Method for establishing a combustion zone in an in situ oil shale retort having a pocket at the top
An in situ oil shale retort having a top boundary of unfragmented formation and containing a fragmented permeable mass has a pocket at the top, that is, an open space between a portion of the top of the fragmented mass and the top boundary of unfragmented formation. To establish a combustion zone across the fragmented mass, a combustion zone is established in a portion of the fragmented mass which is proximate to the top boundary. A retort inlet mixture comprising oxygen is introduced to the fragmented mass to propagate the combustion zone across an upper portion of the fragmented mass. Simultaneously, cool fluid is introduced to the pocket to prevent overheating and thermal sloughing of formation from the top boundary into the pocket.
- Assignee:
- IFI; EDB-82-069572
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4192552
- OSTI ID:
- 5720455
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 3 Apr 1978; Other Information: PAT-APPL-892451
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Operation of in situ oil shale retort with void at the top
Establishing a combustion zone below a sill pillar in an in situ oil shale retort
Related Subjects
OIL SHALES
IN-SITU RETORTING
COOLING
FLUIDS
OXYGEN
SHALE OIL
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
NONMETALS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RETORTING
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified