Importance

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Abstract

A waveguide structure is emplanted in the earth to bound a particular volume of an earth formation with a waveguide structure formed of respective rows of discrete elongated electrodes wherein the spacing between rows is greater than the distance between electrodes in a respective row and in the case of vertical electrodes substantially less than the thickness of the hydrocarbonaceous earth formation. Electrical power at no more than a relatively low frequency is applied between respective rows of the electrodes to deliver power to the formation while producing relatively uniform heating thereof and limiting the relative loss of heat to adjacent barren regions to less than a tolerable amount. At the same time the temperature of the electrodes is controlled near the vaporization point of water thereat to maintain an electrically conductive path between the electrodes and the formation.

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First Claim