Method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit for in situ retorting
Abstract
A method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit that has been formed in alternate horizontal layers of rich and lean shale, including the steps of driving a horizontal tunnel along the lower edge of a rich shale layer of the deposit, sublevel caving by fan drilling and blasting of both rich and lean overlying shale layers at the distal end of the tunnel to rubblize the layers, removing a substantial amount of the accessible rubblized rich shale to permit the overlying rubblized lean shale to drop to tunnel floor level to form a column of lean shale, performing additional sublevel caving of rich and lean shale towards the proximate end of the tunnel, removal of a substantial amount of the additionally rubblized rich shale to allow the overlying rubblized lean shale to drop to tunnel floor level to form another column of rubblized lean shale, similarly performing additional steps of sublevel caving and removal of rich rubble to form additional columns of lean shale rubble in the rich shale rubble in the tunnel, and driving additional horizontal tunnels in the deposit and similarly rubblizing the overlying layers of rich and lean shale and forming columns of rubblized lean shale inmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Los Altos, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 862800
- Patent Number(s):
- 4017119
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21B - EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21C - MINING OR QUARRYING
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- method; rubblizing; oil; shale; deposit; situ; retorting; formed; alternate; horizontal; layers; rich; lean; including; steps; driving; tunnel; edge; layer; sublevel; caving; fan; drilling; blasting; overlying; distal; rubblize; removing; substantial; amount; accessible; rubblized; permit; drop; floor; level; form; column; performing; additional; towards; proximate; removal; additionally; allow; similarly; rubble; columns; tunnels; forming; retort; zones; remain; permeable; hot; fluids; presence; pile; pressures; temperatures; shale deposit; situ oil; shale retort; oil shale; substantial amount; situ retorting; sublevel caving; form additional; additional steps; situ retort; horizontal layers; additional step; /299/
Citation Formats
Lewis, Arthur E. Method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit for in situ retorting. United States: N. p., 1977.
Web.
Lewis, Arthur E. Method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit for in situ retorting. United States.
Lewis, Arthur E. Sat .
"Method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit for in situ retorting". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/862800.
@article{osti_862800,
title = {Method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit for in situ retorting},
author = {Lewis, Arthur E},
abstractNote = {A method for rubblizing an oil shale deposit that has been formed in alternate horizontal layers of rich and lean shale, including the steps of driving a horizontal tunnel along the lower edge of a rich shale layer of the deposit, sublevel caving by fan drilling and blasting of both rich and lean overlying shale layers at the distal end of the tunnel to rubblize the layers, removing a substantial amount of the accessible rubblized rich shale to permit the overlying rubblized lean shale to drop to tunnel floor level to form a column of lean shale, performing additional sublevel caving of rich and lean shale towards the proximate end of the tunnel, removal of a substantial amount of the additionally rubblized rich shale to allow the overlying rubblized lean shale to drop to tunnel floor level to form another column of rubblized lean shale, similarly performing additional steps of sublevel caving and removal of rich rubble to form additional columns of lean shale rubble in the rich shale rubble in the tunnel, and driving additional horizontal tunnels in the deposit and similarly rubblizing the overlying layers of rich and lean shale and forming columns of rubblized lean shale in the rich, thereby forming an in situ oil shale retort having zones of lean shale that remain permeable to hot retorting fluids in the presence of high rubble pile pressures and high retorting temperatures.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1977},
month = {1}
}