1170-MW(t) HTGR-PS/C plant application study report: shale-oil-recovery application

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5617036

Rao, R; McMain, Jr, A T

This report describes the application of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) which operates in a process steam/cogeneration (PS/C) mode in supplying heat and electricity for the recovery of oil from shale using in-situ steam retorting. The technical and economic merits of an 1170-MW(t) HTGR-PS/C are compared with those of a coal-fired plant for this application. The steam requirements for the shale oil recovery process were estimated utilizing parameters from the Equity Oil Company in its in-situ steam retorting project in the Piceance Basin of Western Colorado. The cost of energy for the resulting system in January 1, 1995 dollars for plants starting up at that time is 49.5 mills/kW-hr (14.51 $/MMBtu) for the HTGR-PS/C and 68.9 mills/kW-hr (20.18 $/MMBtu) for the coal-fired plant. The safety and licensing issues of the nuclear plant were reviewed, and a comparative assessment of the alternative energy sources was performed.

• Research Organization: General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76SF70046
• OSTI ID: 5617036
• Report Number(s): GA-A-16092; ON: DE82007024
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040400 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Oil Production
Recovery
& Refining
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210300 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Graphite Moderated
210900* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Process Heat Reactors-- (-1987)
COGENERATION
DEUS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEAT
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
LICENSING
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
OIL SHALE PROCESSING PLANTS
POWER GENERATION
PROCESS HEAT
PROCESS HEAT REACTORS
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
STEAM
STEAM GENERATION