US4359091A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recovery of underground hydrocarbons
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1981-08-24
•
Granted: 1982-11-16
•
Expires: 2001-08-24
Abstract
Abstract The method of extracting hydrocarbons from an underground deposit of material containing hydrocarbons, which comprises injecting aqueous solutions of low resistivity into at least a portion of the deposit, heating a portion of the deposit underground by means of a varying magnetic field and controlling the flow of fluids from the heated portion of the deposit to the delivery point until the temperature of the heated portion of the deposit has reached a selected value at which substantial pyrolysis occurs of hydrocarbons released from the deposit. The value of temperature resulting is less than the break-out pressure of the overburden. When the selected temperature and the pressure have been reached the flow of fluids from the heated portion of the deposit is controlled by a pressure controller to maintain the pressure until heating stops. At this time the vapor pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles B. Fisher
- 👤 Sidney T. Fisher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:53
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; E21B43/24; E21B43/2401
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
The method of extracting hydrocarbons from an underground deposit of material containing hydrocarbons, which comprises: injecting a conducting aqueous solution into a portion of said underground deposit, and generating a varying magnetic field, at least a portion of said magnetic field including at least a part of said portion of said underground deposit into which said conducting aqueous solution has been injected, and collecting said fluid injected and fluids generated by the heating effect of said magnetic field on said portion of said underground deposit, and delivering said collected fluids to the input of a pressure controller, which substantially retards the flow of said collected fluids until the pressure at said input has risen to a selected value, corresponding to a selected temperature at which substantial pyrolysis occurs underground of hydrocarbons released by said heating effect of said magnetic field on said deposit containing hydrocarbons, but which is below the break-out value of fluids through the overburden of said deposit containing hydrocarbons, which passes fluids at said input to an external device at a rate which maintains said selected pressure substantially constant at the input to said pressure controller, and which passes said collected fluids substantially freely when said varying magnetic field is discontinued.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
204 words
The method of extracting hydrocarbons from an underground deposit of material containing hydrocarbons, which comprises: injecting a conducting aqueous solution into a portion of said underground deposit, and generating a varying magnetic field, at least a portion of said magnetic field including at least a part of said portion of said underground deposit into which said conducting aqueous solution has been injected, and collecting said fluid injected and fluids generated by the heating effect of said magnetic field on said portion of said underground deposit, and delivering said collected fluids to the input of a pressure controller, which substantially retards the flow of said collected fluids until the pressure at said input has risen to a selected value, corresponding to a selected temperature at which substantial pyrolysis occurs underground of hydrocarbons released by said heating effect of said magnetic field on said deposit containing hydrocarbons, but which is below the break-out value of fluids through the overburden of said deposit containing hydrocarbons, which passes fluids at said input to an external device at a rate which maintains said selected pressure substantially constant at the input to said pressure controller, and which passes said collected fluids substantially freely when said varying magnetic field is discontinued.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 in which said generated heat and said flow of fluids is controlled to prevent the vaporization underground of elemental sulfur.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2801090A
Cited
US3434541A
Cited
US3605888A
Cited
US3972372A
Cited
US3988036A
Cited
US3989107A
Cited
US4008761A
Cited
US4008762A
Cited
US4043393A
Cited
US4116273A
Cited
US4140179A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-11-15 | 1986-05-17 | 1986-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-11-15 | 1990-05-17 | 1990-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-11-15 | 1994-05-17 | 1994-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |