AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Sampling designs for geochemical baseline studies in the Colorado oil shale region:  a manual for practical application

This manual presents a rationale for sampling designs, and results of geochemical baseline studies in the Colorado portion of the oil-shale region. The program consists of a systematic trace element study of soils, stream sediments, and plants carried out in a way to be conservative of human and financial resources and yield maximum information. Extension of this approach to other parameters, other locations, and to environmental baseline studies in general is a primary objective. A baseline for any geochemical parameter can be defined as the concentration of that parameter in a given medium such as soil, the range of its concentration, and the geographic scale of variability. In air quality studies, and to a lesser extent for plants, the temporal scale of variability must also be considered. In studies of soil, the temporal variablility does not become a factor until such time that a study is deemed necessary to evaluate whether or not there have been changes in baseline levels as a result of development. The manual is divided into five major parts. The first is a suggested sampling protocol which is presented in an outline form for guiding baseline studies in this area. The second section is background information on the physical features of the area of study, trace elements of significance occurring in oil shale, and the sample media used in these studies. The third section is concerned primarily with sampling design and its application to the geochemical studies of the oil shale region. The last sections, in the form of appendices, provide actual data and illustrate in a systematic manner, the calculations performed to obtain the various summary data. The last segment of the appendices is a more academic discussion of the geochemistry of trace elements and the parameters of importance influencing their behavior in natural systems.

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Postburn evaluation of the Hanna IV A and B UCG (underground coal gasification) experiments, Wyoming

Data from process monitoring, geophysical surveys, and postburn core studies were integrated to delineate the extent of affected coal and overburden at the Hanna IV A and B underground coal gasification experiment sites in southeastern Wyoming. The experiments were conducted from December 1977 to September 1979 in the Hanna No. 1 coal bed of the Eocene Hanna Formation. A postburn coring and well logging program was initiated in the fall of 1983. Well locations were selected using cavity boundary predictions determined by process monitor wells, a high-resolution seismic survey (June 1983). Detailed coal and overburden core studies were completed, including petrographic and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray analyses, strength tests, maceral analyses, vitrinite reflectance, fluorescence analyses, and proximate analyses. The Hanna IV A and B experiments apparently produced two distinct, temperature-stratified cavities separated by a fault zone of minor total displacement. Maximum coal consumption occurred near the west end of the IV A pattern, producing an asymmetrical cavity. Overburden collapse reached 45 ft. (14 m) above the top of the coal seam. Zones of maximum roof collapse are commonly bounded by minor faults that act as planes of weakness along which overburden fails. Override was a significant problem at the IV B pattern, primarily caused by faulting. A high percentage of calcite cement and sufficient porosity in the overburden contributed to limited roof collapse away from the faults. High-temperature mineral assemblages and fluorescence spectral parameters indicate that burn temperatures exceeded 2191/sup 0/F (1200/sup 0/C). The zone of reaction apparently is narrow (approx.6 in. (0.15 m)). 41 refs., 28 figs., 6 tabs.

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Characterization of nitrogen compounds in tar produced from underground coal gasification

Although the major product of underground gasification of coal is a low-Btu gas, approximately 5 percent of the total energy produced is in the form of relatively low-boiling coal tars. These liquid organic compounds, which are produced along with water and the product gas, have been characterized for their potential use as a synthetic liquid fuel. The liquids may also be suitable as a petrochemical feedstock and useful in determining the chemical reactions that are occurring underground. The coal tar material, which was sampled regularly during an underground coal-gasification test, showed variations in boiling ranges of from ambient to 600/sup 0/F and ambient to 950/sup 0/F with little or no residue as determined by simulated distillation. The coal tars were separated into tar acid, tar base, and neutral oil fractions. Of particular interest was the tar base fraction, which was examined in detail and showed the major constituents to be nitrogen-containing alkyl pyridines. The specific identification of several pyridines and the relative concentrations of these compounds produced under varying gasification conditions are discussed. Virtually all the nitrogen-containing compounds are weak bases as shown by potentiometric titration. The sulfur content of the acidic, basic, and neutral fractions is 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

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Underground coal gasification of Eastern bituminous coal beds. Topical report

