US3316962A - In situ combustion method for residualoil recovery from petroleum deposits - Google Patents

In situ combustion method for residualoil recovery from petroleum deposits Download PDF

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Publication number
US3316962A
US3316962A US540452A US54045266A US3316962A US 3316962 A US3316962 A US 3316962A US 540452 A US540452 A US 540452A US 54045266 A US54045266 A US 54045266A US 3316962 A US3316962 A US 3316962A
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boreholes
deposit
combustion
recovery
zone
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US540452A
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Lange Hans
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Wintershall Dea International AG
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Deutsche Erdoel AG
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/30—Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
    • E21B43/24—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons using heat, e.g. steam injection
    • E21B43/243—Combustion in situ

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for recovering residual oil from petroleum deposits.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of oil field exploitation comprising flooding the field with water in the direction of exploitation while conducting an in situ combustion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of exploitation.
  • Still further objects of the invention are the use of compressed activated gases of combus-tion for the in situ combustion with controlled pressure variation of the combustion gases.
  • this rock structure From the compression holes to the recovery holes this rock structure will constantly increase and be lengthened, and eX- te-nd from the compression hole with a forwardly positioned gas-permeable tongue into the recovery hole.
  • the axis of the combustion front extends from the compression hole to the recovery hole. In case the deposit is filled with liquid, this direction of the axis is predetermined by virtue of the fact that free-blowing thereof is required prior to beginning the in situ combustion, and the liquid will be rising to the upper edge of the deposit at the recovery hole.
  • the oxidation tagents flow on this axis behind the combustion front in the burnt-out rock of the deposit.
  • rows of recovery boreholes defining a recovery Zone, rows of treatment and leading boreholes defining a treatment zone, and rows of flooding boreholes are drilled in an oil eld for the recovery of residual oil therein.
  • the direction of flow of the product to be recovered is controlled by the pressure gradient from the flooding boreholes to the recovery boreholes.
  • the product being recovered is treated in the treatment zone by controlled in situ combustion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow.
  • FIG. 1 a top plan view of a portion of an underground deposit of liquid bitumens is schematically illus-trated.
  • a flooding zone, a treatment zone, and a recovery zone are illustrated with the respective flooding boreholes, treating and leading boreholes, and recovery boreholes therein.
  • the sections of the drawing shown in Roman numerals illustrate the process steps of the invention conducted between the -treating boreholes and leading boreholes perpendicular to the direction of flow of the recovery.
  • a method has ibeen proposed to provide a more complete recovery of the contents of a petroleum deposit or reservoir by means of the in situ combustion -by opening an oil field with staggered rows of boreholes which serve as flooding boreholes in a structurally deep zone and as recovery boreholes in a structurally high zone.
  • treating boreholes Arranged between these rows of boreholes an so-called leading boreholes in one treatment zone in which the content of the deposit is heated and loved in a circulation pattern by virtue of the fact tha-t it recovered from the leading boreholes above ground nd reintroduced, after heating, into the deposit through 1e treating boreholes.
  • Heating is effected in that hot iodied and activated combustion gas is admixed above round to the liquid content of the deposit.
  • the modied combustion gas which contains little nitrogen is prouced by burning predominantly gaseous deposit con- :nt with air enriched with oxygen from 8O to 95% in he pressure combustion chamber of a boiler.
  • enriched oxygen containing, in addition to 80-95% txygen, also a residue of yfrom to 20% nitrogen, an .acti- 'ated combustion gas is recovered from the modified comustion gas.
  • the treating -boreholes and the leading boreloles of one treatment zone are staggered and therefore tre arranged that the movement of the circulation takes )lace in a direction which differs from the flow lmovement ⁇ esulti'ng from the primary movement from the flooding )orehole to the recovery borehole.
  • the activated aombustion gas With the activated aombustion gas, an in situ combustion is initiated in the reatcd deposit and a reaction zone is created in the treatnent zone.
  • modified combustion gas is produced which has the property of condensing and, respectively, 3f becoming dissolved -in the liquid deposit content with- Jut leaving a Igaseous phase.
  • the in situ combustion according to the method of the present application in combination with a flooding is automatically stabilized in lthe following manner.
  • Deposit proportions or portions which are present predominantly in solid form as coke are burned in the reaction zone during the in :situ combustion.
  • This solid fuel is formed during cracking in the residue from a flash evaporation by means of hot gases and vapors from the react-ion zone and is a process which corresponds to a process for the treatment of petroleum which has been called delayed coking. If the temperature in the reaction zone is very high in the presence of many solid coke proportions or constituents, the deposit rock is heated to a high temperature.
  • the flood water owing in directly behind the traveling reaction or combustion front will form at this rock large amounts of highly heated vapor.
  • the gaseous and vaporous cracking products are mixed with the modified combustion gas and the resultant water vapor, so that the procedure and events described hereinabove are repeated.
  • the in situ combustion in the react-ion zone is carried out with activated combustion gas consisting of carbon dioxide, water vapor and larger amounts of enriched oxygen. Mixed therewith is the additional vapor, formed at the hot rock, in the reaction zone and increases the endothermic water vapor reduction which additionally keep the temperature peaks low.
  • the reaction temperature will thus folilow a course in an undulatory manner about a mean Value as a result of which fact the combustion process becomes stabilized since it cannot increase beyond control nor cause itself to be spent.
  • iiood water is introduced under pressure through flooding boreholes behind the reaction zone and guided in the direction of the primary movement from the iiood zone to the recovery zone. Additional amounts of vapor resulting from contact with the hot burntout rock ⁇ are compressed by a pressure gradient corresponding to the primary movement through the reaction zone at an tangle to the axis perpendicular thereto. Limited amounts of an a-ctivated combustion gas having increased oxygen content for the purpose of attaining high combustion temperature are introduced in the combustion zone -with a liow perpendicular to the primary movement and therewith a delayed coking is carried out with the residues still being present in the reaction zone.
  • the flood zone follow the moving reaction zone which is displaced, due to the pressure gradient of the primary movement, parallel to the axis of the combustion direction.
  • additional amounts of water vapor are formed at the hot burnt-out rock, which has been left behind by the moving reaction zone, and will tiow into the reaction zone positioned thereahead.
  • the pressure gradient -in the primary movement and the ⁇ direction of flow of the resultant water vapor force also miiuence the activated combustion gas having been introduced into this direction of flow.
  • the oxidation agent is thus forced to always flow into the deposited coke from the delayed coking so that marginal problems or burntout rock structures cannot be formed or be produced.
  • the water vapor with the formation of water gas acts in this care in a temperature-regulating or controlling manner; the major portion is converted into over-heated vapor which latter, after iiowing through the reaction zone being disposed at right angles to the direction of its iiow, will bring about a iiash evaporation of the deposit or reservoir content ahead of the reaction zone.
  • the regulation or control of the portions to be burned in the reaction zone as well as the regulation of the reaction temperature renders it possible to use an activated combustion gas having an increased content of enriched oxygen (the quantity thereof may be increased up to a portion of 40% in the combustion gas).
  • the catalysts which are deposited possibly at the same time as the salt may become effective once the reaction zone has penetrated into the respective section or compartment of the deposit or reservoir. They may serve for influencing the cracking, coking or combustion of the deposit content and, respectively, support the same.
  • the starting point or basis is the process or method .known in the art of opening a field by flood boreholes and recovery boreholes between which treating boreholes and leading boreholes are disposed. An in situ combustion is initiated from the treating borehole to the leading borehole and a reaction zone is thus created having a movement of flow differing from the primary movement from the flooding borehole to the recovery borehole.
  • the iield to be recovered is subdivided into individual sections extending at right angles to the primary movement and being delimited by rows of boreholes or wells in the direction of the primary movement.
  • the field to be recovered is subdivided into flood zone, a treatment zone, and a recovery zone.
  • This treatment consists of a heating operation by admixing hot combustion gases which are completely soluble in the deposit content and, respectively, are condensable therein without leaving a gaseous phase.
  • gases defined as modified combustion gas, consist of carbon dioxide, water vapor and some nitrogen and may be recovered by burning hydrocarbons with an oxidation agent, predominantly air, containing only a little nitrogen.
  • the treatment may, moreover, consist also in a separation of the deposit or reservoir content being removed from the leading borehole into liquid and gaseous portions, at which time the 4liquid constituents are separated as recovered product and the gaseous portions serve for producing the modified combustion gas.
  • the treated and, respectively, converted product is introduced once again under pressure into the deposit through the treating borehole BB. Due to the fact that the medium is compressed into the treating borehole and that the discharge or removal is effected through the leading borehole, a forced flow is produced under the influence of the pressure gradient between these two boreholes in the deposit or reservoir.
  • an enriched oxygen containing aside from to 90% of oxygen additionally also from 5 to 15% of nitrogen is admixed to the medium aboveground, as shown at B in section III of the drawing, and an activated combustion gas is thus formed.
