In situ electrolinking of oil shale

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL SHALE IN SITU WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CABLE, FULLY INSULATED EXCEPT A LOWER END SECTION THEREOF AND EXTENDING FROM GROUND SURFACE INTO A LOWER LEVEL OF SAID SHALE WITHIN A BOREHOLE; PACKING SAID BOREHOLE AROUND SAID CABLE SOLELY WITHIN SAID SHALE WITH A PARTICULATE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SAID SHALE AND IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER UNINSULATED END OF SAID CABLE AS A FIRST ELECTRODE; PROVIDING A CASING EXTENDING INTO THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AS A SECOND ELECTRODE IN SAID SHALE; PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES THRU SAID CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL SO AS TO HEAT ADJACENT SHALE AND RENDER SAME CONDUCTIVE AND DISTILL HYDROCARBONS THEREFROM; AND RECOVERING PRODUCED HYDROCARBONS FROM A BOREHOLE IN SAID SHALE COMMUNICATING WITH THE HEATED AREA.