Process for sealing porous earth formations

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEALING POROUS EARTH FORMATION, COMPRISING SUCESSIVELY INTRODUCING INTO A POROUS EARTH FORMATION, 14ST, AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM BYDROXIDE, SODIUM SILICATE AND MIXTURES THEREOF; SECOND, AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF A CLAY MINERAL OF THE ACID THREE-LAYER, EXPANDING LATTICE TYPE CHARACTERIZED BY THE PROPERTIES OF (A) FORMING A READILY PUMPABLE SLURRY IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS (FROM ABOUT 125 TO ABOUT 200 POUNDS PER BARREL (42 GALS.) OF FRESH WATER); AND (B) OF FORMING WHEN IN AQUEOUS SLURRY, AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH-STRENGTH, SEMIHARD GEL UPON ADMIXTURE WITH SAID AKALINE MATERIAL; AND CAUSING INTERMIXING OF SAID SOLUTION AND SLURRY, IN STU, IN SAID EARTH FORMATIONS, THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF THE INTER-MIXED MATERIALS BEING SUCH AS TO RENDER SAID SLURRY NEUTRAL TO ALKALINE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEALING POROUS EARTH FORMATION, COMPRISING SUCESSIVELY INTRODUCING INTO A POROUS EARTH FORMATION, 14ST, AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM BYDROXIDE, SODIUM SILICATE AND MIXTURES THEREOF; SECOND, AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF A CLAY MINERAL OF THE ACID THREE-LAYER, EXPANDING LATTICE TYPE CHARACTERIZED BY THE PROPERTIES OF (A) FORMING A READILY PUMPABLE SLURRY IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS (FROM ABOUT 125 TO ABOUT 200 POUNDS PER BARREL (42 GALS.) OF FRESH WATER); AND (B) OF FORMING WHEN IN AQUEOUS SLURRY, AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH-STRENGTH, SEMIHARD GEL UPON ADMIXTURE WITH SAID AKALINE MATERIAL; AND CAUSING INTERMIXING OF SAID SOLUTION AND SLURRY, IN STU, IN SAID EARTH FORMATIONS, THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF THE INTER-MIXED MATERIALS BEING SUCH AS TO RENDER SAID SLURRY NEUTRAL TO ALKALINE.