CONDUCTIVELY HEATING A SUBTERRANEAN OIL SHALE TO CREATE PERMEABILITYAND SUBSEQUENTLY PRODUCE OIL

摘要

A B S T R A C TCONDUCTIVELY HEATING A SUBTERRANEAN OIL SHALE TOCREATE PERMEABILITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY PRODUCE OILShale oil is subsequently produced from a subterraneaninterval of oil shale, where the interval is initiallysubstantially impermeable and contains a specified grade andthickness of oil shale. Said interval is conductively heated fromborehole interiors which are kept hotter than about 600 °C and areheated at a rate such that kerogen pyrolysis products formed withinthe oil shale create and flow through horizontal fractures whichsubsequently become extended into fluid-producing wells that arepositioned in specified locations.