Method of controlling an underground combustion zone

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A COMBUSTION ZNE UNIFORMLY THROUGHTOUT THE VERTICAL EXTENT OF A PETROLIFEROUS FORMATION PENETRATED BY WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INJECTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID FORMATION TO PRODUCE AUTO-OXIDATION OF THE PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL IN SAID FORMATION FOR PRODUCING A COMBUSTION ZONE AT SOME DISTANCE OUT FROM SAID WELL BORE, INJECTING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A COMBUSTIBLE GAS THROUGH SAID WELL BORE INTO SAID FORMATION IN CONTACT WITH SAID COMBUSTION ZONE, ADJUSTING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO BELOW 60% TO CAUSE SAID COMBUSTION ZONE TO MOVE THROUGH SAID FORMATION TOWARD SAID WELL BORE, AND INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID MIXTURE TO GREATER THAN 60% WHEN SAID COMBUSTION ZONE REACHES THE PORTION OF SAID FORMATION ADJACENT SAID WELL BORE, SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID INJECTED OXYGEN IS COMBINED WITH SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN THE VICINITY OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE, WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE INCREASES AS A RESULT OF COMBUSTION OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE TO CAUSE SAID COMBUSTION ZONE TO SPREAD VERTICALLY IN SAID FORMATION WHILE THE HORIZONTAL POSITION OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A COMBUSTION ZNE UNIFORMLY THROUGHTOUT THE VERTICAL EXTENT OF A PETROLIFEROUS FORMATION PENETRATED BY WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INJECTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID FORMATION TO PRODUCE AUTO-OXIDATION OF THE PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL IN SAID FORMATION FOR PRODUCING A COMBUSTION ZONE AT SOME DISTANCE OUT FROM SAID WELL BORE, INJECTING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A COMBUSTIBLE GAS THROUGH SAID WELL BORE INTO SAID FORMATION IN CONTACT WITH SAID COMBUSTION ZONE, ADJUSTING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO BELOW 60% TO CAUSE SAID COMBUSTION ZONE TO MOVE THROUGH SAID FORMATION TOWARD SAID WELL BORE, AND INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID MIXTURE TO GREATER THAN 60% WHEN SAID COMBUSTION ZONE REACHES THE PORTION OF SAID FORMATION ADJACENT SAID WELL BORE, SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID INJECTED OXYGEN IS COMBINED WITH SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN THE VICINITY OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE, WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE INCREASES AS A RESULT OF COMBUSTION OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE TO CAUSE SAID COMBUSTION ZONE TO SPREAD VERTICALLY IN SAID FORMATION WHILE THE HORIZONTAL POSITION OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF CONTROLLING A COMBUSTION ZONE IN A FORMATION CONTAINING PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL PENETRATED BY A WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INJECTING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A COMBUSTIBLE GAS THROUGH SAID WELL BORE INTO SAID FORMATION TO CONTACT SAID PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL, IGNITING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE IN SAID WELL BORE TO ESTABLISH A LOCALIZED COMBUSTION ZONE IN SAID PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL IN THE WALL OF SAID WELL BORE PENETRATING SAID FORMATION, ADJUSTING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO ABOVE 60% SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID INJECTED OXYGEN IS COMBINED WITH SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN THE VICINITY OF SAID LOCALIZED COMBUSTION ZONE, AND CONTINUING THE INJECTION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE AT SAID ADJUSTED CONCENTRATION TO INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ADJUSTED CONCENTRATION TO ZONE AS A RESULT OF COMBUSTION OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID WELL BORE WHILE THE HORIZONTAL POSITION OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE WITHIN SAID FORMATION REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF CONTROLLING A COMBUSTION ZONE IN A FORMATION CONTAINING PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL PENETRATED BY A WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INJECTING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING OXYGEN AND A COMBUSTIBLE GAS THROUGH SAID WELL BORE INTO SAID FORMATION TO CONTACT SAID PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL, IGNITING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE IN SAID WELL BORE TO ESTABLISH A LOCALIZED COMBUSTION ZONE IN SAID PETROLIFEROUS MATERIAL IN THE WALL OF SAID WELL BORE PENETRATING SAID FORMATION, ADJUSTING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO ABOVE 60% SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID INJECTED OXYGEN IS COMBINED WITH SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS IN THE VICINITY OF SAID LOCALIZED COMBUSTION ZONE, AND CONTINUING THE INJECTION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE AT SAID ADJUSTED CONCENTRATION TO INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ADJUSTED CONCENTRATION TO ZONE AS A RESULT OF COMBUSTION OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID WELL BORE WHILE THE HORIZONTAL POSITION OF SAID COMBUSTION ZONE WITHIN SAID FORMATION REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.