Aiding auto-ignition in tar sand formation
Control of in situ auto-ignition of heavy oil in a tar sand formation is achieved by insuring an amount of liquid water in the formation such that oxygen consumption is increased when air or oxygen is injected thereinto. Oxidation rate is increased and therefore the time required to reach auto-ignition is reduced. The method is applicable to operations such as in situ drive combustion. Water, hot water, or steam can be used. Both oil-wet and water-wet sands exhibit increased oxygen consumption over sands not containing a degree of water saturation. A water saturation of say 15 percent in a 45 percent porosity sand results in about a 2/sup 1///sub 2/ times increase in O/sub 2/ consumption over that of dry sand. With injected water, raising the total formation of water to about 20 percent, the temperature after 1,000 hours of air injection was 180/sup 0/F. whereas without water injection the temperature of the dry sand was only 96/sup 0/F. in an experiment applied to Asphalt Ridge tar sand. 4 claims, 3 figures.
- Assignee:
- Phillips Petroleum Co.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3680634
- OSTI ID:
- 7305485
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 10 Apr 1970
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Laboratory studies of forward combustion in the Tar Sand Triangle resource
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Related Subjects
OIL SANDS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IGNITION
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
OXYGEN
STEAM
WATER
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
NONMETALS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified