Method for production of organic products from kerogen
First Claim
1. The method of producing organic liquid and gaseous products having low pour points from kerogen contained in a subsurface body of oil shale comprising the steps of:
- heating regions of said kerogen in said body to temperatures in the range between 200°
C. and 360°
C. where kerogen will convert to liquid and gaseous products by subjecting said oil shale to a time varying electric field while producing substantial pressure in fissures produced in said body;
allowing sufficient time to pass to allow substantial conversion of said kerogen to said products; and
collecting said products through said fissures.
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Abstract
A method of producing fluid organic products from kerogen in situ in a body of oil shale by the application of alternating electric fields having a frequency between 100 kilohertz and 100 megahertz to heat the kerogen in the oil shale to a temperature in the range of 200° C. to 360° C. and to maintain the kerogen in this temperature range for a period of time sufficient to convert a substantial portion of the kerogen in oil shale to fluid organic products which may be collected through fissures produced in the oil shale formation by flowing to a well bore having a collection sump.
474 Citations
11 Claims
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1. The method of producing organic liquid and gaseous products having low pour points from kerogen contained in a subsurface body of oil shale comprising the steps of:
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heating regions of said kerogen in said body to temperatures in the range between 200°
C. and 360°
C. where kerogen will convert to liquid and gaseous products by subjecting said oil shale to a time varying electric field while producing substantial pressure in fissures produced in said body;allowing sufficient time to pass to allow substantial conversion of said kerogen to said products; and collecting said products through said fissures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. The method of producing organic liquid and gaseous products having low pour points by pyrolytic conversion of kerogen contained in a subsurface body of oil shale comprising the steps of:
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producing fissures in said body by heating regions of said body to temperatures in the range between 200°
C. and 360°
C. comprising subjecting said oil shale to a time varying electric field having a frequency in the range between 100 kilohertz to 100 megahertz;maintaining said kerogen regions in said temperature range until substantial portion of said kerogen is converted to said products; and collecting said products comprising causing said products to flow through said fissures.
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5. The method of producing in situ pyrolytic conversion of kerogen in oil shale comprising the steps of:
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subjecting a body of said oil shale to alternating voltage gradients to heat regions of said kerogen to an average temperature in the range from 200°
C. to 360°
C. without heating adjacent regions of said kerogen to temperatures above 360°
C.; andproducing converted products of said kerogen from said shale. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. The method of producing organic liquid and gaseous product from kerogen contained in subsurface region of oil shale comprising the steps of:
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producing substantial pressure in fissures produced in said body while heating said kerogen to temperatures in the range between 200°
C. and 360°
C. by subjecting said body to waves of time varying energy having frequencies below 100 megahertz; andcollecting said products which flow through said fissures by means comprising a structure through which said products flow out of said region.
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10. The method of producing organic liquid and gaseous pyrolyation products from kerogen contained in a subsurface region of oil shale comprising the steps of:
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fracturing said region by heating said oil shale by means comprising subjecting said regions to a time varying electric field having a frequency below 100 megahertz while producing substantial pressure in fissures produced in said oil shale; and collecting said products which flow through said fissures to collecting structures through which said products flow out of said body.
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11. The method of producing pyrolytic conversion of kerogen in oil shale comprising the steps of:
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subjecting a subsurface body of said oil shale to alternating voltage gradients to heat regions of said kerogen to an average temperature in the range of 200°
C. to 360°
C. while producing substantial pressure in fissures produced in said body; andproducing the products of said conversion of kerogen by the flow of said product through said fissures to a collecting structure and through said collecting structure out of said body.
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Specification