PERMFILE71003

• Permit No: M1999002
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/18/1999
• Doc Name: SOLUBLE SALT PROCESSES FOR IN SITU RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL SHALE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

r~t~
Neared Eaa (froth or ruyeled) is~cted into the top of
the process c^vity (see Fig. 8).
In addition to in-situ cnmbttstinn and "Incri ' Ii0t-gat
inje[linn. wC hsrC COntWCfCd ItIC u,C Of testa rulttl tleum
u a kcrogrn conversion process, In~the to eft arv a~men-
ablc Io luMin , tht de th of the [tom- f the s halite
rsappmtsnwtelY2.000ft.limitingtheinjcaion r~p-
surc.)"'a~f000 st. Lttrutad field work m 1962 at
dept s n 1,660 to 2,444 ft indicntCd a formation brak-
down prasurc of more than ft and
do sure o ut .9 si/ft. lltcse values, which arc
rclativdy high or vortical fnctures in normal reservoir
rocks, suggest that the susses in she oil-ttule column arc
^pprozimatel}• equal in all directions and correspond to
the weight of the overburden This is COnsislrn[ with
known plutic behavior Of rich Oil [tale and of lulite In
addition to the high brukdown and fncotre-otrcnslon
prusurc gradients, compressive {trttsn resulting from
conduction heating provide an additional safeguard
against attidcnul fracturing of she overlying oil [hale.
Na only would dtt thermal stresses Huse rt more def.
ficuli to open hydraulic fracture in the oil shale. but any
hot fluids escaping through a facture would caux the oil
thole to expand, thus [losing the fncturc.
As Can be fern from Fig. 9. it takes about 85 days IO
achieve 90-percem ronvcsion of kengen at a tempca-
turc of 600 °F. 7ltese data are readily obuin~ble from [he
t p[Ci(i: rC.a[SiOn arc !or kvogcn conversnm reported by
Cummins and Robinson." who concluded that the
p}rolysis process is approxirrutely lust Dolor A tempera
tore o[600 'F corresponds to a Satut7ted steam pressure
of shoal 1.52fi psig. which is well within ninon far
n1°~Ylr •: t•t1~ nIYW
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injcctian a dcpshs of ~ (s and dcspcr in the Ptceance
Gcck Basin.
One of the more apparent advant{ges of clam over
in.tilu Cnnllglallon end hot inch-ga[ injeCll0n 6 Ihal ire
condensation of the steam pmvidu the mops for IuCh-
ing lht nahcolitc and convening the kemgcn to shale-oil
pnxlugs in a rombincd opervdon. Thus aceelaating oil
production The use of hot water for luchina and rvb-
bling before an in tilu combustion nr Ito[ inert-gss injec-
tion rwt only rtqu'ues more W{ICI, but delays the suet
of oil rctnvery for about 3 ytars in {Commercial-size
pmcas cavity. Accordingly. a tram process wu fe-
leclyd for fold toting.
The steam process is rhostn scherrutiully in Fig. 10.
For this convtrs ion method, team rs Infected at she top of
the process inrcrvnl such tha; the forttution it hated by
the Condrnsing steam, nahcplite is dissolved by the from
condensate, and the keroge~ in Ire lathed region is
pyrolyzed ro bitumen, ahaie oil, and gu. As the nahcolite
is leached ^nd i{ heamd, the oil shale rubbles, pertaining
the radial growth o! a peJn+eahle zone around the inject
lion well and rho eontinnatinn of the retorting proCCSS.
Released hydrocarbon liquids and goes, uncondensed
[team. CO, gu from the Cecomprniiion of nahcolite
and dawsontte, an aqueous solution of sodium
earbonatelsndium biearbonat:, tnA suspended solids arc
produCCG.
Field Test
A fmlA tGt of the soluble-fah process using stem to
convert kerogrn to oil products with eencunent leaching
of she soluble satrs and gmwth of the rvbblcd process
RD. t 4-$cf.amaut ba~rarn [t1 nv ~n'hYtec'. Y at3+t~, nAOtlr+p,
anC (prrverson p+vaet ts-~, asaam ipdon
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