The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 26, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1999
Lawrence M. Conaway, Niagara Falls, NY (US);
Continuum Environmental, Inc., Niagara Falls, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for treating hydrocarbonaceous deposits to recover a petroleum-like hydrocarbon portion and a cleaned particulate substrate portion. Hydrocarbonaceous ore containing bitumen and/or kerogen is crushed or otherwise comminuted to the particle size of sand or smaller. The comminuted ore is mixed with water to form a slurry, is heated to between 60° C. and 100° C., and is blended with an oxidant in aqueous solution, preferably hydrogen peroxide. Both free interstitial hydrocarbons and those hydrocarbons bound electrostatically to the surfaces of clay-like particles in the ore are released from the rock substrate in a putative electrophysical reaction in the presence of the oxidant. Some of the released bitumenous and kerogenic compounds are then controllably cleaved by the oxidant in a limited Fenton's reaction to yield organic compounds having lower average molecular weights which are suitable for refining as oil after separation from the process water phase and the residual rock substrate. The water and rock tailings from the process are substantially free of hydrocarbon contamination and are environmentally suitable for landfill disposal.