Process for recovering shale oil

Patent · Tue Jun 19 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5820676

Larson, O A; Matthews, C W

An improved process for recovering shale oil from in-situ shale comprising the steps of: (1) mining a first portion of said shale; (2) fragmenting a second portion of said shale; (3) introducing into said second portion a mixture of gases comprising a molecular oxygen supplying gas, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide while maintaining a temperature sufficient to convert kerogen in said second portion to shale oil and to produce carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, gaseous hydrocarbons and other combustion and inert gases; (4) separating said shale oil from an offgas containing said carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, gaseous hydrocarbons and other combustion and inert gases; (5) separating hydrogen sulfide and a first portion of carbon dioxide from a gas of low sulfur content and increased heating value comprising said gaseous hydrocarbons and other combustion and inert gases and a second portion of said carbon dioxide; and (6) recycling said hydrogen sulfide and said first portion of said carbon dioxide to step (3). 13 claims.

• Assignee: Gulf Oil Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4158467
• OSTI ID: 5820676
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
KEROGEN
MINERAL OILS
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RETORTING
SHALE OIL
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM