Process for the production of distillate fuels from oil shales and by-product therefrom

Patent · Tue Jul 17 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6038687

Morrell, J C

A continuous process for removing a substantial amount of the water present in oil shale prior to retorting the same to facilitate the rate of recovery of the oil therefrom in the retorting step of the process and to substantially increase the capacity of the latter step in the process and improve the overall efficiency thereof is described. The oil shale in subdivided form is subjected to indirect heat treatment with hot combustion gases in a partial dehydration step under relatively milder temeprature conditions than that of the retort. The vapors and gases from the partial dehydration step, in the temperature range from the prevailing temperature up to about 550/sup 0/F to about 650/sup 0/F, and for a sufficient time to remove substantial to major amounts of free and combined water from the oil shale accompanied by considerable amounts of oil distillate are collected. Thereafter the heated partially dehydrated oil shale is passed to the retorting step for further indirect heat treatment in the approximate range of about 850/sup 0/F to about 1000/sup 0/F. The vapors from the retorting step are then fractionated to remove a light overhead product comprising vapors of low boiling hydrocarbons, water, hydrocarbon gases and ammonia and wherein the heavier conversion oil products from the oil shale are condensed and separated as a liquid for further treatment and use.

• Assignee: TIC; ERA-04-054179; EDB-79-115688
• Patent Number(s): US 4161441
• OSTI ID: 6038687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040404* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Purification
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL OILS
FUELS
HEATING OILS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MINERAL OILS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
REFINING
RETORTING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALE OIL
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
WATER