Recovery system for oil shale deposits
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Hill, Durk J. Pearson, Ethelyn P. Motley, Thomas N. Beard, James L. Farrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen values and associated minerals from subsurface oil shale deposits is provided by forming a gas-tight retort chamber and injecting it with a hot, pressurized gas followed by a solvent extraction and finally a combustion of the hydrocarbon residue. In order to conduct the process, the shale formation must be beneath a gas impermeable geological structure which will form a gas-tight chamber upon leaching of the water soluble minerals.
Claims16
A process for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbon values and associated minerals from subsurface oil shale deposits in which a gas-tight retort chamber can be produced comprising the steps of:
- A. drilling into said oil shale deposits;
- B. injecting heated water into said shale deposits to dissolve and extract said associated minerals which are water soluble thereby forming a substantially gas-tight chamber;
- C. injecting hot, pressurized gas into said shale deposit in said chamber whereby said associated minerals are decomposed and hydrocarbon fluids extracted;
- D. injecting a solvent-surfactant into said deposit and extracting said decomposed minerals and hydrocarbon fluids;
- E. removing said solvent-surfactant from said deposit;
- F. instituting a flame front to combust hydrocarbon and carbonaceous residue;
- and
- G. filling said chamber with a fluid selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous solutions, and aqueous slurries.
A process for the in-situ recovery of hydrocarbon values and associated minerals from subsurface oil shale deposits in which a gas-tight retort chamber can be produced comprising the steps of:
- A. drilling at least one hole into the bottom of said shale deposit;
- B. inserting piping to the bottom of said hole;
- C. pumping heated water down an injection pipe into said shale formation and extracting water soluble associated minerals from a producer pipe thereby forming a substantially gas-tight chamber;
- D. injecting hot, pressurized gas down said injection pipe into said shale deposit whereby said associated minerals are decomposed by heat and hydrocarbon fluids are extracted from said producer pipe;
- E. injecting a mixture comprising a surfactant and a portion of said water soluble mineral values previously obtained down said injection pipe and extracting said decomposed minerals and hydrocarbon fluids from said producing well;
- F. clearing said chamber;
- G. instituting a flame front to combust hydrocarbon and carbonaceous residue and extracting hydrocarbon values from said producer pipe for process heating;
- H. filling said chamber with aqueous solution or slurry;
- and
- I. raising the termination of said injector pipe and said producer pipe a predetermined distance to begin the formation of the next gas-tight chamber in said shale deposit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.