Process and apparatus for extracting and recovering oil in situ

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF EXTRACTING AND RECOVERING OIL IN SITU FROM THE OIL ENCAPSULATED SAND OF A PRODUCTIVE SUBSTRATUM DEPOSIT AND WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A CONTAINED AREA ENCLOSING SAID DEPOSIT BY DRIVING INTERCONNECTED PILES INTO THE EARTH TO A DEPTH BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID DEPOSIT; SUBDIVIDING SAID CONTAINED AREA AND DEPOSIT INTO AN EXTRACTION AREA AND A RECOVERY AREA BY DRIVING ADDITIONAL INTERCONNECTED PILES INTO THE EARTH TO A DEPTH BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID DEPOSIT; EXCAVATING SAID RECOVERY AREA TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID DEPOSIT TO FORM A RESERVOIR; PROVIDING LIMITED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR AND SAID DEPOSIT IN SAID EXTRACTION AREA BY MEANS OF HOLES THROUGH SAID ADDITIONAL PILES WITH SAID HOLES BEING OF SUCH A SIZE AS TO PERMIT FREE PASSAGE OF OIL BUT NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SAND; DRILLING A WELL IN A REMOTE PORTION OF SAID EXTRACTION AREA IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DEPOSIT THEREIN; AND INTRODUCING AN OIL EXTRACTING REAGENT INTO SAID WELL AND CREATING A FLOW OF SAID REAGENT ACROSS SAID UPPER SURFACE AND PROGRESSIVELY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID DEPOSIT IN SAID EXTRACTION AREA THROUGH SAID HOLES AND INTO SAID RESERVOIR, WHEREBY OIL EXTRACTED FROM THE SAND AND CARRIED BY SAID REAGENT IS RECOVERED IN SAID RESERVOIR.