Integrated in situ retorting and refining of oil shale

A method of producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale fixed-bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a substantially horizontal, naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to and substantially parallel to a lower permeability zone, the steps comprising:

• providing at least one injection opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached higher permeability zone of the formation, the injection opening having a first vertical depth;
• providing at least one production opening in the higher permeability zone of the formation, the production opening having a second vertical depth, the first vertical depth of the injection opening approximately the same depth as to second vertical depth of the production opening, the same depth of the injection opening and the production opening providing horizontal communication therebetween;
• injecting a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid into the injection opening and controlling a fluid pressure, controlling a pressure gradient, controlling a flow rate, controlling a temperature, controlling a temperature gradient, controlling a potentiometric surface and controlling a potentiometric surface gradient within the hydrocarbon formation;
• circulating the carrier fluid horizontally through the higher permeability zone and parallel thereto;
• mobilizing hydrocarbons in at least a portion of the hydrocarbon formation in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and producing at least a portion of mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the mobilized hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface;
• and
• removing at least one selected hydrocarbon held in the carrier fluid.

A method of producing hydrocarbons in situ from an oil shale fixed-bed hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a substantially horizontal, naturally occurring, water-flow leached, higher permeability zone next to and substantially parallel to a lower permeability zone, the steps comprising:

• providing at least one injection opening in the naturally occurring, water-flow leached higher permeability zone of the formation, the injection opening having a first vertical depth;
• providing at least one production opening in the higher permeability zone of the formation, the production opening having a second vertical depth, the first vertical depth of the injection opening approximately the same depth as to second vertical depth of the production opening, the same depth of the injection opening and the production opening providing horizontal communication therebetween;
• injecting a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid into the injection opening;
• circulating the carrier fluid horizontally through the higher permeability zone between the injection opening and the production opening;
• displacing a formation fluid in the higher permeability zone between the injection opening and the production opening at a pressure greater than an existing hydrostatic formation fluid pressure found in the higher permeability zone;
• mobilizing hydrocarbons in at least a portion of the hydrocarbon formation in situ by heating the higher permeability zone and producing at least a portion of mobilized hydrocarbons by flowing the carrier fluid with the mobilized hydrocarbons through the production opening to the ground surface;
• and
• removing at least one selected hydrocarbon held in the carrier fluid.