US3845820A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solution mining technique for tar sand deposits
Assignee: Texaco Inc
•
Filing: 1973-05-04
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Granted: 1974-11-05
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Expires: 1993-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A solution-mining technique for recovering bitumen from subterranean bitumen-containing deposits such as tar sand deposits having a ratio of overburden thickness to formation thickness of one or less. The overburden is excavated from the deposit and injection and production wells are completed open hole into the tar sand interval, and a solvent for bitumen, said solvent having a density greater than the density of water, is injected into an injection well and a mixture of solvent and bitumen is produced from the remotely located production well. The solvent moves in a horizontal direction across the top portion of the tar sand deposit. Water is used to fill the cavity above the tar sand deposit previously occupied by the overburden. The solvent remains in a thin horizontal layer between the water and the top of the tar sand deposit. As the bitumen is removed from an upper portion of the tar sand interval, water moves down to occupy the area previously occupied by bitumen, and the horizontally moving solvent layer is forced down deeper into the tar sand deposit.
Inventors
- 👤 J Allen
- 👤 J Tate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 12:37
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/34; E21B43/40; E21B43/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A SOLUTION-MINING THE METHOD FOR RECOVERING BITUMEN FROM A BITUMEN-CONTAINING TAR SAND DEPOSITE COMPRISING: A. REMOVING THE OVERBURDEN ABOVE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT; B. ESTABLISHING INJECTION MEANS AND PRODUCTION MEANS WITHIN THE TAR SAND DEPOSITS; C. INJECTING INTO THE TOP OF THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT A SOLVENT FOR BITUMEN, SAD SOLVENT HAVING A DENSITY GREATER THAN THE DENSITY OF WATER, SAID SOLVENT MOVING ESSENTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT; D. FILLING THE CAVITY CREATED BY REMOVAL OF THE OVERBURDEN WITH WATER ABOVE THE SOLVENT; AND E. REMOVING THE MIXTURE OF SOLVENT AND BITUMEN FROM THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT FROM THE PRODUCTION MEANS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A SOLUTION-MINING THE METHOD FOR RECOVERING BITUMEN FROM A BITUMEN-CONTAINING TAR SAND DEPOSITE COMPRISING: A. REMOVING THE OVERBURDEN ABOVE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT; B. ESTABLISHING INJECTION MEANS AND PRODUCTION MEANS WITHIN THE TAR SAND DEPOSITS; C. INJECTING INTO THE TOP OF THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT A SOLVENT FOR BITUMEN, SAD SOLVENT HAVING A DENSITY GREATER THAN THE DENSITY OF WATER, SAID SOLVENT MOVING ESSENTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT; D. FILLING THE CAVITY CREATED BY REMOVAL OF THE OVERBURDEN WITH WATER ABOVE THE SOLVENT; AND E. REMOVING THE MIXTURE OF SOLVENT AND BITUMEN FROM THE TAR SAND DEPOSIT FROM THE PRODUCTION MEANS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the tar sand deposit is covered with overburden and the ratio of overburden thickness to tar sand deposit thickness is from zero to one.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the solvent for the bitumen, said solvent having a density greater than the density of water, is carbon disulfide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the solvent for bitumen, said solvent having a density greater than the density of water, is carbon tetrachloride.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the solvent for bitumen, said solvent having a density greater than the density of water, is a halogenated hydrocarbon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the solvent for bitumen, said solvent having a density greater than the density of water comprises a mixture of a dense solvent selected from the group consisting of carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride and halogenated hydrocarbons which are insoluble in and unreactive with water, and a conventional solvent for a petroleum selected from the group consisting of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the conventional aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent contains from 4 to 8 carbon atoms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent is butane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent is pentane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of benzene and toluene.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent is benzene.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the solvent is a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and carbon disulfide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of subjecting the produced mixture of solvent and bitumen to vacuum separation on the surface, condensing the separated solvent and reinjecting thE solvent into the tar sand deposit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 1 comprising the additional step of injecting a fluid into the injection means to recover the solvent from the tar sand deposit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the fluid is water.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for recovering bitumen from a bitumen containing subterranean tar sand deposit comprising: a. drilling at least one injection well and at least one spaced apart production well into the tar sand deposit, said wells being in fluid communication with the tar sand deposit throughout the total thickness of the deposit; b. removing substantially all of the overburden above at least a portion of the tar sand deposit between the injection well and production well; c. introducing a solvent for the bitumen, the solvent density being greater than the density of water; d. filling the cavity created by removal of the overburden with water above the solvent; and e. removing a mixture of solvent and bitumen from the tar sand deposit by the production means.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for recovering bitumen from a bitumen containing subterranean tar sand deposit comprising: a. drilling at least one injection well and at least one spaced apart production well into the tar sand deposit, said wells being in fluid communication with the tar sand deposit throughout the total thickness of the deposit; b. removing substantially all of the overburden above at least a portion of the tar sand deposit between the injection well and production well; c. introducing a solvent for the bitumen, the solvent density being greater than the density of water; d. filling the cavity created by removal of the overburden with water above the solvent; and e. removing a mixture of solvent and bitumen from the tar sand deposit by the production means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-04 | 1978-05-06 | 1978-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-04 | 1982-05-06 | 1982-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-04 | 1986-05-06 | 1986-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |