AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
BX IN SITU OIL SHALE PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT ON ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ANALYSIS 3/1/79-2/29/80

The objective of the BX In Situ Oil Shale Project is to  demonstrate the technical feasibility of using superheated  steam as a heat-carrying medium to retort in situ the oil  shale in the Green River Formation "leached" zone and provide a mechanism for the recovery of this shale oil with a minimum impact on the environment. Utilizing primarily the natural porosity in the leached zone, approximately one trillion BTU of heat will be injected into site over a 2-year period to heat to retorting temperature a shale zone approximately 550 feet thick and covering about one acre. The field Project is located at Equity's BX In Situ site in Rio Blanco County in northwestern Colorado.  Environmental activities conducted from March 1, 1979  through February 29, 1980, were a continuation of baseline monitoring begun in the previous year. This included meteorology, water quality, and aquatic ecology monitoring. with the beginning of project operation in September, the frequency of water quality sampling was increased to assure adequate operational monitoring.

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ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR OIL SHALE WASTES

During the last two years several methods of chemical analysis have been developed for oil shale wastewaters and gases. Emphasis has been placed on methods which are rapid, simple, and able to perform well under field conditions. Species which have been studied include total solutes, total N total S, ammonium N, SO4, NO3, S230,  ScN ,SO3, Cl-, NO., and sulfide in wastewater; and total S, H2S, COS.  CH3,SH, CS2SH , CH3,CH2 SH, thiophene, propyl mercaptan, and butyl mercaptan in retort gas.

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RETORTING OIL SHALE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES - 4. INCLINED SURFACE RETORT

The inclined surface retort appears to have several ad advantages.  Based on a similar retort for carbonization of coal the materials of construction would be largely ceramics.  Thus the large amounts of steel necessary in some of the other types of retorts would  not be necessary.  Mass shale rates are high for this type of retort and use of a gravity feed simplifies handling of the shale.  Estimates of heat requirements have indicated that sufficient heat for the process can be obtained from the carbon residue on the spent shale and the gas remaining after removal of athylene.  The retorting system does not require introduction of fluids, therefore, the problem of product dilution by steam or other substances is not encountered.

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WHITE RIVER SHALE PROJECT DETAILED DEVELOPMENT PLAN - OIL SHALE TRACTS UA AND UB - VOLUME I

"The White River Shale Project (WRSP) is a joint project of Phillips Petroleum Company, Sunoco Energy Development Company, and Sohio Shale Oil Company. The intent of these owners is to develop Federal Oil Shale Lease Tracts Ua and Ub in northeastern Utah to produce commercial quantities of shale oil. The project is planned for phased development over 12 years (1981 to 1993), at which time full commercial production will be achieved. Commercial operation will continue until the on-tract resources are exhausted. This is expected to occur in 2007. However, availability of other nearby oil shale resources may extend the life of the project substantially.  Phase I will consist of an underground mine, surface retorting in one Union B and one Superior retort, onsite upgrading of the shale oil, and transportation of approximately 14,840 barrels per stream day (BPSD) of  synthetic crude oil off site by pipeline. The capacities of the retorts are 11,600 tons per stream day (TPSD) for the Union B retort and 13,000 TPSD for the Superior retort. Phases II and III will follow the same general  plan, and the ultimate full commercial plant will include one 13,000 TPSD Superior retort, four 11,600 TPSD Union B retorts, four 25,000 TPSD Superior retorts, and two 9,700 TPSD TOSCO II fines retorts. Total shipped production  will be approximately 56,875 BPSD in Phase II, and 106,300 BPSD in Phase III."

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WHITE RIVER SHALE PROJECT DETAILED DEVELOPMENT PLAN - OIL SHALE TRACTS UA AND UB - VOLUME II

Section 4 contains the plans and procedures proposed to reduce and mitigate the environmental impacts on the project. It includes more detailed descriptions of pollution control systems introduced in Section 3, plans to rehabilitate, preserve , or manage environmental resources and plans for the prevention or control of fire, accidental spill , and hazards to public health and safety. These plans and procedures are assumed to be implemented in the analysis of environmental impacts presented in Section 5 "Environmental Effects of the Proposed Action After Mitigation."

