Oil shale retorting and retort water purification process

Patent · Tue Apr 29 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5666541

Venardos, D G; Grieves, C G

An in situ oil shale process is described comprising the steps of: retorting raw oil shale in situ to liberate light hydrocarbon gases, shale oil and shale-laden retort water containing suspended and dissolved impurities including raw and spent oil shale particulates, shale oil, organic carbon, carbonates, ammonia and chemical oxygen demand; separating the light hydrocarbon gases and a substantial portion of the shale oil from the shale-laden retort water by sedimentation in an underground sump; removing a substantial portion of the remaining shale oil and a substantial portion of the suspended raw and spent oil shale particulates from the shale-laden retort water by filtering the shale-laden retort water through a granular filter; steam stripping a substantial amount of the ammonia and carbonates from the shale-laden retort water; and carbon adsorbing and biologically treating the shale-laden retort water to remove a substantial amount of the total and dissolved organic carbon from the shale-laden retort water and simultaneously substantially lower the chemical oxygen demand of the shale-laden retort water so as to substantially purify the shale-laden retort water.

• Assignee: Standard Oil Co., Chicago, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4585063
• OSTI ID: 5666541
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
040900 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
ADSORPTION
AMMONIA
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATES
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDRIDES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMPURITIES
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MINERAL OILS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PROCESSING
PURIFICATION
RETORTING
RETORTS
SEDIMENTATION
SHALE OIL
SORPTION
SPENT SHALES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WATER TREATMENT