Abstract: Embodiments of the invention described herein relate to methods and apparatus for recovery of viscous hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs. In one embodiment, a method for recovery of hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir is provided. The method includes drilling an injector well to be in communication with a reservoir having one or more production wells in communication with the reservoir, installing casing in the injector well, cementing the casing, perforating the casing, positioning a downhole steam generator in the casing, flowing fuel, oxidant and water to the downhole steam generator to intermittently produce a combustion product and/or a vaporization product in the reservoir, flowing injectants to the reservoir, and producing hydrocarbons through the one or more production wells.

Abstract: A positive electrode may include an electrically conductive scaffold, conductive catalytic A-site deficient perovskite particles chemically bonded to the scaffold, an ion and gas permeable ionomer connecting the particles, and a hydrophobic porous layer on the scaffold. A secondary air electrode may include conductive bi-functional catalytic A-site deficient perovskite particles including AI-site lanthanum cations and AII-site alkaline earth metal cations, an ion and gas permeable ionomer connecting the particles, and a conductive scaffold in electrical contact with the particles.

Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.

Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.

Abstract: A metal-air battery includes a canister and a spiral wound electrode assembly disposed within the canister. The electrode assembly includes an ion permeable and substantially gas impermeable anode, a catalytic cathode, and a dielectric separator disposed between the anode and cathode.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for recovering petroleum products from a formation containing heavy crude oil. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a steam generator within the petroleum-bearing formation, flowing a fuel source and an oxidizing agent into the steam generator, generating and releasing steam from the steam generator to heat the heavy crude oil, flowing a catalytic material containing a nanocatalyst into the petroleum-bearing formation, and exposing the catalytic material to the heavy crude oil. The method further provides forming lighter oil products from the heavy crude oil within the petroleum-bearing formation and extracting the lighter oil products from the petroleum-bearing formation. In some examples, the fuel source contains methane, syngas, or hydrogen gas, and the oxidizing agent contains oxygen gas, air, or oxygen enriched air. The nanocatalyst may contain cobalt, iron, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, titanium, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a reservoir. The method includes positioning a burner having a combustion chamber in a first well, supplying a fuel, an oxidant, and one of water or steam from the surface to the burner in the first well, supplying a viscosity-reducing gas from the surface to the reservoir in a conduit separate from the fuel, igniting the fuel and the oxidant in the combustion chamber to generate heat and steam in the burner, injecting the viscosity-reducing gas and steam into the reservoir to reduce the viscosity of and heat hydrocarbons within the reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.

Abstract: A metal-air battery includes a canister and a spiral wound electrode assembly disposed within the canister. The electrode assembly includes an ion permeable and substantially gas impermeable anode, a catalytic cathode, and a dielectric separator disposed between the anode and cathode.

Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.

Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.

Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a reservoir is provided. The method includes positioning a burner having a combustion chamber in a first well, supplying a fuel, an oxidant, and one of water or steam from the surface to the burner in the first well, supplying a viscosity-reducing gas from the surface to the reservoir in a conduit separate from the fuel, igniting the fuel and the oxidant in the combustion chamber to generate heat and steam in the burner, injecting the viscosity-reducing gas and steam into the reservoir to reduce the viscosity of and heat hydrocarbons within the reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.

Abstract: A downhole burner is used for producing heavy-oil formations. Hydrogen, oxygen, and steam are pumped by separate conduits to the burner, which burns at least part of the hydrogen and forces the combustion products out into the earth formation. The steam cools the burner and becomes superheated steam, which is injected along with the combustion products into the earth formation. Carbon dioxide is also pumped down the well and injected into the formation.

Abstract: Methods for increasing the recovery of hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir. A method may include the steps of injecting a first fluid into a first horizontal well in the reservoir by a first device; producing hydrocarbons from a second horizontal well disposed below the first well; injecting a second fluid into a third well laterally offset from each of the first and second wells while continuing to produce hydrocarbons from the second well; and selectively ceasing injection into the first well when the second well is in fluid communication with the third well. The first and second fluid may comprise steam, carbon dioxide, oxygen, or combinations thereof. Injection into the first well selectively may be ceased when pressure in the first well is increased to a first injection pressure.