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WATER JET CUTTING OF OIL SHALE

"Western oil shales could playa major role in the U.S.  energy future providing economic oil recovery techniques are developed. To date no economic recovery techniques for Wyoming oil shales have been developed. A major problem has been the economic preparation of a retort to give good oil yields. The purpose of this program was to investigate the possibility of using high pressure water jet cutting technology to assist in the low cost remote preparation of an in situ retort in the Tipton oil shale. Specifically the objectives of this study are:  1) To conduct an experimental program to characterize  the cutting properties of the Tipton oil shale  2) Take the cutting data and other available geologic  data for designing a retort system using jet cutting  3) Evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of  the jet cutting and retorting system developed"

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INVESTIGATION OF THE TRANSPORT HISTORY OF SHALE OIL DRILLING IN SITU RETORTING

"Shale oil transport history during oil shale retorting has considerable influence on the quantity and quality of the shale oil produced from a retort. This premise is true for both above ground and in situ retorts. The shale oil vapor produced in the retorting zone is condensed in the cooling zone to form both oil mist (aerosol) in the void space  and oil film at the raw shale surface. The oil mist may be formed mainly due to the cooling of saturated streams in the presence of nucleation sites suspended in the gas. In vertical modified in situ retorting, it is desirable to minimize the formation of oil mist in order to reduce the cost associated with the separation of oil mist from the product  gas. On the other hand, it is important to form the oil mist in the aboveground oil shale processes utilizing solid/gas countercurrent flow such as the U.S. Bureau of Mines gas combustion, the Petrosix, and the Paraho processes, since the major portion of the oil is  transported from the retorting zone in the form of mist or aerosol. Therefore , it is important to determine the effects of operating variables on the formation of oil mist in the retort. The shale oil film adhering to particle surfaces will reduce the effective void fraction of the retort . The reduction of the retort void fraction causes a decrease in the permeability and an increase in the  pressure drop across the retort at a given superficial gas velocity . Oil adsorption at the particle surface may also cause gas flow maldistribution. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the oil film thickness at the particle surfaces as well as the effects of operating variables on the oil film thickness."

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GAS COMBUSTION RETORTING PERFORMANCE IN A LARGE DEMONSTRATION RETORT

"The performance of the Gas Combustion oil shale  retorting process has been tested in a large demonstration retort [60 sq. ft. cross section] at  rates up to 360 tons per day. Satisfactory operations were demonstrated on two shale sizes - 1 to 2-1/2 inch and 1/4 to 2-1/2 inch _ at shale rates up to 500 lbs/hr/ft  Yields obtained were those which would have been predicted from operation of small pilot units; however. oil yields of the process are somewhat inferior to those expected from other processes. Conversion of organic values into oil and gas totals about 85% of that in the  raw shale; however. a substantial quantity of this is utilized in the internal combustion contributing to a loss in useful products. A number of operating limitations were found with the process so that commercial application  would have to be restricted to rather narrow limits. The configuration of retort internals also influences process operability. which makes demonstration of proposed modifications in large scale prototype equipment desirable  prior to commercial application."

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ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF CONCURRENT STEAM AND AIR INJECTION DURING OIL SHALE RETORTING

"The effects of concurrent steam and air injection during  oil shale retorting were experimentally investigated. The  oil yield increases as the steam concentration of inlet gas  increases, and reaches the maximum when the steam concentration is in the range of 30 to 40%. Results indicate that the steam increases the combustion rate of residual carbon in the spent shale, the thermal decomposition rate of inorganic carbonates, and the reaction rate of residual carbon with the carbon dioxide inside the spent shale when the steam concentration of inlet gas is higher than oxygen concentration. It was also found that the steam reduces the oil loss by thermal cracking and coking as well as the oil loss during the revaporization at the raw shale surface. The steam  increases the advancing rates of the peak temperature and retorting zone as well as hydrogen production per ton of oil shale by reacting with the carbon monoxide rather than with the residual carbon inside the spent shale."

