Shell Oil Comapny

Stephen Michael O'Brien

Hon C Lau

Michael Prats

Gary Drinkard

Oil is recovered from a subterranean oil reservoir by injecting foam-forming components through an injection well while preventing fluid outflow from an adjacent production well, so that the pressure is increased in the zone between the wells, then permitting fluid outflow from the production well while continuing the injection, until the rate of the outflow is significantly reduced, and repeating the injecting and outflowing steps until the rate of oil production is significantly reduced.

Foam drive oil displacement with outflow pressure cycling

This invention is a process for treating an underground formation of coal by contacting the coal with a basic aqueous solution for a time sufficient to disintegrate at least a portion of the coal formation. Subsequently, at least some of the disintegrated material is removed to create permeability in the coal formation. The coal is then treated with a heat carrying fluid to recover energy values from the coal. Another aspect of this invention is a process for slurry mining coal which comprises contacting the coal with the basic aqueous solution for a time sufficient to disintegrate the coal and form a slurry, then conveying said slurry to a receiving terminal.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Stephen Michael O'Brien