In-situ retorting of oil shale with in-situ formed arches

Patent · Mon Mar 12 23:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5796237

Sweany, G A

Shale oil is recovered from a horizontal oil-shale deposit having an exposed vertical surface by 1) tunneling a horizontal sloping tunnel under a portion of the deposit, optionally using material removed from the tunnel to form a service terrace; 2) shaping and lining the floor of the tunnel to form a covered sump sloping to the tunnel mouth; 3) explosively rubblizing the roof and walls of the tunnel; and 4) fireflooding the rubblized zone to retort the kerogen which produces shale oil at the tunnel face through the sump. The fireflood is preferably by wet combustion which can be either forward or reverse combustion. Oxygen containing gas can be injected through a vertical bore from the surface or from the tunnel face. The fireflood is prevented from channeling across the top of the rubblized zone by leaving segments of the roof to project downward at intervals. The vertical surface of the deposit can be naturally exposed or exposed by a large-diameter borehole or a vertical mine shaft. 1 claim.

• Assignee: Continental Oil Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4143917
• OSTI ID: 5796237
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHANNELING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
KEROGEN
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RETORTING
REVERSE COMBUSTION
ROOFS
SHAFT EXCAVATIONS
SHALE OIL
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TUNNELING
TUNNELS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES