Method for decontaminating a permeable subterranean formation
First Claim
1. A process for chemically oxidizing a contaminant in a permeable subterranean formation containing groundwater comprising introducing an aqueous treating solution into the formation said aqueous treating solution comprising 0.1% to 20% hydrogen peroxide and from 1 to 100 kilograms of a hydratable polymeric material per cubic meter of aqueous treating solution to provide sufficient viscosity to modify the distribution of the aqueous treating solution within the subterranean formation to provide sufficient hydrogen peroxide proximate to the contaminant to oxidize the contaminant to a less objectionable form yet minimize the distribution of hydrogen peroxide to portions of the subterranean formation free from the contaminant.
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Abstract
The present invention is a process to oxidize a contaminant in a permeable subterranean formation by introducing an aqueous treating solution into the formation which solution contains hydrogen peroxide and a compound to control the mobility of the aqueous solution by increasing the viscosity, the density, or modifying the interfacial properties of the aqueous solution within the formation. The aqueous treating solution may also contain stabilizers for the hydrogen peroxide, free radical initiators, or free radical traps. Optionally, the formation may be pretreated to modify the permeability of the formation, to deactivate or remove hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst or to uniformly distribute free radical initiators therein.
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18 Claims
- 1. A process for chemically oxidizing a contaminant in a permeable subterranean formation containing groundwater comprising introducing an aqueous treating solution into the formation said aqueous treating solution comprising 0.1% to 20% hydrogen peroxide and from 1 to 100 kilograms of a hydratable polymeric material per cubic meter of aqueous treating solution to provide sufficient viscosity to modify the distribution of the aqueous treating solution within the subterranean formation to provide sufficient hydrogen peroxide proximate to the contaminant to oxidize the contaminant to a less objectionable form yet minimize the distribution of hydrogen peroxide to portions of the subterranean formation free from the contaminant.
Specification