Patent ID: 8349171

Claim:
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials, comprising: a) forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure which defines a substantially encapsulated volume; b) introducing a comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material; c) maintaining within said encapsulated volume a positive pressure relative to the pressure outside of said control infrastructure; d) heating the hydrocarbonaceous material sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom such that the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary during heating; e) flushing a gaseous fluid substantially free of oxygen throughout the permeable body in order to substantially remove hydrocarbons and other gaseous components from the permeable body, wherein heating of said hydrocarbonaceous materials has been terminated and said gaseous fluid is passed throughout the permeable body at a low temperature relative to the temperature at which said hydrocarbonaceous materials have been heated to provide a cooling effect on said hydrocarbonaceous materials and flush residual hydrocarbons and other gaseous materials from within said encapsulated volume; and f) collecting removed hydrocarbons and other gaseous components.