Method for heating or igniting well formations with pyrophoric materials

Claim 1

A METHOD FRO SUPPLYING HEAT TO AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION PENETRATRED BY A WELL, COMPRISING LOWERING A PYROPHORIC MATERIAL IN AN OPEN CONTAINER DOWN SAID WELL BY MEANS CONTROLLED FROM THE GROUND SURFACE VIA A FIRST CONDUIT AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A COMBUSTIBLE GAS INERT WITH RESPECT TO SAID MATERIAL, SAID FIRST CONDUIT EXTENDING DOWN TO A LEVEL SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID FORMATIN, INJECTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS DOWN SAID WELL VIA A SECOND CONDUIT TO A LEVEL SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID FORMATION, THEREBY FORMING A NONCOMBUSTIBLE OXYGEN-CONTAINING ATMOSPHERE IN THE VICINITY OF SAID FORMATION, THEREAFTER LOWERING SAID CONTAINER IN SAID FIRST CONDUIT UNTIL SAID CONTAINER IS SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID FORMATION WHEREBY SAID ATERIAL IS BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH SAID OXYGENCONTAINING ATMOSPHERE AND IGNITED, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER INJECTING SAID COMBUSTIBLE GAS DOWN SAID FIRST CONDUIT WHILE INJECTING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS DOWN SAID SECOND CONDUIT AT RESPECTIVE INJECTION RATES SUFFICIENT