Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – Tunnel recovery of fluid material
Patent
1980-10-27
1983-05-31
Purser, Ernest R.
Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material
Tunnel recovery of fluid material
299 13, 102312, E21C 4110
Patent
active
043857841
ABSTRACT:
A retort site in a subterranean formation containing oil shale is prepared for in situ retorting by excavating a void space in the retort site and then explosively expanding at least a portion of the remainder of the formation within the retort site toward the void space. The resultant fragmented mass explosively expanded toward the void space will be permeabilized by the void volume of the void space. The void space is initially formed by excavating at least three substantially parallel drifts through the retort site. At least two of the drifts are along opposed outside edges of the retort site and at least one drift is intermediate the two outside drifts. Excavation of the void space is conducted from the two outside drifts. A vertically extending slot is first excavated from each such drift upwardly into the proposed void space at one end of the retort site. The slot may be fanned above the drift so that the slots from the two outside drifts meet near the top of the void space. Upwardly extending shot holes are then drilled from each of the outside drifts parallel to the vertical slot. If the vertical slot is fanned, it is desirable to also drill the upwardly extending shot holes in a fanned pattern. The shot holes are then loaded with explosive and blasted and the resultant rubble excavated through the outside drifts. By gradually working along the length of the outside drifts, excavation of the void space can proceed with men and equipment safely within the outside drifts. The substantially triangular prism remaining in the void space intermediate the edges of the retort site can then be fragmented by means of shot holes drilled from the third intermediate drift extending through such prism.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3001776 (1961-09-01), Van Poollen
patent: 3537753 (1970-11-01), Arendt
patent: 3588175 (1971-06-01), Whiting
patent: 4176882 (1979-12-01), Studebaker et al.
Occidental Oil Shale Inc.
Purser Ernest R.
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