AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Explosively produced fracture of oil shale. Progress report, October-December 1981

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is conducting rock fragmentation research in oil shale to develop the blasting technologies and designs required to prepare a rubble bed for a modified in situ retort. The first section of this report outlines our experimental work at the Anvil Points Mine in Colorado with the Oil Shale Consortium sponsored by six major oil companies and managed by Science Applications, Inc. It details our proposed studies in explosive characterization and describes our progress in numerical calculation techniques to predict fracture of the shale. A detailed geologic characterization of two Anvil Points experiment sites is related to previous work at Colony Mine. The second section focuses on computer modeling and theory. One paper describes our latest generation of the stress wave code SHALE, its three-dimensional potential, and the slide line package for it. The second paper details how new bedded crack model calculations demonstrate agreement between predictions and field data. The final paper discusses a general stress-rate equation that takes energy dependence into account. 13 figures.

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Explosively created permeability from single charges

A theoretical expression showing the radial dependence of permeability in geologic media as a function of the distance from the point of detonation has been derived. This relationship shows that created permeability decreases as a function of radius (1/r^5 around a spherical blast and 1/r^4 around a cylindrical shot). Excellent correlation was found when this prediction was compared with permeability measurements made around the site of the Hardhat Nuclear Event fired in granodiorite and a chemical explosive detonated in coal.

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Explosively produced fracture of oil shale. Progress report, July-September 1981. [Field experiments; computer models; retort stability]

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is conducting rock fragmentation research in oil shale to develop the blasting technologies and designs required to create a rubble bed for a modified in situ retort. This report outlines our first field experiments at the Anvil Points Mine in Colorado. These experiments are part of a research program, sponsored by the Laboratory through the Department of Energy and by a Consortium of oil companies. Also included are some typical numerical calculations made in support of proposed field experiments. Two papers detail our progress in computer modeling and theory. The first presents a method for eliminating hourglassing in two-dimensional finite-difference calculations of rock fracture without altering the physical results. The second discusses the significant effect of buoyancy on tracer gas flow through the retort. A paper on retort stability details a computer application of the Schmidt graphical method for calculating fine-scale temperature gradients in a retort wall. The final paper, which describes our approach to field experiments, presents the instrumentation and diagnostic techniques used in rock fragmentation experiments at Anvil Points Mine.

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Thermal behavior of dawsonite

Evidence for the dawsonite decomposition reaction sequence is presented. Synthetic dawsonite was heated at temperatures from 250 to 800/sup 0/C and studied by X-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. From 350 to 550/sup 0/C sodium carbonate and a low temperature form of alumina were the main products. Hydrolysis experiments showed that this heretofore unidentified alumina product is rho-alumina. At temperatures of 600/sup 0/C and above, the sodium carbonate and rho-alumina react in an incomplete solid state reaction to form crystalline sodium aluminate.

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Numerical modeling of groundwater flow and water quality at underground coal gasification sites. Final technical report

The purpose of this project was to develop the numerical tools to study the flow and water quality problems associated with underground coal gasification (UCG) burns. If this new technology of energy extraction is to become viable and widespread, then the environmental consequences have to be studied, predicted and managed. One of the ways of doing this is to use numerical modeling of flow and water quality to assess the environmental impact after the burns have been completed. An environmental manager would like to know the distribution and location of the contaminant plume as a function of time over a given time span (say 20 years). These numerical tools will be useful to the manager faced with such problems. At the end of the burn, a cavity is formed which could be considered empty and dry. The water from the surrounding coal seam begins to seep in and the water level in the cavity begins to rise, as in a well. The permeability in the cavity will be very large and porosity of the rubble in the cavity will be close to unity. Conditions in the cavity will be unconfined until the water fills the cavity and makes the flow confined. In this confined condition, the permeability will remain large; however, the storage coefficient will be somewhat greater than the value it had during pre-burn conditions. After the cavity is full, a stage will be reached when flow begins to occur out of the cavity. Before this stage, water flows into the cavity and the contaminated water stays in the cavity. After this stage, the water that leaves the cavity is contaminated. This contamination is then advected, dispersed, and decayed and sorbed in the coal seam. If all of these parameters are known, then numerical modeling will predict the location and magnitude of the pollutant plume at any future time. This report describes the numerical models developed to study this phenomenon.

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Underground gasification of coal. II. [14 references]

Experimental results from the large scale trials in Great Britain of underground gasification now include post mortem data, after excavation, on temperature levels and the state of adjoining coal seams and strata. A model of the gasification process is put forward. In this the width of combustion zone is directly proportional to seam thickness, the calorific value of the coal and the square root of initial speed of the combustion front. Results can be predicted from these calculations which are consistent with earlier experimental data and those revealed by excavation.

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Effect of moisture on the gas-formation process under the conditions of the Angren gasification station ''Podzemgaz'' (Office for Survey, Design, Planning, and Development of Experimental Mines for Underground Gasification of Coal). [Heat of combustion of gas formed depends on amount of moisture that participates in its formation]

"The problem of the influence exerted by water on gas formation has been considered in several papers in UCC literature; these papers report the results of laboratory work [6 ,8,11 , 14 ,15] and of analyses of the gasification process under natural conditions [2- 4,10]. While the method of estimating the effect of moisture on the calorific value of the gas in the analysis of laboratory results is determined by the aims and by the methods used in the specific experiments , there is still no agreement on the method in the analysis of natural UGC  indicators."

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Underground gasification of coal with oxygen-enriched air. [Produced 780,000 ft/sup 3//day of 124-Btu gas]

"The Bureau of Mines conducted field-scale experiments in underground gasification of coal with oxygen-enriched air. A path about 140 feet long was linked at the rate of 10 feet per day through a coalbed hydraulically fractured  with a mixture of starch gel and sand. During the best gasification period, which extended for 2-1/2 days, 780,000 std. c.f. per day of 124-B.t.u. gas was produced. In other periods the heating value at times was almost 300 B.t.u. per std. c.f., but sustained production of such gas was not achieved."

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Underground gasification of coal. Hydraulic fracturing as method of preparing a coal bed. [Coal at Gorgas, Alabama, fractured with fluid consisting of 15,000 lb. sand mixed with 10,000 gal. fuel oil and 5,000 gal. kerosine injected at pressures up to 9900 p. s. i. g. and rates up to 425 gal. /min]

One of a series on underground gasification of coal, this experiment involved an investigation of hydraulic fracuring as a means of increasing the air acceptance of a coal bed to permit the introduction of combustion air and removal of product gases. Specific objectives of the investigation included: (1) fracture a coal bed; (2) determine the extent of the fracture, that is, the distance the coal was physically affected; (3) ascertain the effect of the fracture on air acceptance of the coal bed; (4) gasify the coal.

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Underground coal gasification in the USSR. [Critical review of a book on economics of underground gasification]

It is complained in the first place that instead of an objective and profound analytical study, we have here merely a superficial account statement of the activities and results of existing PGU stations.  Briefly the main purpose of gasification is the production of gas in situ and its transport to a distance of 6-7 miles and among the principal consumers would be electric power stations. An important point here is the amount of energy required for their own needs.

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Oxidation by steam in underground gasification of coal. [Proposed method for calulating the ratio of stream to other oxidizing gases]

A method is proposed for calculating the ratio of water vapor to other oxidizing gases, assuming that the desired temperatures are maintained as the condition for a suitable course of the gasification process. The basic difference between the surface and underground gasification conditions and the consequent variable temperatures employed are given. Calculations of the ratio of water vapor to other oxidizing gases show that in surface gasification, the ratio employed in practice is in accord with the calculation: the use of water vapor in under ground gasification with cold air as the oxidizing gas is not recommended, and with pure oxygen, the ratio of water vapor to oxygen was calculated to be 1:3:1.

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Shatskaya underground coal-gasification station

The Shatskaya underground coal gasification station in the Moscow Basin was operated on a commercial scale from about 1959 to 1976. Although it apparently never achieved more than 70% of its planned gas production, it may have been the most effective of the Soviet UCG stations. Gas losses were 25%, and heating value of the product gas was 800 kcal/m/sup 3/ - figures indicating a successful operation for the thin coal seams involved (2 to 4 m thick). Initial estimates showed a coal deposit sufficient to operate the Shatskaya station for 70 years. Nevertheless, it was closed down after only about 17 years of operation, probably for economic reasons. This report draws on the limited information available in the literature to describe the Shatskaya station and its operating history.

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Environmental research plan for the Geokinetics Inc. investigation of the horizontal in-situ oil-shale-retorting process. Research record

The Environmental Research Plan developed for the Geokinetics Inc. Horizontal In Situ Oil Shale Retorting Project, has been prepared as two individual documents. The first document is the Program Outline which defines the general goals and objectives of the environmental research program The second document, i.e. this document, is the Research Record which details the actual research projects performed between January 1980 and January 1982 in accordance with the goals established in the Program Outline. In tandem, both documents comply with the provisions set fourth in the Cooperative Agreement # DE-FC20-78LC10787, the Environmental Assessment (DOE, December 1979), and in DOE Order 5480.1. (Environmental Safety and Health Plan).

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THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION OF HEAT TRANSFER IN THE GAS-FLOW OIL-SHALE RETORT

The gas-flow oil-shale retort is a continuous, cross flow, gas-to-broken solid heat-exchange system in which heat is transferred by convection from the gas to the solid. This type of heat transfer presents a problem of analysis that cannot be solved by methods in common use. Solution of this problem is necessary for seeing, operation analysis, and prediction wherever that type of heat exchanger is used. This report embodies a method for calculation of heat transfer coefficient and temperature bistouries of gas and solid in the gas flow retort operation at equilibrium conditions. Detailed calculations are presented to show the application of the method explained in this report to conditions of an actual run made in the gas-flow retort. Although used here for a specific case, the method is applicable  to all heat exchangers that are characterized by continuous, cross flow, gas-to-broken solid heat transfer.

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Investigation of the geokinetics horizontal in situ oil shale retorting process. Quarterly report, April-June 1979

Grading and leveling of the site for the new shop was finished. Grading and sloping of the area around the shop began. Wherever possible, the slopes are graded to angles no steeper than 2:1. This will minimize erosion and permit successful revegetation of the disturbed area.

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Investigation of the geokinetics horizontal in situ oil shale retorting process. Quarterly report, July-September 1979

During the quarter, two core holes were drilled to assess the configuration of the mahogany zone near Retort #22 and Retort #24. One hole was drilled about 230 feet northwest of Retort #22 and Retort #24. One hole was drilled about 230 feet northwest of Retort #22 and the second was drilled adjacent to Retort #24. Figure 1 shows the location of the holes. The hole near Retort #22 was drilled to a depth of 85 feet, or about 20 feet below the mahogany zone. Logging and analysis of the core revealed nothing unusual. The core near Retort #24, designated exploratory hole #24 discovered a small anomaly in the general trend of the mahogany zone. Apparently the hole was drilled into a local dip in the stratum. It was a first thought that this dip could affect the blasting configuration of Retort #24 but it was concluded that this was not the case. See Drilling and Blasting below for further detail.

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Investigation of the geokinetics horizontal in situ oil shale retorting process. Quarterly report, January-March 1979

A site fore Retorts #20 and #21 has been selected. The site selected is west of the pipeline and about 200 yards west of the tank battery along the small ridge bordering the north edge of Section 2. Figure 1 shows the location of the site. The site meets the site criteria of providing an overburden thickness of 30 to 40 feet, and a distance of at least 500 feet from the hydrological test wells west of the gas pipeline.

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Market analysis of shale oil co-products. Summary report

This study examines the potential for separating, upgrading and marketing sodium mineral co-products together with shale oil production. The co-products investigated are soda ash and alumina which are derived from the minerals nahcolite and dawsonite. Five cases were selected to reflect the variance in mineral and shale oil content in the identified resource. In the five cases examined, oil content of the shale was varied from 20 to 30 gallons per ton. Two sizes of facilities were analyzed for each resource case to determine economies of scale between a 15,000 barrel per day demonstration unit and a 50,000 barrel per day full sized plant. Three separate pieces of analysis were conducted in this study: analysis of manufacturing costs for shale oil and co-products; projection of potential world markets for alumina, soda ash, and nahcolite; and determination of economic viability and market potential for shale co-products.

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Regional resource assessment and feasibility analysis of fossil energy recovery from Chattanooga (Devonian) oil shale in Alabama and adjacent states. Report of Phase II investigations, final report

An engineering plan and economic evaluation are presented for mining and processing 33,000 tons/day of oil shale at a specific site in Madison county, Alabama. The proposed operation is designed to produce about 10,000 bbl/day of oil from shale containing 13 gal/ton of recoverable oil as determined by the modified Fischer assay method. Disposal of mine overburden and spent shale are included as part of the mining plan. The oil is recovered from the shale using the Paraho retorting process. The estimated capital cost of the integrated mining-processing venture is about $800 million, and the annual operating costs are $71 million. At a projected market value of $40/bbl of shale oil plus an additional revenue of $60 million from sale of process by-products the return on investment from the operation before taxes is estimated to be 13% (late 1981 dollars). In addition to the economic evaluation of the integrated mining and processing operation in northeast Alabama, the progress made in developing innovative methods for processing Eastern oil shale are discussed. The results of three different approaches to extracting the oil are presented. Flotation of an Alabama shale containing 11 gal/ton of oil (Fischer assay) gave a concentrate containing 18 gal/ton of oil with a recovery of 96.6 percent of the oil. A preliminary economic evaluation of the retorting of beneficiated and raw shale indicated that the cost of oil recovered by flotation-retorting is in the range of about $6.50/bbl less than the cost of oil produced by retorting unbeneficiated shale. 26 references, 15 figures, 18 tables.

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Gasification technology data base

This report documents the background, philosophy, functions served, evolution process, specific results, and current status of the gasification technology data base activity at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC). METC has lead reponsibility for coal gasification within the US Department of Energy. This responsibility includes the identification, planning, and execution of coal gasification activities which offer potentially high pay-offs for the National energy future. A well-organized and quantified descriptions of the state of the art (SOA) is a valuable reference tool in carrying out this obligation. The Gasification Technology Data Base (GTDB) will serve as a reference tool and mechanism by which lessons learned during the course of research and development can be captured. The GTDB activity was a significant extension of previous data base activities at METC. It was initiated by the realization that the Alternative Fuels legislation (Public Law 96-126) had created a unique window of technical opportunity; specifically, approximately 20 unusually credible design studies for coal gasification based commercial plants were being performed, and there was a likelihood that some of them would evolve into actual plants. Consequently, a significant fraction of corporate wisdom was being documented in coal gasification studies that could serve as an extraordinarily good input source for the GTDB. The basic objective of the GTDB was to intergrate the results of the various studies and the related METC work to define the SOA. Simultaneously, it was expected to provide a highly workable reference that would facilitate analyses to perform cross comparisons, to quantify the potential value of new approaches, to identify technology gaps, et cetera. In short, with proper integration, the value of the whole could readily exceed the sum of its parts. 5 figures, 8 tables.

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U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development programs for heavy oil and tar sand recovery

The main emphasis of the DOE tar sand program described is to develop in situ techniques capable of recovering bitumen from domestic tar sand deposits. This program primarily involves field experiments of in situ techniques (in situ combustion and steam drive). Supporting activities include resource assessment, upgrading and surface processing research, and environmental permitting and control. 5 refs.

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Analysis of a failed spent-char transfer line from the IGT HYGAS coal-gasification pilot plant

A failed spent-char transfer line from the IGT HYGAS Coal-Gasification Pilot Plant has been analyzed. The line was fabricated primarily of RA 330, except for one length of Incoloy 800 piping and Type 316 stainless steel hub pieces at each end of the horizontal line. Cracking occurred at three locations in the horizontal portion of the line. At one of these locations, namely the downstream hub, the cracking was accompanied by substantial corrosive attack. Little or no corrosion was noted at the other two failure sites. The failures were attributed to a combination of: (1) thermal stresses produced by temperature cycles experienced during the discharge of hot char; and (2) sulfidation caused by prolonged or repeated contact of the line with sulfur-containing hot char. It was recommended that the horizontal portion of the line be redesigned to reduce mechanical constraints, that the severity of the imposed temperature cycles be reduced if possible, and that the hub pieces be fabricated of a more sulfidation-resistant alloy such as Incoloy 800 or RA 330.

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Hoe Creek experiments: LLNL's underground coal-gasification project in Wyoming

Under the sponsorship of the US Department of Energy and predecessor organizations, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory carried out a laboratory program and three field, underground coal gasification tests near Gillette, Wyoming. This report summarizes that work. Three methods of linking or connecting injection and production wells were used for the UCG field tests: Hoe Creek No. 1 employed explosive fracturing, Hoe Creek No. 2 featured use of reverse combustion, and directional drilling was used for the Hoe Creek No. 3. The Gas Research Institute cosponsored the latter test. Laboratory experiments and modeling, together with a laboratory and field environment program, are necessary adjuncts to the field program. Explosive fracturing in coal was simulated using computer models and laboratory tests. We developed a relationship of total inelastic strains to permeability, which we used to design and interpret a coal outcrop, explosive fracturing experiment at Kemmerer, Wyoming. Coal gasification was also simulated in laboratory experiments and with computer models. The primary aim has been to predict and correlate reaction, thermal-front propagation rates, and product gas composition as a function of bed properties and process operating conditions. Energy recovery in the form of produced gas and liquids amounted to 73% of the energy in the consumed coal. There were essentially no losses to the subsurface formation. The greatest energy loss was in steam production.

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