetermined signal current parameters comprising current amplitude, current frequency and current duration, and
the treatment input signal is selected in response to a diagnostic output signal.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein:
the current amplitude of the treatment input signal is selected from the group consisting of current amplitudes spanning the range from 0.5 mA to 2.5 mA with a frequency in the range of 16 KHz to 250 KHz.
23. The method according to claim 21, wherein:
the current frequency of the treatment input signal is in the range of 50 KHz to 100 KHz.
24. The method according to claim 21, wherein:
the current duration of the treatment input signal is selected from the group consisting of current durations spanning the range from 100 msec to 500 msec, and
the current frequency of the treatment input signal is in the range of 50 KHz to 100 KHz.
25. The method according to claim 21, wherein:
the treatment input signal is selected to comprise a current amplitude of 1.5 mA, a current frequency in the range of 50 and 100 KHz and a current duration of 250 msec.
26. The method according to claim 21 wherein:
each treatment input signal for injection into combinations of pairs of electrodes has an input signal beginning and an input signal end, and
an injection delay for insertion between the end and the beginning of two successive treatment input signals injected into two pairs of electrodes out of the at least one pair of electrodes is chosen as an injection delay selected from the group of delays consisting of a range spanning from 4 msec to 400 msec.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein:
the treatment injection delay duration is selected as 40 msec.
28. The method according to claim 21 wherein:
the treatment input signal is selected as an alternative current signal with predetermined signal current parameters including current amplitude, current frequency and current duration for automatic sequential injection of the treatment input signals in pairs of electrodes chosen in predetermined sequence and combination from the array of electrodes.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein:
the treatment input signal is selected to include a current amplitude of 1.5 mA, a current frequency in the range of 50 and 100 KHz, a current duration of 250 msec, and a treatment injection delay duration of 40 msec.
30. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: operating a research mode, wherein the research mode comprises injecting either one of both a research diagnosis input signal and a research treatment input signal in at least one pair of electrodes, and measuring output signals from each combination of pairs of electrodes.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein:
the research diagnostic input signal is selected as an alternative current signal with predetermined signal current parameters comprising current amplitude, current frequency and current duration, and
research output signals are measured over the electrodes pair injected with the research diagnostic input signal and over the opposite electrode pair.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
the current amplitude of the research diagnosis input signal is selected from the group consisting of 50 microA, 100 microA, 0.5 mA, 1 mA, 2.5 mA and 3 mA and in the frequency range of 16 KHz to 250 KHz.
33. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
the current frequency of the research diagnosis input signal is selected from the group consisting of 25 KHz, 50 KHz, and 100 KHz.
34. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
the current duration of the research diagnosis input signal is selected from the group consisting of 2 msec, 10 msec, 100 msec, 250 msec and 500 msec and in the frequency range of 16 KHz to 25 KHz.
35. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
an injection delay for insertion between the end and the beginning of two successive diagnostic injection signals is selected from the group of delays consisting of a range spanning from 4 msec to 400 msec.
36. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
a research output signal is measured over the pair of electrodes selected for research signal injection within a specific injection delay after starting but before ending of the research signal injection.
37. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
a research output signal is measured over the pair of electrodes opposite to the pair of electrodes injected with the research signal injection within a specific opposite delay after starting but before ending of the signal injection.
38. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
a first pair of electrodes is selected for injecting therein a research diagnosis signal, and
a next electrode-pair is selected for injecting therein the research injection signal, and successively injecting the research injection signal in all the combinations of electrode-pairs possible out of the array of electrodes.
39. The method according to claim 31, wherein:
research diagnosis output signals are measured in dimensions selected from the group of dimensions consisting of voltage, frequency, impedance, and resistance and conductance in the frequency range is selected from 16 KHz to 250 KHz.
40. The method according to claim 39, wherein:
the research diagnosis output signals are processed for display, and
the research diagnosis output signals are displayed in association with research diagnosis input signals and with an electrode pair designation for detection and diagnosis of mental disorder.