Market assessment for shale oil
This study identified several key issues on the cost, timeliness, and ease with which shale oil can be introduced into the United States' refining system. The capacity of the existing refining industry to process raw shale oil is limited by the availability of surplus hydrogen for severe hydrotreating. The existing crude oil pipeline system will encounter difficulties in handling raw shale oil's high viscosity, pour point, and contaminant levels. The cost of processing raw shale oil as an alternate to petroleum crude oil is extremely variable and primarily dependent upon the percentage of shale oil run in the refinery, as well as the availability of excess hydrogen. A large fraction of any shale oil which is produced will be refined by the major oil companies who participate in the shale oil projects and who do not anticipate problems in processing the shale oil in their refineries. Shale oil produced for sale to independent refiners will initially be sold as boiler fuel. A federal shale oil storage program might be feasible to supplement the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Based on refinery configurations, hydrogen supply, transportation systems, and crude availability, eleven refineries in Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs) 2A and 2B have been identified as potential processors of shale oil. Based on refining technology and projected product demands to the year 2000, shale oil will be best suited to the production of diesel fuel and jet fuel. Tests of raw shale oil in boilers are needed to demonstrate nitrogen oxide emissions control.
- Research Organization:
- Pace Co. Consultants and Engineers, Inc., Houston, TX (USA); Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc., Bethesda, MD (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- ET-78-C-01-2628
- OSTI ID:
- 5749060
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET-2628/1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040403* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Refining
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294004 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Oil Shales & Tar Sands
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMMERCIALIZATION
COST
DEMAND FACTORS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGENATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MARKET
MINERAL OILS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PROCESSING
REFINING
SHALE OIL
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM