Abstract: A method of producing hydrocarbonaceous liquids and gases from subterranean kerogen-containing oil shale formations comprising (a) penetrating the oil shale deposits with at least two well bores; (b) fracturing the oil shale deposits in a lower vertical portion thereof; (c) igniting the hydrocarbonaceous deposit; (d) introducing through the first well bore a free oxygen-containing gas to the ignited point of the oil shale deposit to effect thermal decomposition of the hydrocarbonaceous material therein and to propagate a combustion zone through the fractured communication area and the second well bore, thereby forming a region of combusted shale between the first well bore and the second well bore; (e) allowing the combustion to continue until a sufficient volume of combusted shale has been formed; (f) then jetting an aqueous liquid into and through the combusted shale zone to remove the mineral residue remaining after combustion; (g) positioning conventional explosives in the oil shale deposit in the vicinit

Abstract: Molten elemental sulfur is used as an insulating packer fluid in injection wells for steam drive secondary recovery of petroleum from petroliferous formations.

Abstract: A method for sealing a permeable subterranean formation, particularly adjacent to a wellbore, is disclosed. Briefly, the method comprises;A. adding a liquid polymerizable material (e.g. furfuryl alcohol) to the wellbore at the site adjacent to the permeable subterranean formation,B. adding an acidic catalyst to the wellbore at the site defined in (a),C. allowing polymerization to occur both in the wellbore and in the adjacent subterranean formation, andD. removing the polymerized material from the wellbore.