Method and system for extraction of hydrocarbons from oil shale

• US 7,445,041 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shale and Sands Oil Recovery LLC
• Inventors: O'Brien, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US11/600,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20070181301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 166/247, 166/50, 166/52, 166/60, 166/65.1, 166/248, 166/266, 166/267, 166/272.1, 166/272.2, 166/272.7, 166/302, 166/303, 166/308.1, 175/61, 175/62
• US Class Current: 166/247
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2635 by means of nuclear energy

Abstract

A system and method for extracting hydrocarbon products from oil shale using nuclear energy sources for energy to fracture the oil shale formations and provide sufficient heat and pressure to produce liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon products. Embodiments of the present invention also disclose steps for extracting the hydrocarbon products from the oil shale formations.

Claims

1. A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:

producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor operatively connected to a supercritical material generator;

providing said thermal energy to said supercritical material generator from a material supply operatively connected to said supercritical material generator;

providing a material to said supercritical material generator;

producing a supercritical material flow from said supercritical material generator using a high pressure pump;

injecting said supercritical material flow into fracturing wells wherein said fracturing wells are disposed in an oil shale formation; and

fracturing said oil shale formation using heat of said supercritical material flow from said fracturing wells.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing said thermal energy to a hot gas generator;

providing a gas to said hot gas generator;

producing a high pressure hot gas flow from said hot gas generator using a high pressure pump; and

injecting said high pressure hot gas flow into injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in said oil shale formation.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

retorting oil shale in said oil shale formation using heat from said hot gas flow to produce hydrocarbon products; and

extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of extracting includes a product recovery system coupled to said injection wells in a configuration for collection of gaseous and liquefied hydrocarbons released during the step of retorting.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of recovering residual gas from the step of retorting via a recycle system, said residual gas being injected with said hot gas generator.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing said thermal energy to a steam generator;

providing water to said steam generator;

producing steam from said steam generator;

injecting said steam into a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy;

providing said mechanical energy to an electric generator;

generating current from said electric generator from said mechanical energy; and

powering electric resistance heaters with said current, said heaters being disposed with injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in said oil shale formation.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

retorting oil shale in said oil shale formation using heat from said heaters to produce hydrocarbon products; and

extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of extracting includes a product recovery system coupled to said injection wells in a configuration for collection of gaseous and liquefied hydrocarbons released during the step of retorting.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing said thermal energy to a molten salt or liquid metal generator;

providing a salt or metal to said molten salt or liquid metal generator;

producing a molten salt or liquid metal flow from said molten salt or liquid metal generator using a pump; and

injecting said molten salt or liquid metal flow into bayonet injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in said oil shale formation.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

retorting oil shale in said oil shale formation using heat from said molten salt or liquid metal flow to produce hydrocarbon products; and

extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection well.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of extracting includes a product recovery system coupled to said injection wells in a configuration for collection of gaseous and liquefied hydrocarbons released during the step of retorting.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step of recovering residual salt or metal from the step of retorting via a recycle system, said residual salt or metal being injected with said molten salt or liquid metal generator.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing said thermal energy to a steam generator;

providing water to said steam generator;

producing steam from said steam generator;

injecting said steam into a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy;

providing said mechanical energy to an electric generator;

generating current from said electric generator from said mechanical energy; and

powering oscillators with said current to create radio frequencies to produce heat, said oscillators being disposed with injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in said oil shale formation.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

retorting oil shale in said oil shale formation using heat from said oscillators to produce hydrocarbon products; and

extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of extracting includes a product recovery system coupled to said injection wells in a configuration for collection of gaseous and liquefied hydrocarbons released during the step of retorting.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of constructing an infrastructure in said oil shale formation, said infrastructure being formed by horizontal and vertical direction drilling in a configuration to increase permeability and porosity of said oil shale formation.

17. A method for recovering hydrocarbon products, the method comprising the steps of:

producing thermal energy using a nuclear reactor;

providing said thermal energy to a steam generator;

providing water to said steam generator;

producing steam from said steam generator;

injecting said steam into a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy;

providing said mechanical energy to an electric generator;

generating current from said electric generator from said mechanical energy;

powering oscillators with said current to create radio frequencies to produce heat, said oscillators being disposed with injection wells wherein said injection wells are disposed in an oil shale formation;

retorting oil shale in said oil shale formation using heat from said oscillators to produce hydrocarbon products; and

extracting said hydrocarbon products from said injection wells.