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:5995278

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

The method of the present invention involves a two-phase process for in-situ retorting and recovery of carbonaceous material contained within typical subterranean tar sand formations, and includes formation of conventional arrays of in-seam ducts, and positioning heating devices to heat a section of the formation over a large extent thereof. 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 quasi-stable zone of pyrolysis about the heating duct, to thermally crack the carbonaceous material producing various organic liquid oil fractions and derived condensible vapors and non-condensible gases. The products produced thereby are then withdrawn through a suitable array of collection wells. In the second phase of the process a residual coke layer that will have formed as a result of the pyrolysis of the carbonaceous material is burned by introducing a combustion-supporting gas, such as air or oxygen, into the hot sand-coke blanket preferrably via the line source heating ducts spontaneously igniting the coke to produce a temperature elevation in the zone of pyrolysis 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 basal sand-coke blanket 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: 5995278
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 24 Oct 1980; Other Information: PAT-APPL-200320
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
OIL SANDS
IN-SITU RETORTING
BITUMENS
RECOVERY
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RETORTING
TAR
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified