Process for production of hydrocarbon liquids and gases from oil shale. [destructive distillation of preheated and prehydrogenated oil shale in presence of H-rich gas]

Patent · Tue Nov 25 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:7296913

Linden, H R; Tarman, P B; Feldkirchner, H L

A process for the production of hydrocarbon liquids and gases from oil shale is described. It includes the steps of gradually preheating oil shale in a preheat and prehydrogenation zone to a temperature of about 700/sup 0/ to about 950/sup 0/F in the presence of hydrogen-rich gas without substantial production of liquid and gas in the preheat and prehydrogenation zone, then destructively distilling the preheated and prehydrogenated oil shale in a hydroretort zone at a temperature of about 850/sup 0/ to about 1,250/sup 0/F in the presence of hydrogen-rich gas to form aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon liquids and low molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbon gases from the preheated and prehydrogenated organic hydrocarbon portion of the oil shale. The hydrogen-rich gas may be passed countercurrent in thermal exchange relation to the spent shale to recover heat from the spent shale heating the hydrogen-rich gas for passage countercurrent and in thermal exchange relation to fresh oil shale in the preheat and prehydrogenation zone. The improvement of this process lies in the exceptionally high conversion of the organic component of oil shale to products of high value including high yields of readily distillable liquids comprising a high proportion of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon liquids and to low molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbon gases. The process can be controlled, if desired, to maximize production of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon liquids. The liquids produced may be utilized for a wide variety of purposes including gasification for the production of synthetic pipeline-quality gas from oil shale. (auth)

• Assignee: American Gas Association
• Patent Number(s): US 3922215
• OSTI ID: 7296913
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COUNTER CURRENT
DISTILLATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS FLOW
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGENATION
LIQUIDS
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
RETORTING
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALES
SPENT SHALES