Method of obtaining oil from oil shale deposits

摘要

The present method involves the initial mining of horizontally extending layers of oil-rich or "kerogen phase continuous" shale. The oil-rich shale is brought to the surface where it is retorted in above-ground retorts of one of the known types. The leaner oil shale which is still "in situ" is then explosively fragmented into the voids created when the oil-rich shale was mined, and oil is obtained as the fragmented shale is ignited, in accordance with known horizontal type modified in situ oil shale retorting techniques.