Method of producing tar sand deposits containing conductive layers
US4926941A · kind A · utility
277Cited by
14References
9Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 10, 1989 |
| Grant date | May 22, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 10, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/2401
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method is disclosed for producing thick tar sand deposits by preheating of thin, relatively conductive layers which are a small fraction of the total thickness of a tar sand deposit. The thin conductive layers serve to confine the heating within the tar sands to a thin zone adjacent to the conductive layers even for large distances between rows of electrodes. The preheating is continued until the viscosity of the tar in a thin preheated zone adjacent to the conductive layers is reduced sufficiently to allow steam injection into the tar sand deposit. The entire deposit is then produced by steam flooding.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.