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Fluid outlet at the bottom of an in-situ oil shale retort

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6522372

Formation is excavated from within the boundaries of a retort site in formation containing oil shale for forming at least one retort level void extending horizontally across the retort site, leaving at least one remaining zone of unfragmented formation within the retort site. A production level drift is excavated below the retort level void, leaving a lower zone of unfragmented formation between the retort level void and the production level drift. A plurality of raises are formed between the production level drift and the retort level void for providing product withdrawal passages distributed generally uniformly across the horizontal cross section of the retort level void. The product withdrawal passages are backfilled with a permeable mass of particles. Explosive placed within the remaining zone of unfragmented formation above the retort level void is detonated for explosively expanding formation within the retort site toward at least the retort level void for forming a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale within the boundaries of the retort site. During retorting operations products of retorting are conducted from the fragmented mass in the retort through the product withdrawal passages to the production level void. The products are withdrawn from the production level void.

Assignee:
Occidental Oil Shale, Inc.
Patent Number(s):
US 4440445
OSTI ID:
6522372
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION CONTROL
COMMINUTION
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
DISTRIBUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EXCAVATION
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
FLUID FLOW
FLUID WITHDRAWAL
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FUELS
GAS FLOW
GASES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MINERAL OILS
OIL SHALES
OIL YIELDS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OUTLET STRUCTURES
PARTICLE SIZE
PERMEABILITY
PROCESSING
RETORTING
RETORTS
SHALE GAS
SHALE OIL
SIZE
YIELDS