Method for closing a drift between adjacent in situ oil shale retorts
Abstract
A row of horizontally spaced-apart in situ oil shale retorts is formed in a subterranean formation containing oil shale. Each row of retorts is formed by excavating development drifts at different elevations through opposite side boundaries of a plurality of retorts in the row of retorts. Each retort is formed by explosively expanding formation toward one or more voids within the boundaries of the retort site to form a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in each retort. Following formation of each retort, the retort development drifts on the advancing side of the retort are closed off by covering formation particles within the development drift with a layer of crushed oil shale particles having a particle size smaller than the average particle size of oil shale particles in the adjacent retort. In one embodiment, the crushed oil shale particles are pneumatically loaded into the development drift to pack the particles tightly all the way to the top of the drift and throughout the entire cross section of the drift. The closure between adjacent retorts provided by the finely divided oil shale provides sufficient resistance to gas flow through the development drift to effectively inhibit gas flow throughmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Grand Junction, CO
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. (Grand Junction, CO)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864941
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4441760
- Assignee:
- Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. (Grand Junction, CO)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC20-78LC10036
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- method; closing; drift; adjacent; situ; oil; shale; retorts; row; horizontally; spaced-apart; formed; subterranean; formation; containing; excavating; drifts; elevations; opposite; boundaries; plurality; retort; explosively; expanding; voids; site; form; fragmented; permeable; mass; particles; following; advancing; closed; covering; layer; crushed; particle; size; average; embodiment; pneumatically; loaded; pack; tightly; top; throughout; entire; section; closure; provided; finely; divided; provides; sufficient; resistance; gas; flow; effectively; inhibit; subsequent; retorting; operations; shale particles; explosively expanding; shale retorts; expanding formation; provides sufficient; subterranean formation; permeable mass; formation particles; fragmented permeable; particles containing; containing oil; retort site; situ oil; shale retort; gas flow; oil shale; particle size; finely divided; average particle; formation containing; shale provides; retorting operations; pneumatically loaded; crushed oil; retorting operation; particles contain; /299/
Citation Formats
Hines, Alex E. Method for closing a drift between adjacent in situ oil shale retorts. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Hines, Alex E. Method for closing a drift between adjacent in situ oil shale retorts. United States.
Hines, Alex E. Sun .
"Method for closing a drift between adjacent in situ oil shale retorts". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864941.
@article{osti_864941,
title = {Method for closing a drift between adjacent in situ oil shale retorts},
author = {Hines, Alex E},
abstractNote = {A row of horizontally spaced-apart in situ oil shale retorts is formed in a subterranean formation containing oil shale. Each row of retorts is formed by excavating development drifts at different elevations through opposite side boundaries of a plurality of retorts in the row of retorts. Each retort is formed by explosively expanding formation toward one or more voids within the boundaries of the retort site to form a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in each retort. Following formation of each retort, the retort development drifts on the advancing side of the retort are closed off by covering formation particles within the development drift with a layer of crushed oil shale particles having a particle size smaller than the average particle size of oil shale particles in the adjacent retort. In one embodiment, the crushed oil shale particles are pneumatically loaded into the development drift to pack the particles tightly all the way to the top of the drift and throughout the entire cross section of the drift. The closure between adjacent retorts provided by the finely divided oil shale provides sufficient resistance to gas flow through the development drift to effectively inhibit gas flow through the drift during subsequent retorting operations.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/864941},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1984},
month = {1}
}