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US 2009/0173491 A1Published application
Method and system for extraction of hydrocarbons from oil shale and limestone formations
OwnerThomas B. O'Brieninventor
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Abstract
A system and method for extracting hydrocarbon products from limestone using nuclear energy sources for energy to fracture the limestone formations and provide sufficient heat and pressure to produce liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon products. Embodiments of the present invention also disclose steps for extracting the hydrocarbon products from the limestone formations.
Claims22
A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;
- providing said thermal energy to a supercritical material generator;
- providing a material to said supercritical material generator;
- producing a supercritical material flow from said supercritical material generator using a high pressure pump;
- injecting said supercritical material flow into fracturing wells wherein said fracturing wells are disposed in an limestone formation;
- and
- fracturing said limestone formation using heat of said supercritical material flow from said fracturing wells.
4 more elements
A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;
- providing said thermal energy to a hot gas generator;
- providing a gas to said hot gas generator;
- producing a high pressure hot gas flow from said hot gas generator using a high pressure pump;
- injecting said high pressure hot gas flow into injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in an limestone formation;
- retorting limestone in said limestone formation using heat from said hot gas flow to produce hydrocarbon products;
- and
- extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.
5 more elements
A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;
- providing said thermal energy to a steam generator;
- providing water to said steam generator;
- producing steam from said steam generator;
- injecting said steam into a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy;
- providing said mechanical energy to an electric generator;
- generating current from said electric generator from said mechanical energy;
- powering electric resistance heaters with said current, said heaters being disposed with injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in an limestone formation;
- retorting limestone in said limestone formation using heat from said heaters to produce hydrocarbon products;
- and
- extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.
8 more elements
A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;
- providing said thermal energy to a molten salt or liquid metal generator;
- providing a salt or metal to said molten salt or liquid metal generator;
- producing a molten salt or liquid -metal flow from said molten salt or liquid metal generator using a pump;
- injecting said molten salt or liquid metal flow into bayonet injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in an limestone formation;
- retorting limestone in said limestone formation using heat from said molten salt or liquid metal flow to produce hydrocarbon products;
- and
- extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection well.
5 more elements
A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;
- providing said thermal energy to a steam generator;
- providing water to said steam generator;
- producing steam from said steam generator;
- injecting said steam into a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy;
- providing said mechanical energy to an electric generator;
- generating current from said electric generator from said mechanical energy;
- powering oscillators with said current to create radio frequencies to produce heat, said oscillators being disposed with injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in a limestone formation;
- retorting limestone in said limestone formation using heat from said oscillators to produce hydrocarbon products;
- and
- extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.