Shell Oil Comapny

The University of Texas System

Lawrence James Bielamowicz

Harold J Vinegar

Eric Pierre De Rouffignac

Scott Lee Wellington

John Michael Karanikas

John Matthew Coles

Bruce Gerard Hunsucker

James Louis Menotti

Fredrick Gordon Carl, Jr

Phillip Temmons Baxley

Christopher Arnold Pratt

Anthony Thomas Cole

Joseph Reisberg

David R Thigpen

An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation from one or more heat sources to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a desired temperature. Some of the heat sources may be conductors placed within conduits. The conductors may be resistively heated so that the conductors radiantly heat the conduits. The generated heat may transfer to the formation.

Conductor-in-conduit heat sources for in situ thermal processing of an oil shale formation

A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H , and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation from heat sources to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a desired temperature. Some of the heat sources may be conductors placed within conduits. The conductors may be resistively heated so that the conductors radiantly heat the conduits. The conduits may transfer heat to the formation.

In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation using conductor in conduit heat sources

A method is provided to remove contaminants from near-surface contaminated soil, the method including the steps of: placing a plurality of metal sheets on the surface above the contaminated soil to form a contiguous cover over at least a portion of the contaminated soil; seal welding adjacent metal sheets together; cutting a plurality of holes in the metal sheet; providing a plurality of heater wells and a plurality of vapor extraction wells into the contaminated soil through the holes cut in the metal sheets; providing vapor extraction wellheads over the vapor extraction wells, the vapor extraction wellheads sealed to the metal sheets; and removing contaminants from the near-surface soil by heating from the heater wells and extracting vapor through the vapor extraction wells. The wells are preferably both heater wells and vapor extraction wells, and the wellheads are preferably bolted to a flange which is welded to the metal sheets to ensure a positive seal at the surface. Insulation is preferably placed over the metal sheets prior to heating of the soil, and a rain cover placed over the insulation to keep rain out of the insulation and away from the soil being heated. The edges of the contiguous cover are preferably sealed by a vertical metal sheet placed into the soil, with a 90 degree angled lip on top, and the lip attached to the edge of the continuous sheet to form the seal.

Method for remediating near-surface contaminated soil

A heater is disclosed, the heater including: a porous metal sheet heating element; and an electrical insulating material surrounding the porous metal sheet heating element; wherein there is no casing surrounding the porous metal sheet heating element.

Electrical heater

A method for heat injection into a subterranean diatomite formation is provided. The method utilizes a heater that is placed directly in the diatomite formation without cement around the heater. Diatomite is very soft, and will quickly fill in around the heater, operation of the heater will sinter the diatomite and significantly increase the original thermal conductivity and strength of the diatomite.

Heat injection process

A method for heat injection into a subterranean diatomite formation is provided. A heater is placed in a wellbore within the diatomite formation, and the heater is then operated at a temperature above that which the heater could be operated at long term in order to better sinter the formation in the vicinity of the wellbore. The improved sintering of the diatomite significantly improves the heat transfer coefficient of the diatomite and thereby increases the rate at which heat can be injected from a constant limited long term heater temperature.

A process of recovering oil from a subterranean reservoir in which the oil is acidic but forms monovalent cation soaps of only relatively low interfacial activity when reacted with aqueous alkaline solutions, comprises displacing the oil toward a production location with a mixture of gas and cosurfactant-containing aqueous alkaline solution.

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Bellaire, TX, United States of America

Lawrence James Bielamowicz