Method of breaking shale oil--water emulsion

Patent · Tue Aug 29 00:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6359522

Burton, III, R S

A technique is described for breaking the very strong emulsion of shale oil and water produced by an in situ oil shale retorting process so that separate shale oil and water phases can be recovered. The emulsion is broken by heating it to a temperature of at least about 120/sup 0/F and holding at a temperature in the range of from about 120 to 180/sup 0/F for about one day. Preferably the shale oil and water are held in the range of from about 130 to 150/sup 0/F for about one day and the phases separated by gravity. Heat for the process can be obtained by injecting water into a spent in situ oil shale retort for generating steam and transferring heat from the steam to the emulsion.

• Assignee: Occidental Oil Shale, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4109718
• OSTI ID: 6359522
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 1 Nov 1976
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
OIL SHALES
IN-SITU RETORTING
SHALE OIL
DEMULSIFICATION
WATER
HEATING
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
TIME DEPENDENCE
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MINERAL OILS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RETORTING
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified