A thermal surgical tool comprising a conductor having a ferromagnetic material attached thereto is provided. The conductor may include a support of sufficiently high Young's modulus to resist bending when the surgical tool is being used to treat tissue. One or more intervening layers may be disposed between the support and the ferromagnetic material. Each of the intervening layers may be selected for a property that facilitates construction of the surgical tool and/or enhances a functionality of the surgical tool. The thermal surgical tool can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.

Layered ferromagnetic coated conductor thermal surgical tool

A power source delivers oscillating electrical energy to an electrical conductor, such as a wire or catheter, which is coated circumferentially with a ferromagnetic material in a selected region. With high frequency electrical energy, the ferromagnetic material has a quick response in heating and cooling adjustable by the controllable power delivery. The ferromagnetic material can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.

Thermally adjustable surgical system and method

Systems, methods, and heaters for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. At least one method for producing hydrocarbons from a subsurface formation includes providing heat to the subsurface formation using an in situ heat treatment process. One or more formation particles may be formed during heating of the subsurface formation. Fluid that includes hydrocarbons and the formation particles may be produced from the subsurface formation. The formation particles in the produced fluid may include cenospheres and have an average particle size of at least 0.5 micrometers.

Compositions produced using an in situ heat treatment process

A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation includes providing heat for a first amount of time to a first hydrocarbon layer in the formation from a first heater located in an opening in the formation. The opening and the first heater have a substantially horizontal or inclined portion located in the first hydrocarbon layer in the formation and at least one connecting portion extending between the substantially horizontal or inclined portion and the surface. At least one connecting portion of the first heater is removed from the opening. An isolation material is placed in the opening such that the isolation material at least partially isolates the layer in which the substantially horizontal or inclined portion of the first heater is located. An additional substantially horizontal or inclined opening portion is formed in a second hydrocarbon layer. The additional portion extends from at least one of the connecting portions of the opening. A second heater is placed in the additional substantially horizontal opening portion. Heat is provided from the second heater to the second hydrocarbon layer.

Time sequenced heating of multiple layers in a hydrocarbon containing formation

A system for heating a subsurface formation is described. The system includes a first elongated heater (246) in a first opening in the formation. The first elongated heater includes an exposed metal section in a portion of the first opening. The portion is below a layer of the formation to be heated (240) . The exposed metal section is exposed to the formation. A second elongated heater is located in a second opening in the formation. The second opening connects to the first opening at or near the portion of the first opening below the layer to be heated. At least a portion of an exposed metal section of the second elongated heater is electrically coupled to at least a portion of the exposed metal section of the first elongated heater in the portion of the first opening below the layer to be heated.

Subsurface connection methods for subsurface heaters

High strength metal alloys are described. At least one composition of a metal alloy includes chromium, nickel, copper, manganese, silicon, niobium, tungsten and iron. A heater system may include a canister at least partially made from material containing at least one of the metal alloys. A system for heating a subterranean formation may include a tublar that is at least partially made from a material containing at least one of the metal alloys.

High strength alloys

A process for heat treatment of high temperature steels in which the steels are heated to temperatures of at least 1800° F. in the presence of hydrogen gas, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and steam. Articles made by the process have a unique layer enriched in chromium oxide, and reactor components made from the treated steel may be used in a process for the pyrolysis of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons to inhibit coking.

Process and article

A system for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation includes a heater having an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section. The heater is located in an opening in a formation. The heater section is configured to heat the hydrocarbon containing formation. The exposed ferromagnetic metal has a sulfidation rate that goes down with increasing temperature of the heater, when the heater is in a selected temperature range.

Randy Carl John

Papers

High strength alloys

Process and article

Subsurface heaters with low sulfidation rates