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Recovery of Liquid Hydrocarbons from Oil Shale by Electromagnetic Heating In Situ
Title
Recovery of Liquid Hydrocarbons from Oil Shale by Electromagnetic Heating In Situ
Creator
Sresty, Guggilam C., Snow, Richard H., Bridges, Jack E.
Date
2009-05-08, 1984-12-04
Description
A method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an oil shale formation containing kerogen in an inorganic matrix...
Show moreA method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an oil shale formation containing kerogen in an inorganic matrix where the formation is substantially impermeable to fluids under native conditions. A block of the oil shale formation is substantially uniformly heated in situ with electromagnetic power to a temperature of about 275.degree. C. where there is pyrolysis of a portion of the kerogen to gas and shale oil at a pressure sufficient to overcome the capillary pressure of the shale oil in the matrix, thereby providing substantial fluid permeability to the formation. The gas thereupon escaping from said block and the shale oil driven thereby are recovered, thereby further increasing the permeability of the formation. The magnitude of the electromagnetic power is controlled to raise the temperature of the block relatively slowly to increase the rate of pyrolysis of the kerogen as the permeability of the formation increases to produce gas at pressures above the necessary to overcome the capillary pressure and below that at which there is substantial escape of the gas bypassing shale oil within the formation rather than driving the oil before it.
Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute
United States Patent
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In Situ Decontamination of Spills and Landiflls by Radio Frequency Heating
Title
In Situ Decontamination of Spills and Landiflls by Radio Frequency Heating
Creator
Bridges, Jack E., Dev, Harsh, Snow, Richard H., Taflove, Allen
Date
2009-05-08, 1987-06-02
Description
A water-containing region at or near the surface of the earth, such as a landfill, that is contaminated with hazardous materials is...
Show moreA water-containing region at or near the surface of the earth, such as a landfill, that is contaminated with hazardous materials is decontaminated by heating the region with bound radio frequency energy from a bound-wave transmission line excitor array disposed outside the region to a temperature to boil water and thereby increase the permeability of the region. The heating is continued by dielectric heating after water has boiled from at least a portion of the region to heat the portion to elevated temperatures substantially above the boiling point of water. The materials may then be rendered innocuous in situ in a number of ways, as by pyrolysis, thermally assisted decomposition, or reaction with an introduced reagent, such as oxygen. The materials may also be driven from the region, as by distillation or by evaporation and steam drive and then collected and disposed of, as by incineration.
Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute
United States Patent
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Method for Recovery of Viscous Hydrocarbons by Electromagnetic Heating In Situ
Title
Method for Recovery of Viscous Hydrocarbons by Electromagnetic Heating In Situ
Creator
Sresty, Guggilam C., Dev, Harsh, Snow, Richard H., Bridges, Jack E.
Date
2009-05-08, 1984-12-04
Description
A method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an earth formation containing viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid...
Show moreA method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an earth formation containing viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid and water in an inorganic matrix where the formation is substantially impermeable to fluids under native conditions. A block of the earth formation is substantially uniformly heated with electromagnetic power to a temperature at which the viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid is relatively fluid and a portion of the water vaporizes to water vapor at a pressure sufficient to overcome the capillary pressure of the liquid in the matrix. Water vapor thereupon escaping from the block under such pressure is recovered with hydrocarbonaceous liquid driven thereby. The magnitude of the electromagnetic power is controlled to limit the current recovery ratio of water vapor to hydrocarbonaceous liquid below a predetermined limit assuring substantial recovery of the hydrocarbonaceous liquid prior to the driving off of substantially all the water.
Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute
United States Patent
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