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U.S. Department of Energy
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Production of hydrocarbon gases from oil shale. [low molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbon gases formed from preheated and prehydrogenated organic hydrocarbon portion of oil shale]

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7358353
The oil shale is gradually preheated 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 or gas in the preheat and prehydrogenation zone. Then the preheated and prehydrogenated oil shale is treated in a hydrogasification zone at a temperature of about 1,200/sup 0/ to about 1,500/sup 0/F in the presence of hydrogen-rich gas to form predominately 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 having high content of low molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbon gases. (auth)
Assignee:
American Gas Association, Inc.
Patent Number(s):
US 3929615
OSTI ID:
7358353
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English