Process for producing electrical energy from geological liquid hydrocarbon formation

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY WHICH COMPRISES EXTENDING AN ELECTRODE INTO EACH OF TWO SPACED WELLS, ONE OF SAID WELLS PENETRATING AN IONICALLY CONDUCTIVE GEOLOGICAL LIQUID HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING FORMATION, THE ELECTRODE IN SAID ONE OF SAID WELLS BEING PLACED OPPOSITE SAID FORMATION AND IN CONTACT WITH BOTH LIQUID HYDROCARBON AND AN ELECTROLYTE WHICH, IN TURN, CONTACTS SAID FORMATION, CONNECTING SAID ELECTRODES TO ONE ANOTHER BY MEANS OF AN EXTERNAL CIRCUIT, GRINGING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN CONTACT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID ELECTRODES WHICH IS ALSO IN CONTACT WITH AN ELECTROLYTE WHEREBY OXYGEN IONS ARE SPONTANEOUSLY PRODUCED AT SAID OTHER ELECTRODE THUS ESTABLISHING A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IN SAID FORMATION BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, THEREAFTER EFFECTING ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF SAID HYDROCARBONS AT THE SURFACE OF SAID ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID ELECTROLYTE TO PRODUCE ELECTRONS, AND RECOVERING ELECTRICAL ENERGY THUS FORMED VIA SAID ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES.