AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Explosively produced fracture of oil shale, October--December 1976

This work was done at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory under the ERDA Fossil Energy Program ''Explosively Produced Fracture of Oil Shale,''BC-01. The report is intended primarily to summarize the experimental and theoretical work on nonideal explosive behavior performed so far under this program. Particular emphasis has been placed on properties of ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), because of its importance for in situ blasting operations, and Ireco's DBA-1, used in the well-springing experiments at Rock Springs. The ability to model high-explosive behavior has been included in the large hydrocode YAQUI. To our knowledge, this is the only suitable computer code in existence that can handle real explosives; all others use a less general equation-of-state approximation. Results of a parameter study concerning the effect of anisotropy on wave propagation and fragmentation of oil shales are presented. Results of studies show that the bedded nature of oil shale deposits has little effect on wave propagation, but substantial effect on the rubblization process.

Tags: kmd
Production of synthetic crude from crude shale oil produced by in situ combustion retorting. [Ni--Mo-on-alumina]

Of six modern hydrogenation catalysts tested on a shale oil heavy gas oil, a Ni--Mo-on-alumina catalyst was found superior at 1500 psig and 800/sup 0/F. This catalyst was used to prepare a premium synthetic crude oil from in situ combustion-produced crude shale oil by hydrogenation of naphtha, light oil, and heavy oil fractions. These fractions were obtained by distillation of the oil, coking the vacuum residuum, and combining like distillate ranges. The synthetic crude contained 250 ppM nitrogen and 5 ppM sulfur. Physical properties were: API gravity, 43.9/sup 0/; pour point, 32/sup 0/F; viscosity at 100/sup 0/F, 32 SUS. The overall yield was 103 vol. percent.

Tags: kmd
Compositional variations of organic material from Green River oil shale:  WOSCO EX-1 core (Utah)

Differences in the composition or chemical structure of the organic material in samples of Uinta Basin oil shale were studied relative to stratigraphic position within the Green River Formation. This involvved a systematic study of the soluble organic material and the insoluble organic material present in the samples. Emphasis was placed upon the distribution of the alkanes in the soluble extracts and upon the aromaticity of the kerogen. Signigicant differences exist in the chemical composition of the organic material from various strata within the Uinta Basin, some of which were related to burial depth but most were related to source material variations, environmental differences, or other factors. The Uinta Basin samples differed significantly from Piceance Creek Basin and Green River Basin samples in the large amount of soluble extract they contained.

Tags: kmd
Techniques of analysis of tar sand bitumens

This paper is a selected review of techniques which have been applied to compositional analysis of tar sands. A discussion is given of the type of information obtained and limitations of the principal separation and spectral techniques. A projection is made of techniques likely to be useful but which have not been applied to bitumen analysis. A few observations are made regarding the nature of shale oil and coal derived liquids and the characteristics of these liquids important to the development of analytical techniques. (DLC)

Tags: kmd
Environmental effects of in situ gasification of Texas Lignite. Final report Oct 78-Mar 80

A general survey of the environmental effects of the in-situ gasification of Texas lignite was undertaken. The survey emphasized the following subjects: Identification of location, quality and quantity of resources; Assessment of applicable in-situ gasification technologies; Determination of possible adverse air, water and land environmental impacts resulting from gasification; Evaluation of dispersion and mathematical models to predict pollutant transport; Assessment of control technology for water pollutants.

Tags: kmd
Environmental monitoring and analysis in support of Antrim oil shale research. Topical report, March 1978-February 1979

A program to assess environmental impacts of in situ Antrim oil shale processing experiments was carried out. This report covers the second year of an expected four year program. Activities included: monitoring of surface elevations for possible subsidence; monitoring for soil contamination from brines; monitoring surface and subsurface water quality; and monitoring ambient air quality. Assessment was also made of site vegetation, soils, surface disruption caused by drilling activities, and impacts on neighboring residents. Much of this year's effort was directed to monitoring baseline conditions. Consequently, assessment of potential impacts from in situ operations is not yet possible. However, hydrofracturing operations did not appear to affect surface elevations, and the experimental operations, including flaring of combustion product gases, did not degrade ambient air quality beyond permissible concentrations. Negative impacts noted include minor inconvenience to neighboring residents, ad physical disruption of the land surface. A potential ground water quality problem caused by drilling wastes and/or well seepage from previous operations was identified.

Tags: kmd
Inorganic nitrogen in Green River formation oil shale

Inorganic (mineral) nitrogen has been found in both raw and retorted Green River Formation oil shale. Buddingtonite, an ammonium-bearing feldspar, has been identified in some shales by x-ray diffraction, and the ammonium ion (NH/sub 4//sup  /) has been found in the same and other shale by infrared adsorption. Measurement of total nitrogen content of low-temperature ashed oil shale by a combustion technique is proposed as a method of measuring inorganic-nitrogen content. The method is based on the observation that the nitrogen content of buddingtonite is not reduced by low temperature ashing. Use of this technique demonstrates that inorganic nitrogen content is variable and is the major source of nitrogen in some oil shale samples. The fate of both organic and inorganic nitrogen during pyrolysis is also discussed. 20 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.

Tags: kmd
Minimum bed parameters for in situ processing of oil shale. First quarterly report, October 1-December 31, 1979

To minimize the costs and environmental impact associated with the material removal involved in in-situ processing, it is important to determine the minimum conditions (of void, permeability, etc.) actually required for a viable in situ process. This problem is being investigated through laboratory studies and mathematical modeling. The laboratory program this quarter centered around design, fabrication, and initial testing of a new retort vessel and system. Model calculations were made with Sandia's block retorting code in this geometry to determine the most appropriate operating conditions for the run. The ignition heater design used in the first attempt to ignite the sample was unsatisfactory, and, as a result, sustained combustion was not achieved.

Tags: kmd
Supercritical fluid processing

Separation and detoxification reactions often can be run advantageously using supercritical fluids (SCFs) as processing media. The use of a supercritical solvent frequently permits extraction of very dilute toxic species, either directly or in a two-step process. SCF solvents not only increase reactivity but offer the potential for simultaneous separation and detoxification. SCF technology is a powerful tool that has a bright future in environmental engineering applications.

Tags: kmd
Physical behavior of forward combustion in the underground gasification of coal. [8 refs]

"Experimental data from the Laramie Energy Research Center's Hanna II, Phase II field test are used to validate a linear permeation model of in situ coal gasification by forward combustion. These data are especially appropriate  for this purpose because of the extensive instrumentation used during the field test. The mathematical model predicts gas compositions and heating values , gas production rates, temperatures and thermal efficiencies.  Agreement between field test and calculated data is generally excellent, for example, calculated gas  compositions generally deviate about 1 to 2 mole percent with maximum deviations of about 4 mole percent. The model identifies important chemical and physical  phenomena involved in underground coal gasification  (UCG) and provides a useful tool for design and for interpreting field test data."

Tags: kmd
Application of the HYTORT process to oil shales throughout the world

The HYTORT /sup R/ process is a unique oil shale retorting process which uses an atmosphere of hydrogen gas at elevated pressure to produce higher yields of oil than are possible using conventional thermal retorting techniques. In the U.S., HYTORT process development efforts have played a key role in recognition of the significance of the Devonian oil shales as a major fossil energy resource. The results presented in this paper show that application of the HYTORT process to oil shales of countries such as Sweden, Italy, Jordan, and Canada may yield equally significant results.

Tags: kmd
Oil shale combustion/retorting

The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) conducted a number of feasibility studies on the combustion and retorting of five oil shales: Celina (Tennessee), Colorado, Israeli, Moroccan, and Sunbury (Kentucky). These studies generated technical data primarily on (1) the effects of retorting conditions, (2) the combustion characteristics applicable to developing an optimum process design technology, and (3) establishing a data base applicable to oil shales worldwide. During the research program, METC applied the versatile fluidized-bed process to combustion and retorting of various low-grade oil shales. Based on METC's research findings and other published information, fluidized-bed processes were found to offer highly attractive methods to maximize the heat recovery and yield of quality oil from oil shale. The principal reasons are the fluidized-bed's capacity for (1) high in-bed heat transfer rates, (2) large solid throughput, and (3) selectivity in aromatic-hydrocarbon formation. The METC research program showed that shale-oil yields were affected by the process parameters of retorting temperature, residence time, shale particle size, fluidization gas velocity, and gas composition. (Preferred values of yields, of course, may differ among major oil shales.) 12 references, 15 figures, 8 tables.

Tags: kmd
Migration through soil of organic solutes in an oil-shale process water

The migration through soil of organic solutes in an oil-shale process water (retort water) was studied by using soil columns and analyzing leachates for various organic constituents. Retort water extracted significant quantities of organic anions leached from ammonium-saturated-soil organic matter, and a distilled-water rinse, which followed retort-water leaching, released additional organic acids from the soil. After being corrected for organic constituents extracted from soil by retort water, dissolved-organic-carbon fractionation analyses of effluent fractions showed that the order of increasing affinity of six organic compound classes for the soil was as follows: hydrophilic neutrals nearly equal to hydrophilic acids, followed by the sequence of hydrophobic acids, hydrophilic bases, hydrophobic bases, and hydrophobic neutrals. Liquid-chromatographic analysis of the aromatic amines in the hydrophobic- and hydrophilic-base fractions showed that the relative order of the rates of migration through the soil column was the same as the order on a reversed-phase, octadecylsilica liquid-chromatographic column.

Tags: kmd
Back-of-the-envelope method for predicting thermal-front velocities during oil-shale retorting

A one-dimensional model was developed for predicting motion of thermal fronts through an oil-shale rubble column. This model provides a simple method for planning new retort runs and for carrying out preliminary analyses of past experiments. The expressions used to describe front movement are simple algebraic equations that can be solved easily using a hand calculator. Typical values are listed for the required input quantities and give several examples of model usage. The model is not intended to replace existing more-sophisticated one-dimensional retorting codes. Instead, it should augment these modeling efforts by making better use of each computer-model run and by providing insight into the important chemical and physical processes involved in oil-shale retorting.

Tags: kmd
Influence of irrigation and weathering reactions on the composition of percolates from retorted oil shale in field lysimeters

Major cations, anions, trace elements and dissolved organic C were measured in percolate from retorted oil shale collected from irrigated lysimeters in the field at Anvil Points, Colorado, over a two year period. The investigations indicated that chemical equilibrium was not established over the monitoring period and major changes occurred in percolate composition as a function of applied water volume and water residence time in the shale. Field and laboratory studies indicated that several factors contributed to changes in the chemistry of the shale on weathering, including recarbonization of the surface horizons with atmospheric CO/sub 2/ and the activities of microorganisms in surface and subsurface horizons. However, the principal mechanism responsible for the decreases in pH and salt concentrations appeared to be the conversion of major quantities of sulfide in the retorted shale to sulfate through a thiosulfate intermediate.

Tags: kmd
Cleanup of groundwater contaminated by underground coal gasification

Bench scale laboratory experiments have confirmed the high adsorption capacity of bituminous activated carbon for the removal (>99.9%) of organic contaminants found in groundwaters associated with underground coal gasification (UCG) sites. Based upon recent laboratory and field interpretations, engineering designs are presented for the surface treatment of groundwater contaminated by UCG operations. A methodology is suggested for consideration of other unconventional in situ treatments.

Tags: kmd
Environmental development plan:  oil shale

The present DOE program includes shale oil production research on true in situ methods, modified in situ methods, aboveground methods, and advanced processing technology; gas production research targeted to both eastern and western oil shales; and supporting research for oil shale processing and control technology. DOE policy is that surface retorting is, technologically speaking, ready for commercialization. However, an assessment of information available to date on all methods has identified specific uncertainties and concerns that have implications for the future environmental acceptability of commercial development. These concerns are associated with air quility, water resources and quality, land disturbance, ecological effects, human health, occupational health and safety, transport and end use, socioeconomic, and compliance.

Tags: kmd
Some relationships of thermal effects to rubble-bed structure and gas-flow patterns inol shale retorts

To characterize bed structure and measure fluid dispersion under varied flow conditions, conventional tracer measurements in packed beds rely on detection of specific molecular species. The work reported here demonstrates the use of temperature sensors, such as thermocouples, to develop similar kinds of information from thermal data. In oil shale retorts (that is, packed beds in which the process is driven by heat transfer from a flowing medium to the rubble), much can be inferred about bed and void structure and flow patterns from the time-temperature relationships among thermocouple arrays placed in the bed. The use of temperature data as a bed diagnostic tool in oil shale retorting experiments is shown. For combustion retorting, the close relationships between the thermal effects produced by condensing steam and those produced by retorting are illustrated. This thermal logging technique has proved useful in understanding laboratory retorting experiments and predicting retort performance. 5 figures, 6 tables.

Tags: kmd
Microbiology of subsurface environments. Preliminary statement of research goals and abstracts of current research

This document contains information concerning a fundamental research program in deep subsurface microbiology. A two phased program is planned. Phase I (FY86-FY87) is exploratory research phase that will focus on the presence, abundance, and diversity of indigenous microorganisms, community structure, and on the hydrogeologic, geochemical, and physical interactions that control microbial presence and activity. Preliminary information on the biodegradation capabilities and functioning of these organisms may also be developed. Phase II (FY88-FY92) will concentrate on exploiting some scientific advances and research opportunities identified in Phase I, largely by extended (36 to 48 month) research investigations. The functioning of microorganisms at depth, biotransformation processes, and community growth rates are among the areas that may be investigated. Phase II will provide information that leads to investigating microbial processes that contribute to the mitigation of subsurface contamination, to determining environmental stimulation that will contribute to mitigation and (in time) to evaluation of the impact of bioengineered organisms on subsurface ecosystems.

Tags: kmd
Underground coal gasification of steeply dipping coal beds; a second generation synthetic fuels process

In situ gasification of steeply dipping coal beds (UCG-SDB) has significant advantages over the more conventional horizontal UCG. In fact, the UCG-SDB process appears to be both technically and operationally competitive with surface gasifiers. The results of the Rawlins UCG-SDB field test program suggest that the process can compete with more conventional sources of synthesis gas on an economic basis. The SDB process mechanism has several advantages over the horizontal process and performs in a fashion similar to surface packedbed reactors. The oxygen requirements for the process are quite low and the degree of process control observed at Rawlins is very attractive.

Tags: kmd
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory oil shale project. Quarterly report, October-December 1979

Results are reported of Retort run L-4. Evaluation of retort performance from offgas data is being developed. Research is being conducted on the determination of yield from oil analysis and on H/sub 2/S evolution. A computer model is being developed for calculating the motion of large numbers of particles, such as rubblized oil shale. (DLC)

Tags: kmd
Effect of oil shale type and retorting atmosphere on the products from retorting various oil shales by the controlled-state retort

Six oil shales from different locations (the Green River formation of Colorado and Utah, the Antrim Basin of Michigan, and Morocco) having different Fischer Assay oil yields were retorted using three retorting atmospheres (N/sub 2/, N/sub 2//steam, and N/sub 2//steam/O/sub 2/) under the same retorting conditions. The products (oils, gases, waters, and shales) were analyzed and the data are reported. Changing retorting atmospheres had little observable effect on the product oils; however, there was a great deal of change in the composition and amount of gas produced. Steam in the retorting atmosphere increased the amount of carbon dioxide produced and decreased the amount of carbonate and organic carbon in the retorted shale. Addition of oxygen to N/sub 2//steam and increasing the maximum temperature compounded the above effect. 3 figures, 20 tables.

Tags: kmd
US tar sand oil forecasts (1985-1995). Technical report

This Technical Report forecasts production of oil from domestic tar sands through 1995 under low, medium, and high world oil price scenarios. It also includes background information such as the extent, nature, and location of tar sands in the United States, as well as the status of technology and a few other pertinent aspects of this potential future source of oil. No appreciable amount of tar sand oil production is anticipated during the forecast period if world oil prices are no higher than those assumed for the medium world oil price path. If the high world oil price trajectory prevails, however, production at a rate of about 50,000 barrels per day is foreseen in 1995.

Tags: kmd
Evaluation of mechanical excavation systems for oil-shale mining. Final technical report

This report presents the result of an investigation into evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of applying mechanical excavation techniques to oil-shale mining. The study was funded by the Department of Energy, Laramie Technology Center. Based on the findings of this investigation, it was concluded that mechanical excavation systems offer a great potential for oil-shale mining in terms of high production and reduced costs compared to conventional methods. While some of the systems evaluated can be applied to oil shale economically in their present stage of development, others require additional improvements to ensure maximum benefit and applicability for various aspects of oil-shale mining operations. It is also suggested that current mine-design approaches may need to be modified to gain maximum advantage from potential utilization of mechanical excavation techniques.

Tags: kmd
Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance to oil shale processing

The solid state NMR techniques of cross polarization with magic angle spinning have been employed to characterize the organic carbon distribution in raw, partially and fully retorted oil shales. NMR measurements of a Colorado oil shale heated to various retorting temperatures for a fixed time period show a depletion of the aliphatic carbon fraction relative to the aromatic carbon fraction. This depletion becomes more pronounced with increasing temperature. NMR measurements of the carbon distribution of several different types of oil shales show that residual carbon in retorted oil shales is almost exclusively aromatic. The results suggest that the residual carbon in retorted oil shales originates from the aromatic carbon fraction already present in the raw oil shale.

Tags: kmd
Analysis and characterization of trace elements in shale oil and shale oil products by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Master's thesis

Trace elements and their mobilization constitute an important consideration in the development of new fossil fuel technologies. Shale oil produced by in situ retorting of oil shale is an alternative fossil energy source. This study deals with the analysis of trace elements in various shale oil products using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). INAA offers several advantages for those elements for which it is applicable. The greatest advantage is the lack of sample preparation prior to analysis, which greatly simplifies the process and prevents sample contamination. The elements for which analyses are reported in this study are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, bromine, cerium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iodine, iron, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc.

Tags: kmd