# US 5,346,330 A · Method of yielding oil residues or oil containing liquids from contaminated ground layers

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- Number: US 5,346,330 A
- Document ID: US5346330A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/063,991
- Filed: 1993-05-19
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1992-05-23
- Assignees: IEG Industrie-Engineering GmbH
- Inventors: Bruno Bernhardt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346330A

## CPC

- E21B 43/17: Interconnecting two or more wells by fracturing or otherwise attacking the formation ({E21B43/2405,} E21B43/247 take precedence)
- B09C 1/002: {involving in-situ ground water treatment}
- B09C 1/02: Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching {, flotation}
- E21B 43/14: Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
- E21B 43/38: in the well
- B09C 2101/00: In situ
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00)

## Abstract

A method of yielding oil residues or oil containing liquids from contaminated ground layers, includes forming at least two adjacent bore holes in a contaminated ground region, producing connecting passages between the bore holes by loosening and partially rinsing out components of a ground material which surrounds the bore holes and directing a liquid in at least one of the bore holes; applying an underpressure in at least one of the bore holes for aspirating the liquid upwardly, supplying a fluid in at least another one of the bore hole with maintaining a pressure difference between the bore holes, and aspirating in the bore hole under pressure oil separated from the liquid in a raised liquid column or an oil containing cover layer of the liquid column.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of yielding oil residues or oil containing liquids from contaminated ground layers, comprising the steps of forming at least two adjacent bore holes in a contaminated ground region; producing connecting passages between said bore holes by loosening and partially rinsing out components of a ground material which surrounds said bore holes by directing a liquid in any of said bore holes; applying an underpressure in at least one of said bore holes for aspirating a liquid column upwardly in said at least one bore hole; supplying a fluid in at least another of said bore holes with maintaining a pressure difference between said bore holes; and in said at least one bore hole which is under underpressure, aspirating oil which is separated from the liquid column inside said one bore hole or an oil containing cover layer of the liquid column.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said loosening and with partial rinsing out includes pumping the liquid in said at least one bore hole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said loosening and with partial rinsing out includes aspirating the liquid from said at least one bore hole.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplying a fluid includes supplying the liquid in said at least another bore hole.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplying a fluid includes supplying air in said at least another bore hole.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said aspirating includes aspirating by a liquid feed pump.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said providing includes providing several such bore holes arranged approximately at uniform distances from one another and alternatingly providing the underpressure in said at least one bore hole and providing a pressure in said at least another bore hole while maintaining a pressure difference, for supplying the fluid in said at least another bore hole.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, and further comprising driving said bore holes further down after a predetermined treatment time and again repeating said steps of producing connecting channels, providing the underpressure, supplying the fluid, and aspirating the oil or oil containing cover layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, and further method, comprising intermittently performing the steps of producing the underpressure and therefore aspirating the liquid upwardly, and aspirating the oil or the oil containing cover layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of providing the underpressure includes slowly aspirating the liquid from said at least one bore hole which is under the underpressure up to a discharge opening provided with an oil separator.