AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
CONSTITUTION OF GREEN RIVER OIL SHALE

Oil shale from the Green River formation was formed from sediment deposited in two Eocene lakes-- Lake Uintah in Colorado and Lake Goshute in Wyoming (figure 1).  During most of their million year life span, these lakes were chemically stratified into two stable zones, one atop the other.  The upper zone was relatively fresh, oxygen-bearing water, capable of supporting living organisms, whereas the lower zone was essentially a reducing solution of sodium carbonates, charged with hydrogen sulfide and barren of living. Organic matter settling into the lower zones was digested and homogenized, then incorporated into the developing sediment, which upon petrifaction became Green River oil shale.  The formation covers almost 42,000 square kilometers (15,500 square miles).  The Piceance Creek basin in Colorado represents about one-tenth of this area, but contains about 75 percent of the oil shale that averages 19 liters of oil per metric ton (2 1/2 gallons per ton) Oil shale of this grade ranges in thickness up to 410 meters (2,000 feet) in this basin.  Most studies of the composition of Green River oil shale, have been on samples from the Piceance  Creek basin, particularly from a stratigraphically defined section of rich oil shale, called the Mahogany Zone, which outcrops in the cliffs along the north side of the Colorado River.  Mineral composition, physical properties, separation of organic and mineral constituents and characteristics of the organic matter will be discussed.

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ANALYSIS OF OIL SHALE AND OIL SHALE PRODUCTS FOR CERTAIN MINOR ELEMENTS

In September of this year development plans of the commercial production of oil shale by in-situ retorting were approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior.  The anticipated growth of this industry will call for the careful monitoring of minor elements residuals for both environmental and industrial quality control.  In January, 1976, The University of Wyoming was contacted by the Department of Energy's Laramie Energy Research Center (LERC) to develop rapid, inexpensive and simple methods of quantitative and qualitative elemental analysis for products used and generated in the simulated in situ retorting of oil shale.  Alpha particle spectrometry was used to determine the radioisotope content of the aqueous retort products.  Alpha particles are mono-energetic and the spectrometry method employed had very low background levels (1 count per 2000 seconds).  These factors allow for both the quantitative and qualitative analysis of neutral radioisotopes at the 1 ppm. level.  Sample preparation does not require any chemical treatment.  Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used for the multi-element analysis of the retort products.  The XRF, integrated with a mini-computer allows rapid analysis of several elements in multiple samples.  XRF samples require minimal amounts of preparation and analytical results ate highly reproducible.  This paper presents the methods developed and preliminary analytical results from oil shale by-products.  Results from the analysis of oil shale rocks are not yet ready for presentation.  All samples were provided by LERC and generated by LRRC's 10 ton simulated in-situ retort at Laramie, Wyoming.

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RETORTING OIL SHALE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. 2. SINGE-VESSEL FLUIDIZED RETORT

The main characteristics of the fluidized-solids process are better temperature control, higher heat transfer rates, and shorter heating times than usually obtained by other means.  Good temperature control and high heat transfer rates ate obtained because the particles are in rapid motion and very thoroughly mixed in turbulent contact with the  gas stream.  The small site of the shale particles allows far more rapid heating with conventionally more rapid retorting. The purpose of this project was to obtain information on the high temperature retorting of oil shale in a single-vessel fluidized bed under conditions that would give maximum production of burners.

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MULTIPURPOSE UTILIZATION OF OIL SHALE

The need for energy for domestic and commercial purposes is world-wide and rapidly increasing. IN most parts of the world, the most critically needed forms of energy are hydrocarbons, which are the source for motor fuels needed for transportation and for the easily transportable, high-Btu-content gases used for domestic purposes and for power generation. The widespread occurrence of organic containing rocks, or oil shale, throughout the world make this material a possible substitute, particularly for petroleum ad natural gas, as a source of fossil energy.

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OIL SHALE? TAR SAND? THERE'S A DEFINITE DIFFERENCE

Deposits of both oil shale and tar sand are classified as unconventional sources and a number of dissimilarities exist in these two potentially developable commodities. The major differences are found in depositional environments, physical and chemical characteristics, kinds of organic matter and derived oils, and methods of extraction. Oil shale and tar sand deposits are not commonly found in the same localities but are scattered trough parts of the United States. The principal exception is the Uinta Basin of Utah were major tar sand deposits are stratigraphically adjacent to and sometimes interbedded with oil shale.

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DEEPENING OF BUREAU OF MINES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION COLORADO COREHOLE NO. 1, RIO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO

In the summer of 1965, the Bureau of Mines and the Atomic Energy Commission collaborated in drilling an exploratory corehole to gather information on the characteristics of the oil shale's in the northern Piceance Creek basin. This information would be used to identify a site for pilot experiments on the in situ processing of oil shale. This well, Colorado Corehole No 1 is located near Yellow Creek in NW1/4NE1/4SE1 sec 13, T 1 N, R 98 W, Rio Blanco County, Colorado. Drilling started on June 8 and was completed on July 31, 1965. preliminary results were reported to the AEC in November 1965, in Denver, Colorado, at the Third Symposium on Oil Shale, sponsored by the American Institute of Petroleum Engineers; the Colorado school of Mines; and the Colorado School of Mines Research Foundation, Inc.

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BUREAU OF MINES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION COLORADO COREHOLE NO. 2, RIO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO

As part of a cooperative program with the Atomic Energy Commission to investigate suitable sites for pilot experiments on the in situ processing of oil shale, the Bureau of Mines had directed the drilling of two exploratory coreholes in Colorado in the northwestern part of the Piceance Creek Basin. The first well was drilled to 2,600 feet in sec 13, T 1 N, R 98 W, in the summer of 1965. Early in the summer of 1966, it was deepened to 3, 140 feet in order to complete the evaluation of the oil shale section, The second well was drilled in 1966, in a virtually untested area. Its location is about 12 miles southwest of the first well and near Duck Creek in SW1.4NW1/4NE1/4 sec 14, T 1 S, R 99 W, Rio Blanco County, Colorado.

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BUREAU OF MINES WYOMING COREHOLE NO. 1 , SWEETWATER COUNTY, WYOMING

"The recent growing interest in oil from oil shale is reflected in the intensified research concerning in situ retorting presently being conducted by the U. S Bureau of Mines. An important initial step in such research is the location of a site suitable for carrying out pilot experiments and studies, principally concerning the fracturing of oil shale's in place and subsequent thermal decomposition. This paper reports part of a site selection study being conducted by  the Bureau of Mines for locating the most suitable site in Colorado, Utah, or Wyoming for in situ experiments."

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BLACK TRONA WATER, NORTHERN GREEN RIVER BASIN

An unusual black water has been observed flowing from shallow wells drilled in a comparatively small area in the northern Green River Basin. Since 1949, 18 boreholes have encountered this black water, made black by organic acids dissolved in a sodium carbonate solution. Because the black water occurs in association with Green River Formation oil shale, and because we encountered a black water flow during the drilling of a corehole designed to evaluated oil-shale deposits, the Bureau has accumulated the information currently available on the black water. This paper presents a history of black water observations, describes the geology of the occurrences of black water, discusses the nature of the water, and presents a possible explanation for its origin. Interpretation of the limited data probably creates more questions than it answers, and further study should be undertaken as additional data become available.

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APPLICATION OF COMPUTER MODELS TO THE RETORTING OF OIL SHALE

It has been estimated that over a trillion gallons of oil currently exists in the oil shale of the State of Michigan. A successful program for commercial extraction of a part of this oil could lead to a substantial reduction in the foreign oil requirements of the United States. At the present time a large significant research effort is being directed by the Department of Energy (DOE) towards developing a practical means of extracting energy from Michigan oil shale. Part of this effort is the development of various models for describing the physical processes that occur in a single particle of oil shale as the energy bearing products are being extracted. This paper describes the current stage of development of these single particle models and outlines some of the problems in the numerical solution of the resulting partial differential equations.

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REFINING RESEARCH

"When the shale oil program was begun in 1944, little work had been done with Colorado shale for a number of years, and little information was available on the composition of shale oil or its probable behavior when subjected o the newer processes used in petroleum refining. Also, at that time, there was considerable anxiety over the adequacy of our petroleum supply to meet continuing warfare, and great emphasis was placed on the investigation and development of processes which, although they might have recognized deficiencies, could be used to produce motor fuel from shale oil with a minimum of new construction. For these reasons, thermal cracking and acid treating, which are adaptable for use with a wide range of stocks, were the first processes investigated. When the Rifle, Colo., plant was placed in operation, efforts along these lines were reduced at Laramie, Wyo., and attention was shifted to the investigation of the newer catalytic processes.  Unfortunately, many of the processes which have found extensive application in the petroleum industry do not produce equally satisfactory results when applied to shale oil, and attempts were made to improve the results by methods such as solvent extraction or other pretreatment of the charge stocks for the removal of nitrogen and sulfur. Although some improvement was made by these means, concurrent developments in the knowledge of the composition of shale oil and of the limitations of the various processes indicated that the maximum improvement possible in the application of conventional processes could produce only relatively low yields of high quality products.  Hydrogenation offers a means of removing sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen without loss of the hydrocarbon portion of the molecule, with simultaneous production of the valuable byproducts, sulfur and ammonia. Furthermore it can be used as a means of increasing the volatility of the oil without simultaneous production of coke or residuum of low market value. Attention was, therefore, shifted to the study of processes involving hydrogenation."

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PREPARATION OF SHALE-OIL GASOLINE

Shale oil, produced from oil shale of the Rocky Mountain region by many of the usual retorting processes, consists mainly of high boiling compounds of nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen; less than half is hydrocarbons. Gasoline boiling-range naphtha has been produced in a yield of 49.6 percent by volume by recycle thermal cracking of the crude The raw naphtha, of poor quality, was upgraded by dilute acid and caustic treatment followed by concentrated sulfuric acid treatment. Hydrofining thermally cracked naphtha at 400 and 800 psig produced hotter yields of stable gasoline with slightly lower clear octane numbers but higher leaded octane numbers. Recycle hydrocracking of crude shale oil at 3,000 psig produced over 100 percent by volume of stable, low-sulfur, and low-nitrogen gasoline with low octane numbers. Hydrotreating of a naphtha from hydrocracking crude shale oil, to reduce its nitrogen content to 7 pm, followed by catalytic reforming raised its octane numbers to 89, clear, and 99 with 3 ml of TEL.

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HYDROTREATING SHALE-OIL NAPHTHA WITH TCR CATALYST

"Four different shale-oil naphthas were hydrotreated over TCR cogelled chromia-alumina catalyst furnished to the Bureau of Mines by Socony-Vacuum Oil Company. These naphthas were: (1) raw shale-oil naphtha from thermal cracking of N-T-U crude; (2) a mixture of raw naphtha from cracked N-T-U crude and hydrogenated shale-oil naphtha; (3) heavy naphtha from cracking of N-T-U shale oil: and (4) primary naphtha from retorting shale in the entrained-solids retort at 1200 degrees F.  From the results obtained, it appears that TCR catalyst is not suitable for hydrotreating of raw thermal-cracked shale-oil naphtha or of heavy naphtha from the same source. Hydrotreating of these materials resulted in low yields and unstable products. Mixing of raw naphtha with hydrogenated naphtha before the naphtha was charged to the hyrotreating unit resulted in the production of a premium motor fuel although yield was low. Use of external hydrogen feed for this type of run was found necessary. TCR catalyst appears to offer promise for the hydrotreating of aromatic naphtha from high-temperature retorting with the entrained-solids retort."

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HYDROCRACKING OF IN SITU SHALE OIL (abstract only)

A group of once-through laboratory hydrocracking experiments was made with crude in situ shale oil from underground combustion retorting of Green River oil shale. Nickel oxide-molybdenum oxide catalyst on a silica-stabilized alumina support was used at 1500 psig pressure, 700 degrees, 750 degrees, and 800 degrees F, and space velocities of 0.6, 1.0, and 2.0 volumes of oil per volume of catalyst per hour. Yields and properties of gasoline-boiling-range naphtha and broad-cut diesel fuels are given.

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DISTRIBUTION OF NITROGEN IN HYDROCRACKED IN SITU SHALE OIL (Abstract only)

Crude shale oil from in situ retorting of Wyoming oil shale by the underground combustion method was hydrocracked over a nickel-molybdens catalyst in a single-pass operation at 800 degrees F, 1,500 psig pressure, and 0.5 volume of oil per volume of catalyst per hour. The liquid product was fractionally distilled into naphtha and heavier oil. The fractions distilling above naphtha were collected at 5 degrees F intervals and nitrogen percentages were determined on these. The distribution of nitrogen in 54 distillate fractions is reported.

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DIESEL FUELS FROM SHALE OIL

High-boiling shale oil produced from Rocky Mountain oil shale can be reduced in molecular weight by recycle thermal cracking and by coking. Diesel fuels of good quality have been made from the cracked shale oil by acid and caustic treating. Diesel oil made by this process performed acceptably in an in-service test for powering a railroad engine in a 750-hour test. Better quality diesel fuels were made by hydrogenation of a coker distillate. Even better quality diesel fuels, suitable also for use as high-quality distillate burner fuels, have been made by hydrocracking of a crude shale oil from underground in situ retorting experiments conducted by the Laramie Energy Research Center in Wyoming.

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Quarterly Progress Report July 1-September 30, 1972

"The development of analytical procedures for tar sand samples was essentially completed. As a result, plans have been formulated to receive and analyze cores obtained by the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey under a $77,200 grant from the Bureau of Mines, Office of Mineral Supply. This work will provide for the evaluation of five tar sand deposits in the Uinta Basin in Utah.  Development of a technique for characterizing the compounds that make up the acids in petroleum was completed with the classification of phenols and carbazoles according to type of ring system. The technique will be applied to several additional oils to prove that it has general applicability.  A new concept of the physical-chemical nature of asphalt was developed through micro calorimetric studies of asphalt-aggregate and asphalt-asphalt interactions. Many asphalt properties, particularly viscosity and adhesivity, must be related to these interactions, so control or manipulation of these important properties would be facilitated by better understanding of the interactions.  Mild oxidation removed about one-half of the nitrogen in shale-oil naphtha with the loss of only a small volume of naphtha. Hence, the method has potential for improving the naphtha as a feed stock for further processing. However, application of the technique to additional naphtha will be necessary in order to estimate its effectiveness.  Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance to the definition of oil and mineral potentials of Green River Formation oil shales were discussed at a regional spectroscopy conference. Utilization of NMR for assaying oil shales will be delayed because of damage to the magnet during delivery of a new NMR spectrometer.  Oil-shale sample acquisitions were enhanced by drilling associated with Interior’s proposed oil-shale leasing program. Three cores from Colorado, one from Utah, and one from Wyoming were assayed.  Completion of the first series of runs on the 150-ton retort to study the effects of oxygen content and superficial space velocity on oil yield indicated that optimum conditions for these variables might lie outside the limits chosen for the series. Hence, a run outside the conditions of the original pattern was completed during the quarter with the hope of raising substantially the oil yield.  A series of runs attempting to utilize electro oxidation for the removal of the organic materials in retort waters indicated that this technique does not appear to be suitable for the purpose."

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National Uranium Resource Evaluation Chattanooga Shale Conference

Chattanooga Shale, underlying some 40,000 square miles in the southeastern United States, is considered to be a potentially large, low-grade source of uranium. The area in and near Dekalb County, Tennessee, appears to be the most likely site for commercial development. This paper deals with the mine design, mining procedures, equipment requirements, and operating maintenance costs for an underground mining complex capable of producing 100,000 tons of Chattanooga Shale per day for delivery to a beneficiation process.

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Commercial Shale Oil Production Facility at Agency Draw Volume II

"Geokinetics Inc. Was awarded Grant No. DE-FG01-80RA50383 by the United States Department of Energy as a result of the Program Solicitation for Feasibility Studies for Alternative Fuels Production. The program title is “Feasibility Study: Commercial Shale Oil Production Facility” and the date of the grant is September 30, 1980.  Davy McKee Corporation, having cooperated in the submission of the Geokinetics Inc. proposal to the Department of Energy, was awarded a subcontract by Geokinetics Inc. on December 3, 1980 for the preparation of the Agency Draw feasibility study."

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Economic Evaluation of Entrained Solids Retorting (Including Oil & Gas Processing), Planning and Evaluation Report No. 21

"The Laramie station of the Bureau of Mines has issued an intra-bureau report entitled “entrained Solids Retorting of Colorado Oil Shale, in which are presented data for retorting oil shale in the Entrained Solids pilot plant retort at 1,200 degrees F. A suggested refining sequence for processing the gas and shale oil produced by the retort is also proposed in the report. The entire operation is based on a 411.000 T/D oil-shale industry and includes material balances for mining, crushing, retorting, and refining.  It has been requested by Laramie that the Process and Evaluation Section at Rifle make an economic evaluation of the total process. By mutual agreement between Rifle and Laramie, it was decided that the evaluation would be a preliminary one to indicate the general overall worth of the entire process as presented. The evaluation is compared directly with the cost study already completed on the Gas-Combustion retorting and thermal refining proposal of the Bureau of Mines. This proposal also is based on retorting 411,000 tons of oil shale per day. Where possible, methods of estimation were to be held consistent with the methods used in the Gas-Combustion cost study.  This report presents the preliminary economic evaluation of the process as proposed. A later study will evaluate the Entrained Solids retorting process as an auxiliary step for processing fines reject from the Gas-Combustion process. Evaluation of the Entrained Solids retort operating at a higher temperature for production of chemicals is another study planned for the future."

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COMPARISON OF SHALE OILS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES PRODUCED BY CONTROLLED-STATE RETORT

Six oil shales from five different sources and of varying richness have been retorted in the controlled state retort using the same retorting conditions. The oils produced have been analyzed for boiling point composition, elemental content, and physical properties. The gases produced have been analyzed for composition. The results of the analyses show differences in oil and gas composition related to shale richness and shale source. These differences include the relationship of boiling point composition to shale grade and shale source, physical properties to shale grade and shale source, product gas composition to shale grade and shale source, and elemental analysis of the oil to the shale source.

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PREPARATION OF OIL SHALE FROM THE MAHOGANY LEDGE FOR FLUIDIZED RETORTING, LABORATORY UNIT REPORT NO. 1

Fifteen carloads, or almost 1,100 tons, of crushed oil shale from the 70-foot minable bed at Raise 637 of the selective mine at Rifle, Colorado, were shipped to the Standard Oil Development Company at baton Rouge, Louisiana, during October and November 1948 for the purpose of "fluidized" retorting experimentation. This was the first operation on the entire 70-foot bed. It was the object of this undertaking to deliver to each car a lot of minus 4 mesh shale with an oil content approaching as closely as possible the average for this 70 foot bed and with a minimum variation of particle size distribution from car to car. This report is concerned primarily with analytical evaluation of the material shipped to Baton Rouge; other pertinent considerations are the variable character of the 70-foot bed and the principal features of the mining and crushing operations which materially affect the mixing of the shale.

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