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Title: Withdrawal of gases and liquids from an in situ oil shale retort

Patent ·
OSTI ID:864376

An in situ oil shale retort is formed within a subterranean formation containing oil shale. The retort contains a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale. A production level drift extends below the fragmented mass, leaving a lower sill pillar of unfragmented formation between the production level drift and the fragmented mass. During retorting operations, liquid and gaseous products are recovered from a lower portion of the fragmented mass. A liquid outlet line extends from a lower portion of the fragmented mass through the lower sill pillar for conducting liquid products to a sump in the production level drift. Gaseous products are withdrawn from the fragmented mass through a plurality of gas outlet lines distributed across a horizontal cross-section of a lower portion of the fragmented mass. The gas outlet lines extend from the fragmented mass through the lower sill pillar and into the production level drift. The gas outlet lines are connected to a gas withdrawal manifold in the production level drift, and gaseous products are withdrawn from the manifold separately from withdrawal of liquid products from the sump in the production level drift.

Research Organization:
Occidental Oil Shale, Inc., Grand Junction, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC20-78LC10036
Assignee:
Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. (Grand Junction, CO)
Patent Number(s):
4,357,051
Application Number:
06/155411
OSTI ID:
864376
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 1980 Jun 02
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English