Process and apparatus for the recovery of liquid bitumen from underground deposits

• US 3,360,044 A
• Filed: 03/05/1964
• Issued: 12/26/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans Lange
• Original Assignee: Hans Lange
• Inventors: Lange, Hans
• Application Number:
  US04/349,589
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• US Class Current: 166/260
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOSITIONS FOR THE RECOVERY OF LIQUID BITUMENS FOR SUBTERRANEAN DEPOSITS COMPRISING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER SURROUNDED BY A STEAM GENERATOR, IN WHICH CHAMBER IS LOCATED A BURNER, A CONDUIT FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBONS UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID BURNER, A SECOND CONDUIT FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF ENRICHED OXYGEN CARRIERS TO SAID BURNER, A MIXING HCAMBER ADJACENT TO AND CONNECTED TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, MEANS FRO INTRODUCING LIGHT HYDROCARBONS INTO THE COMBUSTION GASES IN THE SAID MIXING CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING SAID LIGHT HYDROCARBONS INTO SAID COMBUSTION GASES, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE MIXTURE OF COMBUSTION GASES AND LIGHT HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER.

2. A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF LIQUID BITUMEN FROM SUBTERRANEAN BITUMINOUS DEPOSITS BY TREATING SAID DEPOSITS THROUGH DRILL HOLDES WITH FLUID MEDIA WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING THROUGH SAID DRILL HOLES INTO SAID DEPOSITS A MIXTURE OF A HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM ND HEATED COMBUSTION GASES AND REMOVING LIQUID BITMENS THROUGH ADJACENT DRILL HOLES, SAID HEATED COMBUSTION GASES PRODUCED BY THE COMBUSTION OF HYDROCARBONS WITH AN OXYGEN CARRIER CONTAINING 80 TO 95% O2, AND THE RESULTING MODIFIED GASES OF COMBUSTION BEING THEN MIXED WITH SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM COMPRISING C1-C7 HYDROCARBONS.