Distillation of underground deposits of solid carbonaceous materials in situ

Claim 1

A PLANT FOR THE IN-SITU DISTILLATION OF THE BITUMINOUS CONTENT OF BITUMEN-IMPREGNATED EARTH MATERIALS, COMPRISING UNDERGROUND WORKINGS INCLUDING A MAN-WAY EXTENDING FROM THE SURFACE TO A SELECTED UNDERGROUND AREA WITHIN THE SAID EARTH MATERIALS, AND A LATERALLY EXPANDED WORKING SPACE SURROUNDING THE INNER TERMINUS OF SAID MAN-WAY; A HEAT-INSULATING WALL ENCLOSING AT LEAST SAID INNER TERMINUS AND SEPARATING IT FROM THE EXPANDED SPACE TO DEFINE A THERMAL ROOM INSULATED FROM SAID MAN-WAY AND HAVING WALLS OF SAID EARTH MATERIALS EXPOSED INWARDLY OF SAID ROOM; HEAT-RETARDING PASSAGE MEANS THROUGH SAID INSULATING WALL FOR OPERATING PERSONNEL; A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A FLUID-CIRCULATING COOLANT SYSTEM FOR GENERATING HEAT AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO DECOMPOSE THE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL MAKING UP SAID BITUMINOUS CONTENT AND IN QUANTITY REQUIRED TO PROGRESSIVELY DISTILL THE BITUMINOUS CONTENT FROM SAID EARTH MATERIALS WHICH ARE EXPOSED AND ADJACENT TO SAID ROOM; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING HEAT INTO SAID ROOM FROM SAID HEAT GENERATING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE INTRODUCTION OF HEAT INTO SAID ROOM.