Method of in-situ retorting of carbonaceous material for recovery of organic liquids and gases

Patent · Tue May 24 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5873997

Owen, L B; Schatz, J F; Ahmed, U

A 2-phase process is described for in situ retorting and recovery of carbonaceous material contained within typical subterranean tar sand formations, and includes formation of inseam ducts, and positioning heating devices to heat a section of the formation. The operation of the heating devices in the first phase is controlled to provide heat into the formation without burning of the carbonaceous material therein, resulting in development of a zone of pyrolysis about the heating duct, to thermally crack the carbonaceous material producing various organic liquid oil fractions and derived condensible vapors and noncondensible gases. The products produced thereby are withdrawn through collection wells. In the second phase of the process a residual coke layer that will have formed is burned by introducing a gas, such as air or oxygen, into the hot sand-coke blanket preferably via the line source heating ducts spontaneously igniting the coke to produce a temperature elevation to both crack the proximate carbonaceous material and to burn away the coke layer from around the shut-in collection wells freeing them to continue withdrawal of the products of the cracking process. After combustion of the coke, air flow to the tar sand formation will be terminated and the heater operation restored, repeating the process.

• Assignee: Terra Tek Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4384613
• OSTI ID: 5873997
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 24 Oct 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
BITUMENS
RECOVERY
OIL SANDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
AIR
COKE
CRACKING
GAS INJECTION
HEATING
OXYGEN
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASES
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
PYROLYSIS
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified