METHOD OF THERMAL-MINE RECOVERY OF OIL AND FLUENT BITUMENS

摘要

METHOD OF THERMAL-MINE RECOVERY OF OIL AND FLUENT BITUMENS The method of thermal-mine recovery of oil and fluent bitumens or kerogens includes providing a system of mine workings above an oil-bearing formation and drilling from these workings and from the ground surface a series of injection wells into the oil-bearing formation. An operation gallery is provided within the oil-bearing formation, from which a system of horizontal and inclined recovery wells is drilled. Then a heat carrier is positively injected into the oil-bearing formation to heat it to a temperature whereat the oil attains the required fluidity within the formation. Then a fluid is charged into the formation to force the oil from the oil-bearing formation into the horizontal and inclined recovery wells, toward the operation gallery, from which the oil is directed to the ground surface. The improvement of the method resides in that the heat carrier is injected into the formation through the horizontal and inclined recovery wells extending substantially across the predominant direction of the highly permeable zones of the oil-bearing formation, and, following the heating of the formation to the above said temperature, the injection of the heat carrier is terminated, and the fluid is charged into the injection wells having minimized association with the highly permeable zones of the oil-bearing formation, to force the oil from the oil-bearing formation through the recovery wells toward the recovery gallery.