Method of breaking shale oil-water emulsion

Claim 1

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a combustion zone through a fragmented mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing an oxygen containing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the combustion zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby gas flowing through the combustion zone transfers heat of combustion to a retorting zone in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone and kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass; withdrawing liquid product including emulsion of shale oil and water from such an in situ oil shale retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F., heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, whereby such heated portions are cooled to the bulk temperature, said heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from such emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.

Claim 2

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a combustion zone through a fragmented mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing an oxygen containing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the combustion zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby gas flowing through the combustion zone transfers heat of combustion to a retorting zone in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone and kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass; withdrawing liquid product including emulsion of shale oil and water from such an in situ oil shale retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F., heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, whereby such heated portions are cooled to the bulk temperature, said heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from such emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.

Claim 6

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a retorting zone through a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing a processing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the retorting zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said liquid products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone, at least a portion of said products being in a vapor state in the retorting zone and condensing to the liquid state in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone and becoming part of said liquid products; withdrawing liquid products including an emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F.; heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, said heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time to separate shale oil and water from the emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.

Claim 7

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a retorting zone through a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing a processing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the retorting zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said liquid products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone, at least a portion of said products being in a vapor state in the retorting zone and condensing to the liquid state in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone and becoming part of said liquid products; withdrawing liquid products including an emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F.; heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, said heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time to separate shale oil and water from the emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.

Claim 11

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; and providing sufficient heat to maintain a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F. by contacting such emulsion with heating means immersed in the volume of emulsion and maintained at a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the emulsion for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from the emulsion.

Claim 12

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; and providing sufficient heat to maintain a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F. by contacting such emulsion with heating means immersed in the volume of emulsion and maintained at a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the emulsion for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from the emulsion.

Claim 15

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ oil shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature in the range of from about 120° to 190° F.; and heating portions of such emulsion to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, such heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from the emulsion.

Claim 16

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ oil shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature in the range of from about 120° to 190° F.; and heating portions of such emulsion to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the emulsion and mixing such heated portions of emulsion into the volume of emulsion, such heating and mixing being continued for a sufficient time for separating shale oil and water from the emulsion.

Claim 24

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ oil shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F., and subjecting portions of such emulsion to momentary, localized heating to temperatures substantially above the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion until shale oil and water are substantially separated.

Claim 25

A method for recovering shale oil from an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale, said in situ oil shale retort containing a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing oil shale, comprising the steps of: retorting oil shale in the fragmented permeable mass and producing an emulsion of shale oil and water; withdrawing emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F., and subjecting portions of such emulsion to momentary, localized heating to temperatures substantially above the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion until shale oil and water are substantially separated.

Claim 27

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a retorting zone through a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing a processing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the retorting zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said liquid products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone, at least a portion of said products being in a vapor state in the retorting zone and condensing to the liquid state in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone and becoming part of said liquid products; withdrawing liquid products including an emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F.; heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and cooling such heated portions of emulsion to the bulk temperature of the emulsion, said heating and cooling being continued for a sufficient time to separate shale oil and water from the emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.

Claim 28

A method for processing shale oil produced in an in situ oil shale retort in a subterranean formation containing oil shale comprising the steps of: advancing a retorting zone through a fragmented permeable mass of formation particles containing oil shale in such an in situ oil shale retort by introducing a processing gas to the fragmented mass on the trailing side of the retorting zone and withdrawing an off gas from the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the combustion zone, whereby kerogen in oil shale in the retorting zone is decomposed to produce gaseous and liquid products, said liquid products percolating through at least a portion of the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone, at least a portion of said products being in a vapor state in the retorting zone and condensing to the liquid state in the fragmented mass on the advancing side of the retorting zone and becoming part of said liquid products; withdrawing liquid products including an emulsion of shale oil and water from the retort; maintaining a volume of such an emulsion of shale oil and water at a bulk temperature of at least about 120° F.; heating portions of such emulsion momentarily to a temperature substantially higher than the bulk temperature of the volume of emulsion and cooling such heated portions of emulsion to the bulk temperature of the emulsion, said heating and cooling being continued for a sufficient time to separate shale oil and water from the emulsion; and recovering such separated shale oil.