Patent · US Expired

Pneumatic fracturing and multicomponent injection enhancement of in situ bioremediation

US5560737A · kind A · utility

104Cited by
7References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 15, 1995
Grant dateOct 1, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 15, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB09C2101/00
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for reducing or eliminating non-naturally occurring, subsurface, liquid contaminants from one or more soil formations, which involves the steps of pneumatically fracturing the soil formation to produce a fracture network; simultaneously or subsequently inserting into said fracture network and throughout adjacent portions of the soil formation, a pressurized gas stream, and introducing into the pressurized gas stream a mixture of one or more liquid amendments, wherein said pressurized gas, in conjunction with said liquid amendments, has an oxygen or other electron acceptor content sufficient to promote the growth of aerobic or other microorganisms in said fracture network, and wherein the pressurized gas has a sufficiently high gas to liquid ratio to atomize the liquid amendments, whereby the amendments are distributed throughout the soil formation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.