Method for control of subsurface coal gasification

Patent · Tue Dec 14 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:862726

Komar, Charles A ^[1]

---

1. Uniontown, PA

The burn front in an in situ underground coal gasification operation is controlled by utilizing at least two parallel groups of vertical bore holes disposed in the coalbed at spaced-apart locations in planes orthogonal to the plane of maximum permeability in the coalbed. The combustion of the coal is initiated in the coalbed adjacent to one group of the bore holes to establish a combustion zone extending across the group while the pressure of the combustion supporting gas mixture and/or the combustion products is regulated at each well head by valving to control the burn rate and maintain a uniform propagation of the burn front between the spaced-apart hole groups to gasify virtually all the coal lying therebetween.

• Research Organization: MERC/ERDA
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 3997005
• Application Number: 05/625,273
• OSTI ID: 862726
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
control
subsurface
coal
gasification
burn
front
situ
underground
operation
controlled
utilizing
parallel
vertical
bore
holes
disposed
coalbed
spaced-apart
locations
planes
orthogonal
plane
maximum
permeability
combustion
initiated
adjacent
establish
zone
extending
pressure
supporting
gas
mixture
products
regulated
head
valving
rate
maintain
uniform
propagation
gasify
virtually
lying
therebetween
bore holes
gasification operation
maximum permeability
underground coal
combustion products
combustion zone
coal gasification
gas mixture
coal gas
combustion product
spaced-apart locations
situ underground
burn front
holes disposed
vertical bore
supporting gas
apart locations
bed adjacent
/166/