Chemical aspects of eastern oil shale retorting: analysis of a core

Conference · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Oil Shale Symp. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5167172

Rubel, A M; Koppenaal, D W; Robi, T L; Taulbee, D N

Eastern (U.S.) oil shale retorting is examined through Fischer Assay material and carbon balances and associated product and by-product characterization on samples from a single oil shale core taken from Madison County Kentucky. Recognizable stratigraphic units in the core include the Mississippian Sunbury Shale and the Devonian oil shale, which is further divided into the Cleveland Member, Three Lick Bed and Huron Member. Modified Fischer Assay conditions were employed to pyrolyze the samples. Raw and spent shale, oil, and gas composition data were acquired with oil and gas yield information being correlated to the raw shale geochemistry. The results provide insight into the retorting characteristics of eastern (U.S.) oil shale and illustrates similarities and differences relative to internal stratigraphic division and to western (U.S.) oil shales. Linear relationships were derived between modified Fischer Assay oil yields and organic carbon (r = 0.99) and hydrogen (r = 0.96). Oil yield varied with depth from 5.0 to 19.0 gal/ton. Carbon partitioning into spent shale, oil, and gas was similar for the entire core and was not influenced by grade or stratigraphic interval. Oil density was found to vary from 0.877 to 0.932 while the total heating value of the gas ranged from 570-963 BTU/SCF. Total gas volume did not relate to total raw shale carbon and only margina organic carbon. The amount of H/sub 2/S in the linearly related to the % S in the raw shale (r = 0.94).

• Research Organization: Institute for Mining and Minerals Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• OSTI ID: 5167172
• Report Number(s): CONF-830434-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Oil Shale Symp. Proc.; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
040401 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BLACK SHALES
CARBON
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DRILL CORES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISCHER ASSAY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS YIELDS
GASES
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
KENTUCKY
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MODIFIED IN-SITU PROCESSES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
OIL YIELDS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RESOURCES
RETORTING
SHALE GAS
SHALE OIL
SPENT SHALES
STRATIGRAPHY
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
YIELDS