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In situ retorting of oil shale with pulsed water purge

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6821091
;

A process is described for retorting oil shale, comprising the steps of: heating a portion of a rubblized mass of oil shale in a retorting zone of an underground retort to a retorting temperature to liberate shale oil and retort water from the oil shale leaving retorted shale containing residual carbon; combusting the residual carbon in the oil shale in a combustion zone behind the retorting zone in the underground retort with a flame front fed by an oxygen-containing, combustion-sustaining, feed gas to provide a substantial portion of the heating, the flame front advancing generally in the direction of flow of the feed gas; injecting a purge liquid comprising retort water in the absence of the oxygen-containing, combustion-sustaining, feed gas into the underground retort to quench the flame front while substantially stopping and blocking the flow of the oxygen-containing, combustion-sustaining, feed gas into the retort while simultaneously continuing to liberate shale oil and retort water in the underground retort; the retort water liberated from the retort and injected into the underground retort as the purge liquid, comprising raw, retorted and spent oil shale particulates ranging in size from less than 1 micron to 1000 microns, water, shale oil, phenols, organic carbon, ammonia, sodium, iron, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, nitrogen, nickel, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and arsenic; reigniting the flame front with the oxygen-containing, combustion-sustaining, feed gas by feeding the oxygen-containing feed gas into the retort in the absence of the retort water purge liquid while simultaneously substantially stopping and preventing the flow of the retort water purge liquid into the retort; and withdrawing the liberated shale oil and retort water from the underground retort.

Assignee:
Amoco Corp., Chicago, IL
Patent Number(s):
US 4637464
OSTI ID:
6821091
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AMMONIA
AROMATICS
ARSENIC
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CALCIUM
CARBON
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION
COPPER
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FLAME PROPAGATION
FLUID FLOW
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS FLOW
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
IRON
MAGNESIUM
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERAL OILS
NICKEL
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PHENOLS
PHOSPHORUS
PROCESSING
PULSE TECHNIQUES
RETORTING
RETORTS
SEMIMETALS
SHALE OIL
SODIUM
SPENT SHALES
SULFUR
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER
ZINC