Development of Radio Frequency Heating Technology for Shale Oil Extraction

Abstract

With the shortage of energy and the rise of crude oil in the world, the development of oil shale is gaining more attention globally. To solve the problem of traditional heat conduction with low efficiency and high cost for oil shale, a new technology called radio frequency (RF) heating (microwave heating) is introduced in this paper. Radio frequency electromagnetic (microwave) can do work directly on medium molecule of oil shale and change into heat energy, the transmission of which allows both inner and outer molecules heating simultaneously without heat conduction. Meanwhile, oil shale is a poor microwave absorbing material and microwave absorbents must be added to reach pyrolysis temperature. By this means, shale oil could be heated at a higher speed and kerogen will gradually be cracked into gas and oil. Then shale oil and gas will flow into the production wells through fractures generated by heating and be pumped up to the surface.