In situ method of processing bituminous coal
OwnerJames R. Penningtoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Bituminous coal is processed in situ for the recovery of values therefrom by drilling at least one borehole into the underground deposit, introducing a solvent for inclusions of resinous and other uncarbonized vegetable matter present in the coal, which solvent may or may not also be effective in some degree to dissolve carbonaceous matter, removing the solvent pregnant with the dissolved matter, so as to leave a substantially permeable area of coal in the deposit at and adjacent to the end of the borehole, igniting the coal at the end of the borehole, and removing products of combustion from the permeablized area while introducing a combustion-supporting gas into the area for advancing a heat front through the permeablized area.
Claims10
A method for the in situ processing of deposits of bituminous coal having inclusions of uncarbonized vegetable matter randomly distributed throughout to recover values therefrom, comprising introducing into an area of a deposit of such bituminous coal a solvent for said uncarbonized vegetable matter;
- removing the pregnant solvent from said area after a time period sufficient to effect dissolution of much of said uncarbonized vegetable matter, to thereby leave voids within said area and to render said area substantially permeable to combustion gases;
- igniting coal within said area;
- and supplying a combustion-supporting gas to the ignited coal while removing products of combustion, to thereby establish at least one heat front which migrates throughout said area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.