Sankar Venka Venkatraman

US Patent:

55607373, Oct 1, 1996

Filed:

Aug 15, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/515463

Inventors:

John R. Schuring - Blairstown NJ
David S. Kosson - Neshanic Station NJ
Conan D. Fitzgerald - Maplewood NJ
Sankar Venkatraman - Piscataway NJ

Assignee:

New Jersey Institute of Technology - Newark NJ

International Classification:

B09C 108
E21B 4312
E21B 4326

US Classification:

405128

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are disclosed for reducing or eliminating non-naturally occurring, subsurface, liquid contaminants from one or more soil formations, which involves the steps of pneumatically fracturing the soil formation to produce a fracture network; simultaneously or subsequently inserting into said fracture network and throughout adjacent portions of the soil formation, a pressurized gas stream, and introducing into the pressurized gas stream a mixture of one or more liquid amendments, wherein said pressurized gas, in conjunction with said liquid amendments, has an oxygen or other electron acceptor content sufficient to promote the growth of aerobic or other microorganisms in said fracture network, and wherein the pressurized gas has a sufficiently high gas to liquid ratio to atomize the liquid amendments, whereby the amendments are distributed throughout the soil formation.