Ignition of fragmented oil shale below a sill pillar in an in situ oil shale retort
An in situ oil shale retort is formed in a subterranean formation containing oil shale. The retort contains a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale. An open base of operation is excavated in the formation above the retort site, and an access drift is excavated to the bottom of the retort site. The formation is explosively expanded to form the fragmented mass in the retort between the access drift and an elevation below the bottom of the base of operation, leaving a horizontal sill pillar of intact formation between the top of the retort and the bottom of the base of operation. The sill pillar has a vertical thickness sufficient to maintain a safe base of operation above the retort after the fragmented mass is formed. Prior to retorting, a particulate combustible material is placed in the blasting holes and ignited, and air is introduced to the ignited particulate combustible material to generate heated ignition gas for heating an upper portion of the fragmented mass below the sill pillar to a temperature greater than the spontaneous ignition temperature of carbonaceous materials in the oil shale. Heated organic carbonaceous material is then contacted with oxygen supplying gas to establish a combustion zone in the fragmented mass. 25 claims.
- Assignee:
- Occidental Oil Shale Inc.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4153110
- OSTI ID:
- 5796300
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Establishing a combustion zone below a sill pillar in an in situ oil shale retort
In situ oil shale retort with a horizontal sill pillar
Related Subjects
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
AIR
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EXCAVATION
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS INJECTION
GASES
HEATING
IGNITION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
OIL SHALES
OPERATION
OXIDATION
PROCESSING
RETORTING
RETORTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES