Surface process study for oil recovery using a thermal extraction process

Geological studies have shown that there are many surface or near-surface deposits in the United States that contain large quantities of petroleum. In the State of Wyoming, a high concentration of such deposits exists in the Wind River, Big Horn, and Powder River Basins. These shallow deposits typically occur as unconsolidated or friable formations that contain millions of barrels of oil. Conventional petroleum production techniques have been attempted in many of these deposits with little or no economic success. In an attempt to improve the production economics, the Western Research Institute was solicited to develop a technique for the recovery of oil from these deposits. WRI, with support from the Economic and Community Development Division of the State of Wyoming, and as a part of the WRI/US Department of Energy, Jointly Sponsored Research program, proposed to develop, test, and demonstrate a viable and economical technology for the recovery of oil using mining and surface recovery processes. Reneau Energy, Inc. of La Quinta, California, agreed to participate in the project in providing a test site and mined materials. The goal of the proposed project to be completed in two phases, was to develop existing energy resources which are not presently beingmore » utilized. Phase 1 of the project, consisting of six specific tasks, was conducted to evaluate the suitability of various surface processing schemes. Phase 1 also included gravity drainage tests to determine if recovery techniques such as horizontal drilling could be applied. Phase 1 work was completed, and a final report was prepared and submitted to the funding agencies. Based on the results obtained in Phase 1 of the project, fluidized-bed based thermal recovery appeared to be a viable option. A 100 tons per day pilot plant was designed, constructed, and operated in the field. This report describes the results and experiences of the Phase 2 testing.« less