Patent ID: 9388678
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: E21B

Claim Text:
1. A method of producing hydrocarbons and a selected metal from a mixture of inorganic minerals in situ from a fixed-bed hydrocarbon formation, the hydrocarbon formation disposed below a ground surface and having a substantially horizontal, lower permeability zone adjacent to, substantially parallel to, and between a top higher permeability zone and a bottom higher permeability zone, the steps comprising: providing at least one injection well in the bottom higher permeability zone of the formation, the injection well having a first vertical depth; providing a first production well in the bottom higher permeability zone of the formation, the first production well having a second vertical depth, the depth of the injection well and the first production well providing fluid communication therebetween in the bottom higher permeability zone; providing a second production well in the top higher permeability zone of the formation, the second production well having a third vertical depth, the depth of the injection well and the second production well providing limited fluid communication between the bottom higher permeability zone and the top higher permeability zone; injecting a heated thermal-energy carrier fluid (TECF) from the ground surface into the injection well; circulating the thermal-energy carrier fluid (TECF) through the bottom higher permeability zone; creating a substantially horizontal in situ heating element (ISHE) in the bottom higher permeability zone and between the injection well and the first production well; mobilizing hydrocarbons and the mixture of selected inorganic minerals in the adjacent lower permeability zone in situ by heating the bottom higher permeability zone and the adjacent lower permeability zone along an interface extending substantially between the injection well to the first production well; producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons and the metal by flowing the carrier fluid with the mobilized hydrocarbons through the first production well to the ground surface and removing at least one selected hydrocarbon and the selected metal held in the carrier fluid; and producing at least a portion of the mobilized hydrocarbons and the selected metal by flowing the carrier fluid with the mobilized hydrocarbons and selected metal through the second production well to the ground surface.