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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Hydrotorting of shale to produce shale oil

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6174800
A continuous process is described for recovering shale oil from a slurry of raw oil shale in shale oil. Water and hydrogen gas are injected under pressure into the raw oil shale-shale oil slurry, and the mixture is immediately introduced into an externally heated noncatalytic tubular retort maintained at an outlet temperature in the range of about 850$ to 950$F and at a pressure in the range of about 300 to 1,000 psig, and preferably at 500 psig, for maximum yields of shale oil having a minimum nitrogen content. In the tubular retort, under conditions of turbulent flow, the raw shale is completely stripped of kerogen in about one-fourth to 3 min (preferably less than a minute), and by simultaneous pyrolysis and hydrogenation without added catalyst, the kerogen is converted to a gaseous effluent from which shale oil is separated having a substantially reduced nitrogen and sulfur content. (2 claims)
Assignee:
TUL; EDB-81-109359
Patent Number(s):
US 3617469
OSTI ID:
6174800
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English