Mobile in-situ heating of formations

Claim 1

A METHOD OF HEATING EXTENSIVE AREAS OF AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF HEATING A MATERIAL IN AN UNDERGROUND LOCATION, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) INJECTING FUEL AT ONE POINT INTO AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION WHICH IS DEFICIENT IN COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN AN UNDERGROUND COMBUSTION, (B) INJECTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID INTO SAID UNDERGROUND FORMATION AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID FUELINJECTION POINT BUT WITHIN CONTACT RANGE OF SAID INJECTED FUEL, (C) IGNITING SAID MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID AT LEAST AT ONE POINT ALONG THE CONTACT FRONT IN THE FORMATION BETWEEN SAID INJECTION POINTS WHERE THE FUEL AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID COMBINE INTO A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE, THEREBY FORMING A COMBUSTION FRONT WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY PROPAGATES ALONG THE ENTIRE CONTACT FRONT, (D) DISCHARGING THE PRODUCTS OF SAID COMBUSTION FROM SAID FORMATION AT A POINT DISPLACED FROM THE POINTS AT WHICH THE FUEL AND THE OXYGEN-CONTAINING FUEL ARE SEPARATELY INJECTED, (E) CONTROLLING THE INJECTION RATES OF SAID FUEL AND SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID TO MAINTAIN THE COMBUSTION FRONT IN A SELECTED AREA OF SAID FORMATION BEING HEATED, AND (F) SLOWLY INCREASING THE FLOW RATE OF ONE OF SAID INJECTED MATERIALS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER TO CAUSE THE COMBUSTION FRONT TO MOVE FROM A PORTION OF THE FORMATION CLOSER TO ONE INJECTION POINT TOWARD THE OTHER INJECTION POINT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF HEATING EXTENSIVE AREAS OF AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF HEATING A MATERIAL IN AN UNDERGROUND LOCATION, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) INJECTING FUEL AT ONE POINT INTO AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION WHICH IS DEFICIENT IN COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN AN UNDERGROUND COMBUSTION, (B) INJECTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID INTO SAID UNDERGROUND FORMATION AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID FUELINJECTION POINT BUT WITHIN CONTACT RANGE OF SAID INJECTED FUEL, (C) IGNITING SAID MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID AT LEAST AT ONE POINT ALONG THE CONTACT FRONT IN THE FORMATION BETWEEN SAID INJECTION POINTS WHERE THE FUEL AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID COMBINE INTO A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE, THEREBY FORMING A COMBUSTION FRONT WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY PROPAGATES ALONG THE ENTIRE CONTACT FRONT, (D) DISCHARGING THE PRODUCTS OF SAID COMBUSTION FROM SAID FORMATION AT A POINT DISPLACED FROM THE POINTS AT WHICH THE FUEL AND THE OXYGEN-CONTAINING FUEL ARE SEPARATELY INJECTED, (E) CONTROLLING THE INJECTION RATES OF SAID FUEL AND SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING FLUID TO MAINTAIN THE COMBUSTION FRONT IN A SELECTED AREA OF SAID FORMATION BEING HEATED, AND (F) SLOWLY INCREASING THE FLOW RATE OF ONE OF SAID INJECTED MATERIALS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER TO CAUSE THE COMBUSTION FRONT TO MOVE FROM A PORTION OF THE FORMATION CLOSER TO ONE INJECTION POINT TOWARD THE OTHER INJECTION POINT.