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Title: Kerogen extraction from subterranean oil shale resources

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface (oil) shale formations, wherein such methods rely on fracturing and/or rubblizing portions of said formations so as to enhance their fluid permeability, and wherein such methods further rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen so as to render it mobile. The present invention is also directed at systems for implementing at least some of the foregoing methods. Additionally, the present invention is also directed to methods of fracturing and/or rubblizing subsurface shale formations and to methods of chemically modifying kerogen in situ so as to render it mobile.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3]
  1. Houston, TX
  2. Missouri City, TX
  3. Los Alamos, NM
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
988386
Patent Number(s):
7500517
Application Number:
11/675,468
Assignee:
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (San Ramon, CA); Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C09 - DYES C09K - MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21B - EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS

Citation Formats

Looney, Mark Dean, Lestz, Robert Steven, Hollis, Kirk, Taylor, Craig, Kinkead, Scott, and Wigand, Marcus. Kerogen extraction from subterranean oil shale resources. United States: N. p., 2009. Web.
Looney, Mark Dean, Lestz, Robert Steven, Hollis, Kirk, Taylor, Craig, Kinkead, Scott, & Wigand, Marcus. Kerogen extraction from subterranean oil shale resources. United States.
Looney, Mark Dean, Lestz, Robert Steven, Hollis, Kirk, Taylor, Craig, Kinkead, Scott, and Wigand, Marcus. Tue . "Kerogen extraction from subterranean oil shale resources". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/988386.
@article{osti_988386,
title = {Kerogen extraction from subterranean oil shale resources},
author = {Looney, Mark Dean and Lestz, Robert Steven and Hollis, Kirk and Taylor, Craig and Kinkead, Scott and Wigand, Marcus},
abstractNote = {The present invention is directed to methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface (oil) shale formations, wherein such methods rely on fracturing and/or rubblizing portions of said formations so as to enhance their fluid permeability, and wherein such methods further rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen so as to render it mobile. The present invention is also directed at systems for implementing at least some of the foregoing methods. Additionally, the present invention is also directed to methods of fracturing and/or rubblizing subsurface shale formations and to methods of chemically modifying kerogen in situ so as to render it mobile.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2009},
month = {3}
}

Patent:

Works referenced in this record:

Induced microearthquake patterns and oil-producing fracture systems in the Austin chalk
journal, April 1998