George Aristotle Gazonas

US Patent:

6098516, Aug 8, 2000

Filed:

Feb 25, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/816751

Inventors:

George A. Gazonas - Bel Air MD

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

F42B 300

US Classification:

86 2015

Abstract:

To increase a yield of a hydrocarbon such as oil from a subsurface reserv, the reservoir is stimulated by pumping liquid gun propellant (LP) into the reservoir and igniting the LP. The LP is pumped into a packed-off region in a cased well; the depth of the packed-off region is selected to lie within the reservoir. The ignition of the LP causes a pressurization of the reservoir, thus fracturing the reservoir. The fracture increases a surface area through which the hydrocarbon can be extracted, and the heat from the ignition reduces the viscosity of the hydrocarbon.