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Method for in situ removal of a spilled fluid from soil

  • US 5,180,013 A
  • Filed: 09/12/1991
  • Issued: 01/19/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for extracting a spilled fluid from soil, the fluid being immiscible with and lighter than water and occupying a fluid zone overlying groundwater, thus producing air/fluid and fluid/water interfaces, the underlying water occupying a groundwater zone displaced vertically downward by the fluid relative to an unstressed water table, comprising:

  • penetrating through the fluid zone and at least partially through the groundwater zone to provide a bore in communication therewith; and

    thenextracting an amount of fluid from the fluid zone through the bore, the amount selected to maintain contact between at least a portion of the fluid being extracted through the bore and at least a portion of the fluid remaining in the fluid zone; and

    separately extracting an amount of water from the groundwater zone through the bore to minimize upward movement of water from the groundwater zone into the fluid zone and to provide or at least maintain a head of fluid above the fluid/water interface adjacent the bore sufficient to cause gravity drainage of the fluid from the fluid zone in a direction generally toward the bore and controlling extraction of the water from the groundwater zone in a manner selected to maintain a major portion of the fluid/water interface and any unstressed portions of the water table at levels closely adjacent the levels occupied prior to commencing any extraction of the fluid and the water to prevent or at least minimize further vertical spread of the fluid.

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