Upgrading and mining of coal
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHarold J. Vinegar, Kevin Albert Maher, Scott Lee Wellington
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for treating a coal formation to alter properties of coal in the formation is provided. In one embodiment, heat from one or more heaters may be provided to at least a portion of the formation. Heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation. In certain embodiments, the heat from the one or more heaters may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons within the part of the formation. The method may include producing a fluid from the formation. In some embodiments, the produced fluid may include at least some pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the formation. In an embodiment, after at least some coal has been treated at least a portion of such coal may be produced from the formation.
Claims39
A method of mining coal from a coal formation, comprising:
- mining coal from a portion of a treated formation, wherein the treated formation is obtained by:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to establish a pyrolysis zone in a part of the formation;
- and
- controlling a production rate of fluids from the formation to adjust an average time that hydrocarbons are in or flowing into the pyrolysis zone.
A method of producing upgraded coal from a coal formation, comprising:
- producing upgraded coal from a portion of a treated formation, wherein the formation is treated by:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to establish a pyrolysis zone in a part of the formation;
- controlling a production rate of fluids from the formation to adjust an average time that hydrocarbons are in or flowing into the pyrolysis zone;
- and
- wherein treatment of the formation upgrades a part of the coal.
A method of producing upgraded coal from a coal formation, comprising:
- producing upgraded coal from a portion of a treated formation, wherein the formation is treated by:
- providing heat from one or more heaters to establish a pyrolysis zone in a part of the formation;
- and
- wherein treatment of the formation upgrades at least a part of the coal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.