A process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of a subsurface formation. Heat may transfer from one or more heaters to a part of a formation. In some embodiments, heat from the one or more heat sources may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons in a part of a subsurface formation. Hydrocarbons and/or other products may be produced from a subsurface formation. Certain embodiments describe apparatus, methods, and/or processes used in treating a subsurface or hydrocarbon containing formation.

Thermal processes for subsurface formations

A method for treating a relatively low permeability formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heat sources to a selected section of the formation. The transferred heat may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons within the selected section. A mixture of hydrocarbons may be produced from the selected section. In some embodiments, the permeability of a portion of the formation may be increased relative to an initial permeability of the portion.

In situ thermal processing of a relatively impermeable formation to increase permeability of the formation

In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation using a selected production well spacing

An in situ process for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part. Hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.

In situ recovery from a hydrocarbon containing formation

A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H 2 , and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise a temperature of the formation at a selected rate.

In situ thermal processing of a hydrocarbon containing formation to produce a hydrocarbon condensate

Nitric oxide gas (NO) is effectively reduced by retorted oil shale. At 300/sup 0/C half of the NO in a gas stream is removed when the gas stream contacts a bed of crushed retorted oil shale for 0.4 s. The fraction removed in 0.4 s reaches 90% at a temperature of 375/sup 0/C. As long as the reducing agent, presumed to be char in the retorted shale, is not depleted, the rate of reduction of NO appears to be proportional to the partial pressure of NO, and our results can be expressed in terms of a rate constant (k) which is a function of temperature (T, Kelvin) as follows: k = Ae/sup -//sup E/RT/ (s/sup -1/), where A = 4.0 x 10/sup 5/ (s/sup -1/) and E = 59.7 kJ/mole. This rate is many times faster than the rate of reduction of NO by coal char as measured by Furusawa et al. (1983). The principal reduction reaction is unknown; it does not release CO/sub 2/.

R.W. Taylor

Papers

Nitric oxide (NO) reduction by retorted oil shale