Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate production from nahcolitic oil shale

Patent 6854809 Issued on February 15, 2005. Estimated Expiration Date:

July 14, 2023. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate production from nahcolitic oil shale Patent #: 6609761
Issued on: 08/26/2003
Inventor: Ramey, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

American Soda, LLP

Application

No. 10619397 filed on 07/14/2003

US Classes:

299/5, Dissolving or chemical reaction166/303Placing preheated fluid into formation

Examiners

Primary: Kreck, John

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Merchant & Gould P.C.

International Classes

E21C041/16
C01D007/24

Abstract

A method for solution mining nahcolite, capable of extracting nahcolite from geological formations lean in nahcolite comprising injecting high pressure water (which may include recycled aqueous solution of bicarb and sodium carbonate) at a temperature of at least 250° F. into the formation, dissolving nahcolite in the hot water to form a production solution and recovering the production solution. The invention also includes the processing of the production solution to provide sodium carbonate and, optionally, sodium bicarbonate, comprising: decomposing the sodium bicarbonate portion of the hot aqueous production solution to form a hot aqueous solution of sodium carbonate; evaporating water from the hot aqueous solution comprising sodium carbonate to form a concentrated solution of sodium carbonate; producing sodium carbonate monohydrate from the concentrated solution of sodium carbonate by crystallization; and dewatering and calcining the sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce anhydrous sodium carbonate.