Method of in situ oil shale retort ignition with oxygen control
A method for recovering liquid and gaseous products from an in situ oil shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale is provided. A hot ignition gas comprising oxygen at a first selected concentration is introduced into the fragmented mass for heating the fragmented mass top surface. The percentage of the fragmented mass top surface that is at a temperature no less than the ignition temperature of oil shale is determined. Thereafter, the concentration of oxygen in the ignition gas is increased by an amount proportional to the determined percentage. Such heating of the fragmented mass top surface establishes a combustion zone in the retort. After the combustion zone has spread horizontally across the retort, introduction of the hot ignition gas is discontinued. Thereafter, an oxygen-supplying gas is introduced into the retort for advancing the combustion zone downwardly through the fragmented mass. Liquid and gaseous products are produced in a retorting zone on the advancing side of the combustion zone and are recovered.
- Assignee:
- Occidental Research Corporation
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4448249
- OSTI ID:
- 6482819
- 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
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION CONTROL
COMBUSTION WAVES
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID WITHDRAWAL
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRAGMENTATION
FUELS
GAS INJECTION
IGNITION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RETORTING
RETORTS
SHALE OIL
WORKING FLUIDS