Abstract: A downhole burner is used for producing heavy-oil formations. Hydrogen, oxygen, and steam are pumped by separate conduits to the burner, which burns at least part of the hydrogen and forces the combustion products out into the earth formation. The steam cools the burner and becomes superheated steam, which is injected along with the combustion products into the earth formation. Carbon dioxide is also pumped down the well and injected into the formation.

Abstract: An electrical battery for multi-cellular interconnection in series, parallel or series and parallel has a protrusion and a recess, such as a tongue and a groove, extending on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the battery case such that when a protrusion of one battery is slid into a recess of another, the two batteries are electrically connected by the portions of the protrusion and the recess that are made of electrically conductive materials connected to the voltage producing elements inside the case. The battery further includes hollow plug-in posts and plug-in pins at the top and the bottom of the case that are connected to the voltage producing elements of the battery so that when the plug-in pins of one battery are inserted into the plug-in posts of another, the two batteries are in electrical interconnection. The battery also includes an electrolyte recirculation, gas purging, and automatic watering systems.

Abstract: Fuel cell electrodes are described which comprise a non-woven network of conductive fibers, such as a carbon fleece, nickel foam sheet or stainless steel wool layer, plus additional activated carbon material, carrying one or more catalyst components and at least one polymeric substance as binder and/or repellancy agent to establish three zone interfaces (liquid-solid-liquid) or three phase interfaces (gas-liquid-solid). The electroactive catalyzed material is embedded into the conductive structure by specified deposition processes, such as coating, blading or spraying.

Abstract: This method for hydrogen production from ammonia is based on the catalytic dissociation of gaseous ammonia in a cracker. A catalytic fixed bed is used. The ammonia cracker supplies a fuel cell (for example, an alkaline fuel cell AFC) with a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen. Most of the supplied hydrogen is burned in the ammonia cracker for the supply of the energy needed for the ammonia dissociation process.

Abstract: This method for hydrogen production from ammonia is based on the catalytic dissociation of gaseous ammonia in a cracker. A catalytic fixed bed is used. The ammonia cracker supplies a fuel cell (for example, an alkaline fuel cell AFC) with a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen. Most of the supplied hydrogen is burned in the ammonia cracker for the supply of the energy needed for the ammonia dissociation process.

Abstract: An electrical battery for multi-cellular interconnection in series, parallel or series and parallel has a protrusion and a recess, such as a tongue and a groove, extending on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the battery case such that when a protrusion of one battery is slid into a recess of another, the two batteries are electrically connected by the portions of the protrusion and the recess that are made of electrically conductive materials connected to the voltage producing elements inside the case. The battery further includes hollow plug-in posts and plug-in pins at the top and the bottom of the case that are connected to the voltage producing elements of the battery so that when the plug-in pins of one battery are inserted into the plug-in posts of another, the two batteries are in electrical interconnection. The battery also includes an electrolyte recirculation, gas purging, and automatic watering systems.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the in situ conversion and recovery of heavy crude oils and natural bitumens from subsurface formations using either a continuous operation with one or more vertical injection boreholes and one or more vertical production boreholes in which multiple, uncased, horizontal boreholes may extend from the vertical boreholes, or a cyclic operation whereby both injection and production occur in the same vertical boreholes in which multiple, uncased, horizontal boreholes may extend from the vertical boreholes. A mixture of reducing gases, oxidizing gases, and steam are fed to downhole combustion devices located in the injection boreholes. Combustion of the reducing gas-oxidizing gas mixture is carried out to produce superheated steam and hot reducing gases for injection into the formation to convert and upgrade the heavy crude or bitumen into lighter hydrocarbons.