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MODELING OF OIL SHALE RETORTS FOR REMOTE SENSING PURPOSES

"In situ processing of oil shale offers many environmental advantages. For example, the waste products largely remain underground and are not released into the immediate environment. There are also many technical  problems connected with in situ processing, one of them being the gathering of information about the contents and the state of the oil shale retorts. A promising method for obtaining such information is electromagnetic remote  sensing. In this approach, transmitters and receivers are introduced to the vicinity of the retort via boreholes (figure 1), and one attempts to extract information about the contents of the retort by analyzing the received  signals. For this purpose, it is necessary to have a specific model which relates the relevant physical quantities and allows the interpretation of the signals."

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DIMENSIONS, EXTERIOR SURFACES, VOLUMES, DENSITIES AND SHAPE FACTORS FOR PARTICLES OF CRUSHED COLORADO OIL SHALE IN TWO NARROW SIEVE FRACTIONS

"Fifty oil-shale particles in each of two narrow screen fractions were measured individually to determine the length, L, size, W (second-largest principal dimension), mass, volume, V, density and exterior surface area, A. From these were calculated the dimensionless characteristics L/W, sphericity, specific-surface ratio,  A/w2, and v/w3. In both samples, all size averages were slightly larger than the screen opening of the passing screen; thus it seems clear that, for screen fractions where the opening ratio is 1:2 or more, screen openings relate to the sizes of particles passing, rather than particles retained, as has long been assumed [1]. Distribution functions were fitted to Fischer-assay grade. density and all the dimensionless ratios. Over the 2.5:1 range of mean size studied, these ratios appear to be independent of particle size."

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PRE-DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR NAVAL OIL SHALE RESERVES 1 AND 3 COLORADO AND NAVAL OIL SHALE RESERVE 2 UTAH

Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSRs) 1 and 2 were established by Executive Order issued by President Wilson in 1916. Naval Oil Shale Reserve 3 was established by an Executive Order by President Coolidge in 1924. NOSR 1 and 3 were set aside as a future source of oil for the Navy". NOSR 3 was set aside for access roads, future plant sites, and waste disposal but contains no oil  shale resource of value. NOSR 1 and 3 are generally considered jointly.

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SPONTANEOUS IGNITION IN PREHEATED BEDS OF SPENT OIL SHALE

"Inert-gas preheating appears to be a good way to start the retorting of oil-shale rubbles in situ. This wok was undertaken to determine a property that is important for that process: the temperature at which spent-shale char  spontaneously ignites in air and diluted air. Spent Colorado oil shale obtained from inert-gas retorting of 118-R./Mg (28-gal/ton) oil shale, was preheated with nitrogen in a small reactor, then exposed to oxygen/nitrogen mixtures  for periods of about 20 minutes. Temperatures recorded from embedded thermocouples and the concentrations of carbon oxides in the effluent gas were followed as indicators of the ignition process. The factors explored in a  2'3-factorial design were temperature of preheating,  300 and 350 C; average particle size, 0.45 and 1.80 cm; and concentration of oxygen in influent gas after changeover, 10.45 and 20.9 vol. %. Two runs were made with the gas flow downward; in the other ten it was upward. Rapidly rising temperatures, coupled with substantial  concentrations of CO and CO2 in the effluent gas  indicated that ignition did occur in all the runs. In three runs, temperatures close to 6000C were recorded and there was evidence that even higher temperatures may have been reached in these and other runs. The rate of temperature rise increased with increasing oxygen concentration and particle size. CO and CO2 both rose with increasii1g influent oxygen concentration, but the ratio of CO to CO2 dropped sharply, possibly because of catalytic conversion of the one to the other. Responses  were the same were the gas flow was upward or downward . The results obtained in this work, coupled with those of earlier simulation studies , indicate that inert-gas preheating should be a safe, economical and reliable method for initiating retorting in in situ oil shale rubbles."

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STUDIES OF IGNITION OF IN SITU OIL SHALE RETORTS WITH HOT INERT GAS

Preheating with hot, inert gas appears to be a promising method to prepare modified-in-situ oilshale retorts for ignition. Continuing earlier work (1*), we have used computer simulation to determine the effects of four factors on preheating time, on retorting rate and peak temperatures reached after changeover, and on the  'bank" of char generated in the topmost layers of the rubble. The factors are: grade of shale, void fraction of rubble, particle size, and composition of retort gas (percent of air in air/steam mixture). Maximum gas temperature rose sharply with grade and percent air, weakly with particle size; char bank rose with grade and volume fraction of solids, as expected; retorting rate rose  most strongly with percent air and void fraction, while preheating time decreased with increasing void fraction and grade. Simple empirical equations provide excellent fits to the results of the complex model calculations over the practical range of the factors.

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INCIPIENT FLUIDIZATION CHARACTERISTICS OF CRUSHED OIL SHALE

"We have measured the gas velocity for incipient  fluidization of crushed shale as a function of particle size. particle-size distribution, shale grade, crushing method and temperature. This velocity varied as the square of particle size for 0.0063- to 0.1-cm particles and approximately as the square root of particle size for particles larger than 0.5 cm. We observed no regular dependence of this velocity upon shale grade. Slightly higher velocities were found for cone-crushed than for hammer-milled shale particles. For 0.0125 to 0.10-cm particles we found that raising the  temperature to 450°C reduced the velocity by 28 percent from 2CoC measurements. The harmonic mean of a  mass-based particle-size distribution was found to be the particle size which gave the best estimate of incipient fluidization velocity. The Zenz-Othmer graph predicts velocities three to five times higher than those observed. The Kunii-Levenspiel correlation predicted velocities 25 to  270 percent higher than observed at 20°C but was within experimental error for measurements at 450°C."

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FLOW OF CRUSHED OIL SHALE THROUGH CIRCULAR ORIFICES

"The gravity flow of crushed Colorado oil shale from a 7-in-diameter glass column through flat circular and converging conical orifices was studied using high-speed  cinematography. Factors tested were: (1) diameter of flat-entry and conical orifices, (2) three sizes of shale in one broad and two  narrow distributions, (3) upward air  velocity, (4) visc05ity and surface tension of wetting liquids (one simulating not shale oil), and (5) presence of up to three crossing tubes in the shale bed . Arching sometimes caused stoppage of flow with orifice-to-particle- size ratios (O/W) as high as 7. 25. No interparticle motions were visible e at levels above about 1.5 column diameters from the orifice. Except when there was air flowing upward, discharge rates were not consistently different when the bed was full than at other levels while it emptied, out velocities measured over 10-cm depth sections ranged widely , about 40% of the mean value. For the, runs made with dry shales through flat orifices, the rate of discharge was proportional to the square of the effective opening, 0-2W, rather than the 2.5 power reported by other workers for more uniform, smoother, rounder materials . In a flat-bottom vessel, crushed shale forms its own final entrance cone around the orifice, which an included angle of 90.  When conical throats with an included angle of 40 were inserted, flow rates were 50-1 00% higher. Shale 6-mm and larger that  was wet with simulated shale oil flowed as well as dry shale. The presence of only 0. 7% of very fine material in dry Shale appears to have a lubricating effect , causing the shale to pack more tightly and flow faster ."

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DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION DATA FOR LABORATORY LAMINATED RETORT AT PETROLEUM AND OIL-SHALE EXPERIMENT STATION LARAMIE, WYOMING

An oil shale retort which was reported to have met with some success in Germany is the so-called "laminated retort".  The information obtained was that this retort consisted of a series of rectangular cells about 48" wide x 36'high by 1" to 2" thick, so fitted together that crushed shale could be flowed by gravity through alternate cells while a heating medium, reported to be a liquid silicone, could be pumped through the other cells.  The relatively thin layers of shale were reported to permit rapid and continuous retorting.  The oil shale cells were equipped with baffles to agitate the shale as it flowed downward and vapor off-takes under these baffles permitted the oil vapors to escape from the retorting zone as rapidly as they were formed.

