Importance

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Abstract

A method is provided to remove contaminants that are more dense than water from a contaminated volume of earth, the contaminants pooled above a layer of earth, the method comprising the steps of: providing an essentially horizontal wellbore along the interface between the layer of earth and the contaminants; heating at least a portion of the contaminants in situ from the wellbore; and removing the heated contaminants by heating through the horizontal wellbore. The wellbores preferably include both heaters and provide a conduit for removal of contaminants, and preferably also provide heaters located within the wellbores in addition to those heaters required to vaporize the contaminants to maintain the contaminants in a vapor state until the vapors reach a well head and can be further processed at the surface.

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First Claim