Evaluation of control technology for modified in-situ oil-shale retorts

Conference · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5880219

Persoff, P; Fox, J P

Experiments were conducted to evaluate two technologies to control groundwater pollution due to leaching of abandoned modified in-situ (MIS) retorts, retort grouting and international leaching. Retort grouting to reduce permeability was evaluated by measuring the permeability of grouts containing only raw or refined waste materials (Lurgi spent shale, fly ash, gypsum tailings, and lignosulfonate fluidizers). Permeability of the cured grouts decreased with increasing confining pressure. Electrical conductivity measurements on the permeate produced during permeability measurements suggest that grouting abandoned MIS retorts would increase the TDS of leachate by a factor of approximately 3; benefit of the proposed grouting operation would depend upon the flow rate through retorts being reduced by a greater factor to reduce the total mass (concentration x flow) of solute released. Costs for international leaching depend primarily upon the volume of leachate to be treated. The required number of pore volumes of leaching to reduce leachate concentration to 10% of its initial value was found to be 2.1 at tract C-a and 3.4 at tract C-b; the difference is due primarily to the greater void volume used at tract C-a (40% compared to 23%). Both technologies would require a large amount of water. Retort grouting requires water to prewet the MIS spent shale and to prepare the grout. These requirements were estimated at 140 to 210 gal/bbl of oil, considering only oil recovered by in-situ retorting. International leaching requires water to saturate the MIS spent shale and to replace blowdown or rejected brine from the leachate treatment process. These requirements were estimated at approximately 120 gal/bbl of oil.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5880219
• Report Number(s): LBL-16079; CONF-830434-9; ON: DE83015997
• 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
040900* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABANDONED SITES
AEROSOL WASTES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ASHES
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SULFATES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISSOLUTION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ESTERS
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GYPSUM
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
LEACHING
MATERIALS
MINERALS
MODIFIED IN-SITU PROCESSES
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POROSITY
PROCESSING
RESIDUES
RETORTING
SEALING MATERIALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT SHALES
SULFATE MINERALS
SULFATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT
WATER REQUIREMENTS