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GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND SUMMARIES OF SHALE FROM KENTUCKY

"This report summarizes results of a study of geochemical variability in shale of Paleozoic age in Kentucky. The study was undertaken as a field experiment in geochemical sampling and was based on an attempt to collect  samples of shale from outcrop in an objective fashion. Kentucky is typical of many areas in the cratonic part of the eastern United States in that a combination of low relief and pervasive weathering has resulted in a general  paucity of bedrock exposures. This study illustrates a few of the effects of such constraints on objective sampling . These difficulties notwithstanding , the data resulting from this study were used to identify 6 stratigraphic-  geochemical subpopulations in the Paleozoic shale of Kentucky. An earlier report (Connor, 198I) described the results of a similar study of carbonate rocks. Kentucky was chosen for these studies because of an ongoing U. S. Geological Survey-Kentucky Geological Survey cooperative mapping program at the time sampling was undertaken (1964-1965) . Although only a third or so of the State was covered by mapping at that time , the available 7-1 /2 '-scale maps formed a reasonably solid stratigraphic base for relating the samples on a regional  scale . Because a prime requirement for geochemical target definition is that it be unequivocally identifiable in the field , sampling was restricted to those areas covered by 7-1 /2'quadrangle maps at the time of sample selection."

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SHALE OIL BASE RESEARCH 9/1952 - 5/1953 FINAL ANNUAL REPORT GENERAL ANILINE FELLOWSHIP

"The Search. for Trans-2- (2,2,6-trimethycyclohexyl)-4,6-dimethylpyridine. This study was initiated because of the occurrence in  high concentration of this unusual compound in California petroleum, the presence of the related acid, trans-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid, in the same and in-Iranian oils, and consideration of the base's high stability to pyrolytic conditions which might leave it unchanged in retorting of shale. The chloroform extracts from cuts boiling from 2640 to 2900 c. were fractionated twice, using an efficient spinning-band column, and selecting those cuts having boiling points and refractive  indices similar to those of the base under study for further  processing. The final fractionation cuts obtained were converted to their hydrochlorides and extracted with chloroform using an eight stage countercurrent scheme. The water layers which might be expected to contain any of the base sought contained very little basic material, so the lower refractive index bases from the chloroform layers were used to attempt a separation of the  base. A ten stage multiple acid extraction was twice applied to these latter bases. Molecular weight determinations at this point indicated too low a value for the cycloalkyl base. However, the cuts with higher index of refraction from the multiple acid extraction were further treated in an effort to isolate a pure compound. Distillation of one portion indicated very little separation and attempted salt formation gave an oil. Another multiple  acid extraction was to no avail. Although the presence of this interesting cyclohexylpyridine is not excluded it became apparent that it is certainly not found in large quantities as in California petroleum."

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PRELIMINARY RESOURCE EVALUATION OF PACIFIC OIL SHALE PROPERTY, GARFIELD COUNTY, COLORADO

"The Pacific Oil Shale Property (Sohio- 60%/Cleveland- Cliffs-40% ) is located in Garfield County , Colorado, in the southern part of the Piceance Creek basin. It is part of the high cliffs area formed by the dissection of the Roan Plateau by the Colorado River . The property is located approximately 13 miles north- northwest of DeBeque ,  Colorado . Access to the property is by county roads and trails from DeBeque that lead up Roan Creek . The Pacific Property contains approximately 12,750 acres located on  and around a north- south ridge formed by Roan Creek and Clear Creek on the west and Conn Creek on the east . Most of the property is located in T. 6S., R. 97W . and T. 6S ., R.98W . Highest surface elevations are in the 7800 '-8200 'range . In the southern part of the basin , the Mahogany Zone is considered to be the potentially economic unit of the Green River formation . Figure 1 shows the Pacific Property and that portion underlain by the kerogen- rich Mahogany Zone. For the purpose of this evaluation , three criteria were established to identify suitable resource blocks :  1. Blocks must be privately owned with no immediate plans  for oil shale development.  2 . Blocks must be capable of producing 66,000 TPCD of ore for at least 20 years by reasonable mining methods  (approximately 482,000,000 tons recoverable .  3 . The average oil yield of the mined ore should be 30  gallons per ton or greater.  The Pacific Property appears to satisfy these criteria ."

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EXPLOSIVELY PRODUCED FRACTURE OF OIL SHALE PROGRESS REPORT OF JULY-SEPTEMBER 1983

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is conducting rock fragmentation research in oil shale to develop the blasting and fluid flow technologies required to prepare a rubble bed for a modified in situ retort. This report details our progress in the DOE/Sandia/ Los Alamos Rock Fragmentation program for this quarter.

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