Control technology for in-situ oil-shale retorts
The object of this study was to evaluate control technologies for groundwater pollution resulting from leaching of modified in-situ spent shale. Preliminary engineering analysis was used to identify control technologies which were technically feasible and cost-effective. Process modification, intentional leaching, and retort grouting were further evaluated using numerical modeling and experimental techniques. Numerical simulation of the geohydrology at tracts C-a and C-b was used to determine the flow regime during and after processing, the amount of water available from dewatering, and the time scale of groundwater reinvasion. It was found that reinvasion would take over 200 years and that dewatering flows would probably be insufficient to satisfy water requirements for retort grouting. The formulation of low-cost grouts based on surface-retorted spent shale was studied experimentally. A high-strength hydraulic cement was produced by calcining Lurgi spent shale with an equal amount of CaCO/sub 3/ at 1000 C for 1 h. Electrical conductivity measurements indicated that the leachate from a grouted retort would be more concentrated than that from an ungrouted retort, but the increase in concentration would be more than offset by the reduction in flow. A standard flow-cone test used for grouting of preplaced aggregate concrete was used as the criterion for grout fluidity. This criterion was achieved by inclusion of either 33 percent sand or 0.25 percent lignosulfonate fluidizer in the grout. These grouts were found to be Casson fluids with yield stress values about 60 dyne/cm/sup 2/. Intentional leaching of MIS retorts was evaluated by developing a mass-transfer model of the leaching process. The model was experimentally verified for total organic carbon and used to calculate that 2.1 to 3.4 pore volumes would be needed to reduce leachate concentrations to 10 percent of their initial value.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 6325339
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-14468; ON: DE83011012
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation of control technology for modified in-situ oil-shale retorts
Control strategies for abandoned in situ oil shale retorts
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
MODIFIED IN-SITU PROCESSES
WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT
OIL SHALES
RETORTS
GROUTING
SPENT SHALES
LEACHING
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
BACKFILLING
CALCINATION
CEMENTS
COST
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GROUND WATER
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DISSOLUTION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
PROCESSING
PYROLYSIS
RETORTING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER
041000* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Environmental Aspects
040401 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
040900 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Waste management