Research on deformation monitoring system of in situ heater in oil shale wells
Hao Yang,
Tianyu Sun,
Hao Zeng,
Junshan Ren
Affiliations
Hao Yang
State Key Laboratory of Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment Mechanisms and Effective Development, 197 Baisha Road, Changping District, Beijing 100083, China; State Center for Research and Development of Oil Shale Exploitation, 197 Baisha Road, Changping District, Beijing 100083, China; School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Tianyu Sun
School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Hao Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment Mechanisms and Effective Development, 197 Baisha Road, Changping District, Beijing 100083, China; State Center for Research and Development of Oil Shale Exploitation, 197 Baisha Road, Changping District, Beijing 100083, China
Junshan Ren
School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
The in situ heater, a pivotal component for oil shale heating, is prone to deformation at underground temperatures of up to 450 °C. While lab experiments with optical fiber technology can monitor deformation at temperatures up to 1100 °C, low-pressure tolerance and complex manufacturing hinder its underground application. Current downhole monitoring systems are limited to 300 °C for temperature and 100 °C for deformation, which are insufficient for oil shale conditions. A dedicated online monitoring system for in situ heaters is still lacking. Leveraging the precision and reliability of linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) technology, we designed a real-time deformation monitoring system. Indoor simulations mimicking oil shale environments indicate LVDTâs capability of monitoring up to 480 °C. The system mounts an LVDT unit, encapsulated in vacuum insulation, onto heaters, and then inserts them into horizontal sections via tubing. This design offers a valuable reference for the design and monitoring of in situ heaters in oil shale wells.
