Method of forming an in situ oil shale retort

Patent · Tue Jan 03 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6774083

Studebaker, I G

An in situ oil shale retort is formed in a subterranean formation containing oil shale and having a substantially vertically extending first cleavage plane set and a substantially vertically extending second cleavage plane set intersecting the first set. The dispersion of the individual cleavage planes in the first and second cleavage plane sets is determined. The in situ retort is formed by excavating a vertical slot-shaped void within the boundaries of the retort site, leaving a remaining portion of the unfragmented formation within the retort site which is to be explosively expanded toward the slot. The unfragmented formation adjacent the slot has a pair of longer vertical free faces substantially aligned with the cleavage plane set having the lower dispersion. A pair of shorter vertical side walls of the slot can extend substantially perpendicular to the cleavage plane set having the lower dispersion. Explosive placed in such remaining formation adjacent the slot is detonated to fracture formation along cleavage planes in the first and second cleavage plane sets and to expand such remaining formation within the retort site toward the slot, forming a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale within the retort site.

• Assignee: Occidental Oil Shale, Inc., Grand Junction, Colo.
• Patent Number(s): US 4423906
• OSTI ID: 6774083
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040300 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Drilling
Fracturing & Mining
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMMINUTION
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
EQUIPMENT
EXCAVATION
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
EXPLOSIVES
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINING
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALE MINING
OIL SHALES
PROCESSING
RESOURCES
RETORTING
RETORTS
UNDERGROUND MINING