Method for attenuating seismic shock from detonating explosive in an in situ oil shale retort
In situ oil shale retorts are formed in formation containing oil shale by excavating at least one void in each retort site. Explosive is placed in a remaining portion of unfragmented formation within each retort site adjacent such a void, and such explosive is detonated in a single round for explosively expanding formation within the retort site toward such a void for forming a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in each retort. This produces a large explosion which generates seismic shock waves traveling outwardly from the blast site through the underground formation. Sensitive equipment which could be damaged by seismic shock traveling to it straight through unfragmented formation is shielded from such an explosion by placing such equipment in the shadow of a fragmented mass in an in situ retort formed prior to the explosion. The fragmented mass attenuates the velocity and magnitude of seismic shock waves traveling toward such sensitive equipment prior to the shock wave reaching the vicinity of such equipment.
- Assignee:
- Occidental Oil Shale Inc
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4192553
- OSTI ID:
- 5628495
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 3 Apr 1978; Other Information: PAT-APPL-892736
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
OIL SHALES
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
IN-SITU RETORTING
ATTENUATION
EXCAVATION
EXPLOSIONS
SEISMIC WAVES
SHALE OIL
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMMINUTION
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FUELS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RETORTING
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified