In situ oil shale retort with a horizontal sill pillar
An in situ oil shale retort is formed in a subterranean formation containing oil shale. The retort with top, bottom, and side boundaries contains a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale. A base of operation is excavated at a working level in the formation. Means are excavated through the formation for access to a location underlying the base of operation. In one embodiment, a void in the form of a vertical slot is excavated in the site between the means for access and an elevation below the bottom of the base of operation, leaving a remaining portion which is to be expanded toward the void. This is designed to leave a horizontal sill pillar of intact formation between the top of the void and the bottom of the base of operation with a vertical thickness sufficient to maintain a safe base of operation after explosive expansion of formation to form the fragmented permeable mass of particles. The void provides at least one free face extending vertically through the formation within the boundaries of the in situ oil shale retort site. This remaining portion is explosively expanded toward the void with a single round of explosions. 38 claims.
- Assignee:
- Occidental Oil Shale, Inc.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4118071
- OSTI ID:
- 5721066
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COMMINUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXCAVATION
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FRAGMENTATION
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
PROCESSING
RESOURCES
RETORTING