  • an in situ combustion is initiated in the deposit and a reaction or combustion front is produced whose axis is at right angles to the primary movement resulting from the pressure gradient ahead of the flooding zone to the recovery zone. Accordingly, the reaction Zone in which the in situ combustion is carried out is laterally delimited by the leading borehole and the treating borehole.
  • a pressure gradient is produced in the direction of the primary movement to thus effect a parallel displacement of the reaction zone in the direction toward the recovery zone.
  • the traveling speed or speed of 'movement thereof depends upon the oxygen content of the activated cornlbustion gas supplying the combustion in the reaction zone and upon the amount of fuel being formed in the reaction zone and is controlled by the amount of oxygen.
  • the progress or advance of the combustion is always slower than the speed of flow of the gases and vapors.
  • the pressure gradient is built up Iby compressing the flood water into the flooding boreholes and by recovering deposit content from the recovery boreholes.
  • the flood water line follows the reaction zone and ilows into the burnt-out hot rock. While water vapors are formed, the recovery of the heat being stored there taires place and the vapor acts in a regulating manner on the combustion process in the manner described hereinabove.
  • The: reaction zone is thereby displaced in a direction toward the recovery zone, as illustrated in sections V and VII of the drawing.
  • activated combustion gas may be introduced both into the treating borehole and into the leading borehole of the deposit in order to supply the traveling or moving reaction front with this maxim-m.
  • the reaction zone has traveled, for example, half the distance to the next row of boreholes, a large heat source will have been produced in many instances ahead of and behind the reaction zone which is sufficient to assure that the second half to the next row of wells is now de-oiled by flooding only so that for this operational section additional oxygen is no longer required since the ilood water will drive the heat being introduced ahead of it.
  • flood water being charged with oxygen is compressed into the flooding borehole and the supply of ac- ⁇ tivated combustion gas to the reaction zone is discontinued when approximately half of the -distance between two parallel rows of boreholes has been burnt out by the reaction zone traveling therebetween.
  • the oxygen con- :nt of the flood water is so chosen that it willsuice to iaintain a weak combustion since the latter will take lace only in the preheated deposit or reservoir rock.
  • ⁇ he process or method modification may be carried out ieriodically, possibly until the next row of boreholes has leen reached. This stage of the method is illustrated in ection IX of the drawing.
  • the two movements of flow act upon one another in the form of displacement bodies which are inuenced by the pressure gradient (from the compressed borehole to the closed-off borehole) and by the viscosity gradient (from the comhusion gas to the water vapor having considerably lower viscosity).
  • a conical displacement of the range of action of the activated combustion gas takes place thereby, with a broad base of the cone in the region of the high pressure of the combustion gas around the compressed borehole and with the apex in the range of the lower pressure where the borehole is closed.
  • the predominance of the activated combustion gas at the base results in an intensified cracking
  • the reduction thereof at the apex of the cone results in an intensified flash evaporation of the deposit content.
  • the cone-shaped range of action is, in each case, reversed. The result thereof is the desired ,guiding or control of the reaction process-even in case of a larger distance between the lboreholes--and a favorable utilization of the vapor produced in the deposit or reservoir.
  • a combustion zone is initially built up in the treatment zone of a deposit or reservoir and guided in a forced flow by introducing oxidation agents between the Itreating borehole and the leading borehole. After stopping the forced flow between the two boreholes, a ooding of the treatment zone is subsequently initiated and carried out at an angle differing from the direction of the forced fiow of the combustion and which is enhanced by taking up the recovery in the direction of the primary movement.
  • the heat which is produced in the combustion zone is sufficient to Iflood out the deposit con-tent to the next row of boreholes.
  • This stratum is under a pressure of atm. at 60 C. It has a porous volume of 26% by volume, filled with mineral oil, natural gas and natural water.
  • a burning front is formed between a leading borehole and a treating borehole and extending transversely to the primary pressure gradient from the flooding borings to the recovery borings.
  • the burning front is maintained by the introduction of 35.6 Nm.3 (cubic meters ⁇ at normal conditions of pressure and temperature) oxygen mixed with steam and carbon dioxide per m.3 of the rock that is contained in the burning front. This amount of oxygen burns 17.15 kg.
  • T-he latent heat of the hot mixture of steam and CO2 contains a total of 151,400 kcal. of heat energy per m.3 of the deposit.
