Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090250380 | METHODS OF TRANSPORTING HEAVY HYDROCARBONS - A method of transporting heavy hydrocarbons can include blending a kerogen oil with a bitumen to form a blended oil sufficient to render the blended oil transportable through an extended pipeline. The blended oil can be substantially free of additional diluents or viscosity modifiers and can be readily pumped through the extended pipeline from a source location to a destination location. | 10-08-2009 |
20100200387 | INTERMEDIATE VAPOR COLLECTION WITHIN ENCAPSULATED CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURES - A method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A mined hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom. Hydrocarbon products can be collected from intermediate locations within the permeable body. Advantageously, an intermediate fluid collection system can be used to draw a hydrocarbon product from the permeable body at preselected locations. Such intermediate collection can provide hydrocarbon product fractions which can reduce or eliminate the need for full-scale distillation of a hydrocarbon product having a full range of products such as that typically found in crude oil. In addition, product quality can be tailored by monitoring such intermediate draws and adjusting operating parameters accordingly. | 08-12-2010 |
20100200464 | VAPOR COLLECTION AND BARRIER SYSTEMS FOR ENCAPSULATED CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURES - A method of preventing egress of a vapor from an encapsulated volume can include forming a substantially impermeable vapor barrier along an inner surface of the encapsulated volume. The encapsulated volume includes a permeable body of comminuted hydro carbonaceous material. Further, the vapor barrier can include an insulating layer capable of maintaining a temperature gradient of at least 400° F. across the insulating layer. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to liberate hydrocarbons therefrom and the hydrocarbons can be collected from the permeable body. The vapor barrier layer can be a single or multiple layer construction, depending on the specific materials chosen. | 08-12-2010 |
20100200465 | CARBON MANAGEMENT AND SEQUESTRATION FROM ENCAPSULATED CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURES - A method of sequestering carbon dioxide emissions during recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom. During heating, the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary as the constructed infrastructure is a fixed structure. Additionally, during heating, any carbon dioxide that is produced can be sequestered. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing, use in the process, and/or use as recovered. | 08-12-2010 |
20100200466 | METHODS OF RECOVERING MINERALS FROM HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL USING A CONSTRUCTED INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS - A method of recovering minerals from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be contacted with an agent sufficient to remove minerals therefrom. The agent is typically a solution containing a solvent, leachant, chelating agent and the like via which minerals can be removed having value, toxic minerals, radioactive minerals and the like. | 08-12-2010 |
20100200467 | METHODS OF RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL USING A CONSTRUCTED INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS MAINTAINED UNDER POSITIVE PRESSURE - A method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom. During heating and removal of hydrocarbons and subsequent thereto a positive pressure can be maintained within the encapsulated volume by means of a non-oxidizing gas to expedite flushing of hydrocarbonaceous material, inhibit unwanted entry of oxygen into the encapsulated volume and remove recoverable hydrocarbons following the heating process. | 08-12-2010 |
20100200468 | CONVECTIVE HEAT SYSTEMS FOR RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS FROM ENCAPSULATED PERMEABILITY CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURES - A constructed permeability control infrastructure can include a permeability control impoundment, which defines a substantially encapsulated volume. The infrastructure can also include a comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material within the encapsulated volume. The comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The infrastructure can further include at least one convection driving conduit oriented in a lower portion of the permeable body to generate bulk convective flow patterns throughout the permeable body. An associated method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure, which defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. A heated fluid can be passed throughout the permeable body in bulk convective flow patterns to remove hydrocarbons from the permeable body. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing and/or use. | 08-12-2010 |
20100206410 | ARTICULATED CONDUIT LINKAGE SYSTEM - An articulating conduit linkage system for maintaining a fluid connection between a fluid source and displaceable conduit that has been buried in a subsiding permeable body. A fluid source can supply a working fluid through a source outlet, and which is located outside of the boundaries of the permeable body. A displaceable conduit can receive the working fluid through a conduit inlet, and be buried at a depth within a subsiding permeable body that is contained within a permeability control infrastructure. A plurality of articulating conduit segments can comprise: an outer conduit segment that is operably coupled to the source outlet with a first single-axis swivel joint, an inner conduit segment that is operably coupled to the conduit inlet with a second single-axis swivel joint, and at least one middle conduit segment that operably connects the outer and inner segments, respectively, with at least one single-axis swivel joint to establish a working fluid connection between the fluid source and the displaceable conduit. In the event of a subsidence of the permeable body which causes a relative displacement between the source outlet and the conduit inlet that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of both the outlet and the inlet, the plurality of articulating conduit segments are configured so the outer and inner conduit segments rotate in opposite directions to extend the conduit linkage system while maintaining a working fluid connection between the source outlet and the conduit inlet. | 08-19-2010 |
20100206518 | CORRUGATED HEATING CONDUIT AND METHOD OF USING IN THERMAL EXPANSION AND SUBSIDENCE MITIGATION - A method of maintaining the structural integrity of heating conduit used to heat a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material enclosed within a constructed permeability control infrastructure. The method includes obtaining a heating conduit with corrugated walls and configured for transporting a heat transfer fluid, burying the heating conduit at a depth within the permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material and with an inlet end extending from the boundary of the constructed permeability control infrastructure, operably coupling the inlet end of the heating conduit to a heat source of the heat transfer fluid, and passing the heat transfer fluid through the heating conduit to transfer heat from the heat transfer fluid to the permeable body, with the corrugations in the corrugated walls mitigating longitudinal axis thermal expansion of the heating conduit and allowing the heating conduit to conformably bend in response to subsidence of the permeable body. | 08-19-2010 |
20110094952 | System For Recovering Hydrocarbons From Water-Containing Hydrocarbonaceous Material Using a Constructed Infrastructure - A constructed permeability control infrastructure can include a permeability control impoundment defining a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted water-containing hydrocarbonaceous material can form a permeable body within the encapsulated volume. The impoundment includes a water vapor outlet for removing water vapor from the encapsulated volume. A heating device is also embedded within the permeable body to provide convective heating thereof. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to initially remove water therefrom as a water vapor. The water vapor can be removed from the infrastructure via the outlet which can be controlled or shut off when the permeable body is sufficiently dewatered. The dewatered permeable body can then be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom. During heating the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary as the constructed infrastructure is a fixed structure. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing, use in the process, and/or use as recovered. | 04-28-2011 |
20110138649 | Method For The Removal And Condensation Of Vapors - A method for removal and condensation of vapors from within an enclosed space ( | 06-16-2011 |
20110286796 | Subsidence Control System - A method of maintaining structural integrity of a subsiding earthen fluid containment structure is disclosed and comprises forming a lined containment infrastructure ( | 11-24-2011 |
20110297587 | Methods and Systems for Removing Fines From Hydrocarbon-Containing Fluids - A method of removing fines from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid can include preparing a bed media of particulate earthen material ( | 12-08-2011 |
20130206270 | VERTICALLY COMPACTABLE FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE - A vertically compactable fluid transfer device ( | 08-15-2013 |