The goal of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Underground Coal Conversion (UCC) program is to develop the technology to produce clean fuels from coal deposits that are unsuitable for commercial exploitation by conventional mining techniques. The highest priority is to develop and demonstrate, in conjunction with industry, a commercially feasible process for underground gasification of low-rank coal in the 1985 to 1987 time period. The DOE program has stimulated industry interest and activity in developing UCC technology. Several major energy corporations and utilities have invested private funds in UCC research and development (R and D) projects. Results of the program to date indicate that, while UCC is technically feasible, it still contains some process unknowns, environmental risks, and economic risks that require R and D. In order to contribute to the national energy goals, a strong DOE program that incorporates maximum industry involvement is planned. The program's strategy is to remove the high-risk elements of UCC by resolving technical, environmental, and economic uncertainties. This will enable industry to assume responsibility for commercialization of the technology. Thus, the elements of the program have been designed to: provide detailed design and operational data that industry can scale-up with confidence; provide accurate and complete cost estimates that can be scaled-up and will allow comparison with alternative processes; provide detailed environmental impact and control data to allow industry to implement projects that will meet applicable standards; verify the reliability of continuous operation of UCC processes; and show that UCC processes have the flexibility to meet a variety of commercial needs.

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Q-switched laser-induced reactions of thiacyclobutane and thiacyclopentane with oxygen

The phenomenon of laser induced gas breakdown has been a subject of considerable interest in the field of plasma physics.  Except for the work of Adelman Verdicek and Mau, and Wiley and Reich practically all of the research to date ;has been concerned with the physics of the problem, and very little effort has been made toward an understanding of the chemical reactions that occur during laser induced gas breakdown of molecular gases.  We report here the results of some of our investigations of the chemical reactions occurring during laser induced gas breakdown of sulfur compounds in the presence of oxygen.

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Structural characterization of supercritical gas extracts and residues of Fushun and Maoming oil shale

Semicontinuous supercritical gas extraction (SCGE) with toluene as the extractant is carried out on Fushun and Maoming (China) oil shale. The work includes a description of the extraction technique utilized and characterizations of extract and of extracted shale. Physical properties and chemical composition of the shale and of the SCG extracted shale are determined and presented.

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Hydrotreating of oil from eastern oil shale

Oil shale provides one of the major fossil energy reserves for the United States. The quantity of reserves in oil shale is less than the quantity in coal, but is much greater (by at least an order of magnitude) than the quantity of crude oil reserves. With so much oil potentially available from oil shale, efforts have been made to develop techniques for its utilization. In these efforts, hydrotreating has proved to be an acceptable technique for upgrading raw shale oil to make usuable products. The present work demonstrated the use of the hydrotreating technique for upgrading an oil from Indiana New Albany oil shale.

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LLL in situ coal gasifiction program. Annual report Fiscal Year 1977, October 1976--September 1977. [Hoe Creek No 1 and 2]

Our principal efforts were directed toward the gasification phase of Hoe Creek No. 1 and preparation for Hoe Creek No. 2. Before gasification is possible, the native coal bed permeability must be increased. Explosive fracturing was used to prepare the coal bed for Hoe Creek No. 1. During FY 1977, the fractured zone was dewatered; this was followed by several days of air-flow testing. The coal bed was ignited at 16:30 on Oct. 15, 1976, in a forward gasification mode. We had no problems with liquid plugging, but after one day of operation at high pressure (60 psig) and low flow (100 to 200 scfm), a sudden increase in flow to 2000 scfm) and a corresponding drop in pressure indicated that a major obstruction had blown or burned out. After that, temperature measurements placed the major portion of the burn at the top of the coal seam. This override had been predicted by postfracture measurements. Even though the override was severe, the gas quality was relatively high (100 to 150 Btu/scfm). When gasification ended, on Oct. 26, 1976, approximately 130 tons of coal (about 16% of that in the fractured zone) had been consumed. Operationally, the experiment was quite successful, and, although the coal recovery was not as high as originally hoped, we were able to operate in forward gasification with reasonable (73%) thermal efficiency. In Hoe Creek No. 2, we plan to prepare the coal bed with the linked-vertical-well process of reverse combustion. A two-process well design was adopted with well spacings of 60 ft. Most of the burn will be conducted with air, but a short steam-oxygen test is planned. The primary objective of Hoe Creek Experiment No. 2 is to determine the feasibility of reverse-combustion linking in a relatively homogeneous, water-saturated coal seam.

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Enhanced oil recovery, 1984 national petroleum council report

This study presents estimates of the amount and timing of incremental oil that might be recovered through the application of EOR techniques to known reservoirs in the United States over the next 30 years. The results presented in the study are not intended to be a forecast of what will occur. Rater they represent projections of what could happen under certain technical and economic assumptions and constraints. The study results do not reflect the impact of new oil discoveries or the possible application of EOR methods to those fields.

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Development of percussive water jets. Final technical report. [Ordinary vs modulated]

This report describes the development of Percussive Jets activity that began on November 1, 1974 and continued to the present. The work was first funded by the U.S. Bureau of Mines under Contract No. H0252008. Later, this effort was transferred to the Department of Energy using Contract No. ET-75-C-01-9094. Mr. Jacob N. Frank and Mr. Jack W. Chester of the Bureau of Mines and Mr. Hamilton B. Reese, Jr. of the Department of Energy served as Technical Project Officers.

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Kinetic study on hydrocarbon forming pyrolysis of Fushun and Maoming oil shales

The Rock Eval apparatus for studying hydrocarbon-forming kinetics of oil shales is used on four Chinese oil shale samples. Under experimental conditions, the main stage of hydrocarbon formation during pyrolysis may be treated as an overall first order kinetic model. The experimental data are well fitted with the kinetic equations obtained with calculated apparent activation energy and frequency factor. The time required for pyrolysis under constant temperature are also calculated. The results may be used for the design of the pyrolysis retort, especially for fine particles of oil shales.

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Analytical pyrolysis evaluation of the retorting potential of Kentucky oil shale

This work is an examination of an analytical pyrolysis technique as a method for determining oil shale retorting potential. A carefully selected and prepared set of oil shale samples was evaluated by three methods: Fischer Assay, bench scale fluid bed retorting and an analytical pyrolysis method. Data are presented to show that an analytical pyrolysis based assay is an acceptable alternative to more traditional methods. This approach was also shown to be predictive of the yield of several different shales under fluid bed retorting conditions. Further, there are several distinct advantages that the pyrolysis method offers. These principally relate to sample size requirements, speed of analysis and ancillary analytical capabilities. The pyrolysis experiment described here represents only one aspect of the capabilities of this technique. The ability to carefully control the pyrolysis conditions (e.g., temperature limits, rates and residence times) should permit the evaluation of the relationship between yield and thermal treatment. The work is part of an overall Kentucky oil shale resource characterization effort.

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Nitrogen-containing components from shale oil as modifiers in paving applications

As part of continuing research on moisture damage in asphaltic pavements, this work is an investigation of the strength of nitrogen compound-aggregate interactions before and after subjecting the nitrogen compound-treated aggregates to a warm water-benzene soak. Temperature-programmed thermal desorption of the nitrogen compounds from the treated aggregate surfaces through three different temperature ranges was used to determine the relative strength or stability of the nitrogen-aggregate bond. Upon thermal desorption, nitrogen in the evolved gases was determined by a chemiluminescent detector. Another area investigated was the ability of nitrogen-rich shale oil fractions to disperse asphaltenes in oxidatively-aged asphalts in anticipation of their use as potential recycle agents for aged petroleum asphalts. Pavement rehabilitation projects frequently add recycle or rejuvenating agents to aged asphaltic pavements to restore desired viscoelastic properties to the embrittled asphalt binder.

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Construction materials for coal conversion:  performance and properties data

This reference book for the fossil fuel industry is a result of the combined effort of the two data centers which constitute the NBS/DOE Fossil Energy Materials and Components Performance and Properties Data System. The first of the data centers is the Materials and Components Plant Performance Data Center, established in 1976 as the Failure Information Center. NBS was given the responsibility for collecting, abstracting, and disseminating information about operating events and materials and components failure analyses submitted by coal conversion pilot plant personnel and failure analyses laboratories under a voluntary information and data exchange program. The second of the data centers at NBS is the Materials Properties Data Center, established to collect, abstract, and disseminate construction materials properties and testing performance data. Emphasis is placed on the results of work by materials research contractors to the Department of Energy, but the compilation effort is not to be limited to those data sources. Data compiled by the two data centers have been tabulated and summarized for inclusion in this book. At present, the book is focused on coal gasification. The book is divided into six major parts with the following headings: (1) Materials Considerations and Performance Data; (2) Materials Testing and Research Results; (3) Properties of Candidate Materials; (4) Properties of Experimental Materials; (5) References; and (6) Index.

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Site visit report:  Minnkota Power Cooperative and Square Butte Electric Cooperative Milton R. Young Plant, Center, North Dakota. Final report

This report details the activities, facilities, and equipment used to sample raw feedstock and waste solids at the Minnkota Power Cooperative's and the Square Butte Electric Cooperative's Milton R. Young Plant in Center, North Dakota. Explanation of sampling locations, deviations from the test plan, sampling techniques (in accordance with the Fossil Energy Waste Sampling Guideline), and plant design are reviewed.

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Site visit report:  Southern California Edison Company Mohave Plant, Laughlin, Nevada. Final report

This report details the activities, facilities, and equipment used to sample raw coal feedstock and waste solids at the Mohave Plant located in Laughlin, Nevada. Explanation of sampling locations, deviations from the Test Plan, sampling techniques (in accordance with the Fossil Energy Waste General Sampling Guideline), and plant design are reviewed.