  • a temperature of, e.g. 480 C. reached.
  • this temperature 195,000 kcal. of heat energy per m of the deposit. This amount of heat energy was produced in part by the heat of combustion per m.3 of deposit, and also in part by the steam and gases of combustion which were heated by the previously burnt-out rock.
  • a method for the recovery of residual oil from underground petroleum deposits by flooding and in situ combustion comprising the following steps:
  • step (c) a pressure gradient is established between the flooding boreholes and the recovery boreholes and the migration Velocity of the burning zone is controlled by varying the amount of oxygen that is introduced into the combustion gas, so that during the combined flash vaporzation and delayed coking of the stratum contents, by diminishing the amount of oxygen, larger portions of the stratum contents will remain behind as combustible materials which retard the rate of burning, and conversely by increasing the amount of oxygen smaller portions of the stratum contents will remain behind -as combustible materials which strongly incre-ase the rate of burning.
  • a method for the recovery of residual oil from inderground petroleum deposits by flooding and in situ :ombustion comprising the following steps:
  • step (b) in which the combustion gas of step (b) is forced alternately into said treatment boreholes or into said leading boreholes while the other one of these boreholes is closed, whereby a conical displacement of the region of activity of the activated combustion gas is effected by the pressure gradient that exists between the treating boreholes and the leading boreholes, which results in an intensied activity of the conical displacement where the activated combustion gas enters the stratum, while at the same time the steam which is pro-l **d by contact of the flooding water with the burnt-out stone, mixed with activated combustion gas by the conical displacement in the direction of the closed borehole, is crowded out to such an extent that it will cause flash vaporization of the stratum contents, and where on the side toward the open borehole the activated gas of combustion which occurs there will cause a delayed coking in the greatly changed stratum contents immediately ahead.

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US540452A 1965-04-13 1966-03-15 In situ combustion method for residualoil recovery from petroleum deposits Expired - Lifetime US3316962A (en)

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DED47028A DE1242535B (de) 1965-04-13 1965-04-13 Verfahren zur Restausfoerderung von Erdoellagerstaetten

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Cited By (41)

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US3385361A (en) * 1966-12-19 1968-05-28 Gulf Research Development Co Combustion drive well stimulation
US3441083A (en) * 1967-11-09 1969-04-29 Tenneco Oil Co Method of recovering hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean formation
US3473610A (en) * 1966-08-12 1969-10-21 Deutsche Erdoel Ag Process for obtaining bitumens from underground deposits
US4498537A (en) * 1981-02-06 1985-02-12 Mobil Oil Corporation Producing well stimulation method - combination of thermal and solvent
US20020053431A1 (en) * 2000-04-24 2002-05-09 Wellington Scott Lee In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce a selected ratio of components in a gas
US20030066642A1 (en) * 2000-04-24 2003-04-10 Wellington Scott Lee In situ thermal processing of a coal formation producing a mixture with oxygenated hydrocarbons
US6588504B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-07-08 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation to produce nitrogen and/or sulfur containing formation fluids
US6698515B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-02 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation using a relatively slow heating rate
US6715546B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon containing formation through a heat source wellbore
US6715548B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce nitrogen containing formation fluids
US20040144541A1 (en) * 2002-10-24 2004-07-29 Picha Mark Gregory Forming wellbores using acoustic methods
US6877555B2 (en) 2001-04-24 2005-04-12 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of an oil shale formation while inhibiting coking
US6932155B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2005-08-23 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation via backproducing through a heater well
US6948562B2 (en) 2001-04-24 2005-09-27 Shell Oil Company Production of a blending agent using an in situ thermal process in a relatively permeable formation
US6969123B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2005-11-29 Shell Oil Company Upgrading and mining of coal
US7011154B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2006-03-14 Shell Oil Company In situ recovery from a kerogen and liquid hydrocarbon containing formation
US7040400B2 (en) 2001-04-24 2006-05-09 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a relatively impermeable formation using an open wellbore
US7066254B2 (en) 2001-04-24 2006-06-27 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a tar sands formation
US7077199B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2006-07-18 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of an oil reservoir formation
US7090013B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2006-08-15 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce heated fluids
US7096953B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2006-08-29 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation using a movable heating element
US7104319B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2006-09-12 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a heavy oil diatomite formation
US7121342B2 (en) 2003-04-24 2006-10-17 Shell Oil Company Thermal processes for subsurface formations
US7165615B2 (en) 2001-10-24 2007-01-23 Shell Oil Company In situ recovery from a hydrocarbon containing formation using conductor-in-conduit heat sources with an electrically conductive material in the overburden
