Method for extraction of hydrocarbon fuels or contaminants using electrical energy and critical fluids
First Claim
1. A method of producing hydrocarbon fuel products from a body of fixed fossil fuels beneath an overburden comprising the steps of:
- (a) transmitting electrical energy down a borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels to a first predetermined temperature;
(b) providing a critical fluid with reactants or catalysts down said borehole, including a mixture of carbon dioxide as said critical fluid having a concentration of 80-100% and an oxidant, said oxidant comprises a mixture of nitrous oxide (N2O) having a concentration of 0 to 20% and oxygen (O2) having a concentration of 0 to 20%, for diffusion into said body of fixed fossil fuels at a predetermined pressure;
(c) transmitting electrical energy down said borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels and critical fluid to a second predetermined temperature; and
(d) heating said critical fluid and said fixed fossil fuels with said electrical energy to said second predetermined temperature to initiate reaction of said reactants in said critical with a fraction of said hydrocarbon fuel products in said body of fixed fossil fuels causing a portion of the remainder of said hydrocarbon fuel products to be released for extraction as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in said critical fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The extraction of hydrocarbon fuel products such as kerogen oil and gas from a body of fixed fossil fuels such as oil shale is accomplished by applying a combination of electrical energy and critical fluids with reactants and/or catalysts down a borehole to initiate a reaction of reactants in the critical fluids with kerogen in the oil shale thereby raising the temperatures to cause kerogen oil and gas products to be extracted as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in the critical fluids. The hydrocarbon fuel products of kerogen oil or shale oil and hydrocarbon gas are removed to the ground surface by a product return line. An RF generator provides electromagnetic energy, and the critical fluids include a combination of carbon dioxide (CO2), with reactants of nitrous oxide (N2O) or oxygen (O2).
166 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of producing hydrocarbon fuel products from a body of fixed fossil fuels beneath an overburden comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting electrical energy down a borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels to a first predetermined temperature; (b) providing a critical fluid with reactants or catalysts down said borehole, including a mixture of carbon dioxide as said critical fluid having a concentration of 80-100% and an oxidant, said oxidant comprises a mixture of nitrous oxide (N2O) having a concentration of 0 to 20% and oxygen (O2) having a concentration of 0 to 20%, for diffusion into said body of fixed fossil fuels at a predetermined pressure; (c) transmitting electrical energy down said borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels and critical fluid to a second predetermined temperature; and (d) heating said critical fluid and said fixed fossil fuels with said electrical energy to said second predetermined temperature to initiate reaction of said reactants in said critical with a fraction of said hydrocarbon fuel products in said body of fixed fossil fuels causing a portion of the remainder of said hydrocarbon fuel products to be released for extraction as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in said critical fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of producing hydrocarbon fuel products from a body of fixed fossil fuels beneath an overburden comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a critical fluid with reactants or catalysts down said borehole, including a mixture of carbon dioxide as said critical fluid having a concentration of 80-100% and an oxidant, said oxidant comprises a mixture of nitrous oxide (N2O) having a concentration of 0-20% and oxygen (O2) having a concentration of 0-20%, for diffusion into said body of fixed fossil fuels at a predetermined pressure; (b) transmitting electrical energy down a borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels and critical fluid to a predetermined temperature; and (c) heating said critical fluid and said fixed fossil fuels with said electrical energy to said predetermined temperature to initiate reaction of said reactants in said critical fluid with a fraction of said hydrocarbon fuel products in said body of fixed fossil fuels causing a portion of the remainder of said hydrocarbon fuel products to be released for extraction as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in said critical fluids. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of producing hydrocarbon fuel products from a body of fixed fossil fuels beneath an overburden comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting electrical energy down a borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels to a first predetermined temperature; (b) providing a critical fluid with reactants or catalysts down said borehole for diffusion into said body of fixed fossil fuels at a predetermined pressure; (c) transmitting electrical energy down said borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels and critical fluid to a second predetermined temperature; (d) heating said critical fluid and said fixed fossil fuels with said electrical energy to said second predetermine temperature to initiate reaction of said reactants in said critical fluid with a fraction of said hydrocarbon fuel products in said body of fixed fossil fuels causing a portion of the remainder of said hydrocarbon fuel products to be released for extraction as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in said critical fluid; (e) monitoring said first predetermined temperature and said second predetermined temperature in an immediate region of said body of fixed fossil fuels to optimize producing said hydrocarbon fuel products, said second predetermined temperature being sufficient to initiate an oxidation reaction, said reaction providing additional heat required to efficiently release said hydrocarbon fuel products; and (f) providing at lease one thermocouple device in an distant region of said body of fixed fossil fuels, wherein said distant region is on the order of an RF wavelength lamda (λ
) divided by six (6).
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44. A method of producing hydrocarbon fuel products from a body of fixed fossil fuels beneath an overburden comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a critical fluid with reactants or catalysts down said borehole for diffusion into said body of fixed fossil fuels at a predetermined pressure; (b) transmitting electrical energy down a borehole to heat said body of fixed fossil fuels and critical fluid to a predetermined temperature; (c) heating said critical fluid and said fixed fossil fuels with said electrical energy to said predetermined temperature to initiate reaction of said reactants in said critical fluid with a fraction of said hydrocarbon fuel products in said body of fixed fossil fuels causing a portion of the remainder of said hydrocarbon fuel products to be released for extraction as a vapor, liquid or dissolved in said critical fluid; (d) monitoring said temperature in an immediate region of said body of fixed fossil fuels to optimize producing said hydrocarbon fuel products, said temperature being sufficient to initiate an oxidation reaction, said reaction providing additional heat required to efficiently release said hydrocarbon fuel products; and (e) providing at least one thermocouple device in a distant region of said body of fixed fossil fuels, wherein said distant region in on the order of an RF wavelength lamda (λ
) divided by six (6).
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Specification