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Underground coal conversion program. Volume III. Resources

This volume identifies, characterizes, and quantifies United States coal resources that are of possible interest for underground coal gasification (UCG). The material presented can be used as a starting point for identifying candidate site areas, but it is not sufficiently detailed to be useful in the selection of specific sites. Section 1.0, the introduction, discusses geological and other factors affecting UCG site selection. It also explains why coal rank, seam thickness, and seam depth were selected as the preliminary screening criteria used to define UCG resources. Section 2.0 discusses eastern United States coal resources for UCG, and Section 3.0 discusses western states resources. Each state's resources that meet the preliminary screening criteria are discussed, with available tonnage estimates, chemical analyses, and information on depth, location, and thickness being included. Other data of possible use in evaluating resource suitability for UCG are also provided, and a subjective evaluation of each resource's potential suitability is made.

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Molecular interactions of asphalt. Tentative identification of 2-quinolones in asphalt and their interaction with carboxylic acids present

The tentative identification of 2-quinolones has been made in a Wilmington (Calif.) asphalt. These compounds, which exist predominantly in the N-unsubstituted form, were concentrated in an asphaltic resin fraction and are largly responsible for the 1655 cm/sup -1/ infrared absorption band in the asphalt. A strong hydrogen-bonding association between the 2-quinolones and carboxylic acids in asphalt is reported. The association complexes between the 2-quinolines and the carboxylic acids in asphalt and between the model compounds 2-quinolone and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid were studied by infrared spectrometry using a silylation reaction in which the 2-quinolones and carboxylic acids reacted at different rates. The ability of two solvents, methylene chloride and tetrahydrofuran, to break up hydrogen-bonded molecular complexes is shown. The diagnostic value of these solvents in infrared spectrometry for identification of carbonyl functional group types has been demonstrated, and use of these solvents for molecular association studies in asphalts is reported.

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Leach potential of processed shale as determined by two extraction methods

Batch leach tests were performed on 12 samples of Green River Formation spent oil shales generated from four retorting processes. Two standard leaching procedures were used, ASTM (American Standard Testing and Materials) method D3987 and EPA/RCRA (Environmental Protection Agency/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) extraction procedure. The trace elements arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, molybdenum, lead, and selenium were of interest, as were sulfate and chloride anions. The different leaching media used in the ASTM and EPA methods appear to account for the major differences in the leachates extracted from identical oil shale wastes. The EPA extraction medium is acidic (.1N acetic acid solution) and, thus, is capable of mobilizing significantly more arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and selenium from processed oil shale. Molybdenum, however, becomes more mobile at greater pH values. The amount of boron in leachates appears to be dependent on the temperature at which the oil shale is retorted. The anions SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ and Cl/sup -/ in processed oil shale leachates are influenced most by retorting atmosphere and leaching time, respectively. According to RCRA guidelines the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and selenium in the leachates of all the processed oil shale studied are considered nonhazardous. 31 refs., 15 figs., 10 tabs.

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Differential thermal analysis of the reaction properties of raw and retorted oil shale with air

The results of a study to determine the kinetics of combustion of oil shale and its char by using differential thermal analysis are reported. The study indicates that Colorado oil shale and its char combustion rate is the fastest while Fushun oil shale and its char combustion rate is the slowest among the six oil shales used in this work. Oil shale samples used were Fushun oil shale, Maoming oil shale, Huang county oil shale, and Colorado oil shale.

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Comparison of methods for measuring kerogen pyrolysis rates and fitting kinetic parameters. [Rock Eval]

We determine rates of product evolution during pyrolysis of several petroleum source rocks and isolated kerogens by nonisothermal techniques, including Rock Eval pyrolysis-MS/MS. The resulting data are analyzed by nonlinear regression and simpler correlation techniques in terms of discrete and Gaussian distributed activation energy models. We find that temperatures measured by standard Rock Eval analysis are too low by about 40/sup 0/C, resulting in kinetic expressions that are much too fast. Proper temperature calibration eliminates this problem. We explore the sensitivity of the kinetic parameters and extrapolation to geologic heating rates to uncertainty in the temperature calibration. We find that the discrete distribution model provides a superior fit to the laboratory data and probably a more reliable extrapolation to geological heating rates. We also assess how differences among kinetics for individual species relate to the activation energy distributions required for total hydrocarbon evolution. Kinetics from Rock Eval pyrolysis predict hydrocarbon generation rates intermediate between kerogen decomposition and oil expulsion during hydrous pyrolysis, but slight differences in activation energies result in similar predictions for a geological heating rate. Predictions for type I kerogens fall at the high end, but within the range, of oil generation temperatures predicted for type II kerogens. 18 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.

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