US20070137857A1 (en) * 2005-04-22 2007-06-21 Vinegar Harold J Low temperature monitoring system for subsurface barriers
US7320364B2 (en) 2004-04-23 2008-01-22 Shell Oil Company Inhibiting reflux in a heated well of an in situ conversion system
US7533719B2 (en) 2006-04-21 2009-05-19 Shell Oil Company Wellhead with non-ferromagnetic materials
US7540324B2 (en) 2006-10-20 2009-06-02 Shell Oil Company Heating hydrocarbon containing formations in a checkerboard pattern staged process
US7549470B2 (en) 2005-10-24 2009-06-23 Shell Oil Company Solution mining and heating by oxidation for treating hydrocarbon containing formations
US7798220B2 (en) 2007-04-20 2010-09-21 Shell Oil Company In situ heat treatment of a tar sands formation after drive process treatment
US7866386B2 (en) 2007-10-19 2011-01-11 Shell Oil Company In situ oxidation of subsurface formations
US8151907B2 (en) 2008-04-18 2012-04-10 Shell Oil Company Dual motor systems and non-rotating sensors for use in developing wellbores in subsurface formations
US8220539B2 (en) 2008-10-13 2012-07-17 Shell Oil Company Controlling hydrogen pressure in self-regulating nuclear reactors used to treat a subsurface formation
US8327932B2 (en) 2009-04-10 2012-12-11 Shell Oil Company Recovering energy from a subsurface formation
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US8701768B2 (en) 2010-04-09 2014-04-22 Shell Oil Company Methods for treating hydrocarbon formations
US8820406B2 (en) 2010-04-09 2014-09-02 Shell Oil Company Electrodes for electrical current flow heating of subsurface formations with conductive material in wellbore
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US9033042B2 (en) 2010-04-09 2015-05-19 Shell Oil Company Forming bitumen barriers in subsurface hydrocarbon formations
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Cited By (283)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3473610A (en) * 1966-08-12 1969-10-21 Deutsche Erdoel Ag Process for obtaining bitumens from underground deposits
US3385361A (en) * 1966-12-19 1968-05-28 Gulf Research Development Co Combustion drive well stimulation
US3441083A (en) * 1967-11-09 1969-04-29 Tenneco Oil Co Method of recovering hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean formation
US4498537A (en) * 1981-02-06 1985-02-12 Mobil Oil Corporation Producing well stimulation method - combination of thermal and solvent
US6745831B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-06-08 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation by controlling a pressure of the formation
US20020053431A1 (en) * 2000-04-24 2002-05-09 Wellington Scott Lee In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce a selected ratio of components in a gas
US6581684B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-06-24 Shell Oil Company In Situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce sulfur containing formation fluids
US6588504B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-07-08 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation to produce nitrogen and/or sulfur containing formation fluids
US6588503B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-07-08 Shell Oil Company In Situ thermal processing of a coal formation to control product composition
US6591907B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-07-15 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation with a selected vitrinite reflectance
US6591906B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-07-15 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation with a selected oxygen content
US6607033B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-08-19 Shell Oil Company In Situ thermal processing of a coal formation to produce a condensate
US6609570B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2003-08-26 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation and ammonia production
US6688387B1 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-02-10 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce a hydrocarbon condensate
US6698515B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-02 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation using a relatively slow heating rate
US6702016B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-09 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation with heat sources located at an edge of a formation layer
US6708758B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-23 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation leaving one or more selected unprocessed areas
US6712135B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-30 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation in reducing environment
US6712136B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-30 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation using a selected production well spacing
US6712137B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-03-30 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation to pyrolyze a selected percentage of hydrocarbon material
US6715549B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation with a selected atomic oxygen to carbon ratio
US6715546B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ production of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon containing formation through a heat source wellbore
US6715547B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to form a substantially uniform, high permeability formation
US6715548B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-06 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce nitrogen containing formation fluids
US6991031B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2006-01-31 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation to convert a selected total organic carbon content into hydrocarbon products
US6722430B2 (en) 2000-04-24 2004-04-20 Shell Oil Company In situ thermal processing of a coal formation with a selected oxygen content and/or selected O/C ratio
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NL6602327A (forum.php) 1966-10-14
AT276273B (de) 1969-11-25
DE1242535B (de) 1967-06-22

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