Hydraulic mining technique for recovering bitumen from subsurface tar sand deposits

Patent · Mon Jul 07 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:5142478

Walker, C O

A method is described for recovering oil from tar-sand deposits by hydraulic mining. An injection string has horizontally oriented nozzles on its lower end and is provided on the surface with means for its rotation while fluids are injected simultaneously down the injection string. A separate flow path to the surface for recovery of the injected fluid with dissolved bitumen provided, which may be the annulus between an outer casing with the rotatable injection string in the center. The fluid used in conjunction with this solution-mining technique is an aqueous solution of a polyphosphate wetting agent plus an alkalinity agent, heated to a temperature greater than the temperature of the tar-sand deposit. The bituminous petroleum is separated from the phosphate solution by contacting the fluid with hydrocarbon fluid such as diesel oil. (25 claims)

• Assignee: EDB-82-150682
• Patent Number(s): US 3858654
• OSTI ID: 5142478
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040400* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Oil Production
Recovery
& Refining
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
HYDRAULIC MINING
INJECTION
INTAKE
MATERIALS
MINING
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SURFACTANTS
TAR
WETTING AGENTS