Pit and backfill: Getty's plan for a diatomite zone in an oil patch. [Dravo Process]

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981 · Eng. Min. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5502286

Getty Oil Co. is investigating the recovery of oil from a diatomite deposit in California's McKittrick oil field, using a pair of newly built pilot plants - one a Dravo solvent extraction train and the other a Lurgi-Ruhrgas retort-condenser system. Both are sized to process approximately 240 short tons/day of mined feed, and each will be separately campaigned for a year during the evaluation program. The diatomite project has a number of advantages as a mine and materials-handling project compared to oil shale and tar sands. The deposit is soft, and in-transit handling will probably perform much of the necessary crushing for the plant. The material is light, approximately 100 lb/cu ft in place and 90 lb/cu ft broken. The near-surface location contrasts to the more deeply buried oil shale deposits in other areas of the nation. At the same time, the traction surface and structural bearing strength for heavy earth movers should be somewhat better in diatomite.

• OSTI ID: 5502286
• Journal Information: Eng. Min. J.; (United States), Vol. 182:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
CALIFORNIA
OIL SHALE MINING
OIL SHALE PROCESSING PLANTS
PLANNING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
BULK DENSITY
COMMINUTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
LURGI-RUHRGAS PROCESS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OIL SHALES
PILOT PLANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SURFACE MINING
TRANSPORT
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DENSITY
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
FEDERAL REGION IX
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MATERIALS
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TESTING
USA
040300* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Drilling
Fracturing & Mining
040402 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Surface Methods