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Title: Union Oil Company's Parachute Creek shale oil program

Conference · · Proc., Am. Pet. Inst., Refin. Dep.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5263020

In the Parachute Creek area of the Piceance Creek Basin in Garfield County, Colorado, Union Oil Company is developing the first commercial shale oil project in the United States. In early 1981, Union began construction of a 12,500-ton-per-day roomand-pillar mine and a surface retort that will produce 10,000 barrels of raw shale oil per day. A 10,000-barrel-per-day upgrading facility, to convert the raw shale oil into a high-quality syncrude, also is under construction. This 10,000-barrel-per-day project is planned for completion in mid-1983. It is the first phase of a major shale oil project that will produce 90,000 barrels per day of shale oil when completed in 1993. This paper describes Union's mining methods and the upflow retort developed by Union's Science and Technology Division. It also describes the upgrading process that will convert shale oil into a syncrude acceptable to today's refineries. Also included is a discussion of the current status of the project.

Research Organization:
Union Energy Mining Division, Union Oil Company of California
OSTI ID:
5263020
Report Number(s):
CONF-8205233-
Journal Information:
Proc., Am. Pet. Inst., Refin. Dep.; (United States), Vol. 61; Conference: 47. midyear meeting of the American Petroleum Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10 May 1982
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English