Occidental vertical modified in situ process for the recovery of oil from oil shale, phase I. Final report, November 1, 1976 through April 30, 1979

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6781478

The Department of Energy (DOE)/Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. (OOSI) Cooperative Agreement is a two-phase agreement consisting of engineering development of the Occidental modified in situ process as the first phase and a technical feasibility demonstration as the second phase. The primary objective of the first phase is to evaluate two specific retort designs (vertical free face retort system vs horizontal free face retort system) for the purpose of selecting a particular retort design for the technical feasibility demonstration. Based upon the results of Retorts 5 and 6, the design using horizontal rooms and a new technology of blasting to a horizontal free face, developed from the Occidental sponsored Rock Fragmentation Program, was selected over the vertical slot because: field results have confirmed that the horizontal free face retort (HFFR) system is much more amenable to the achievement of a rubble pile with uniform flow characteristics than is the vertical free face retort (VFFR) system; and the more uniform void volume distribution with the HFFR design will result in improved retort operability and oil yield. In spite of the operational problems experienced during start-up, resulting in a poor distribution of air to the top of Retort 6, OOSI was able to produce 64% of the theoretical oil yield. Corrective actions taken included secondary combustion and initiation of retorting via a relocated air injection system. The vertical slot design of Retort 5 had the inherent disadvantage of producing the greatest potential for non-uniform permeability in the flow. The rapid flame front movement down the center of Retort 5, and its associated problems, resulted in the oil recovery being much lower than anticipated.

• Research Organization: Occidental Oil Shale, Inc., Grand Junction, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FC20-79LC10036
• OSTI ID: 6781478
• Report Number(s): DOE/LC/10036-T4(Vol.1)
• 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
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
MODIFIED IN-SITU PROCESSES
OIL SHALES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PROCESSING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RETORTING
RETORTS
TESTING
YIELDS