AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Oil shale program. Twenty-first quarterly report, January 1981-March 1981

In this report, SNLA in-house activities and field activities at the Geokinetics Oil Shale Project and the Occidental Oil Shale Project are described under the headings: bed preparation, bed characterization and evaluation, retort characterization and evaluation, and retort stability and integrity. These headings serve to identify major areas for study in the development of the technology leading to viable shale oil recovery operations.

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Application of quality assurance human factors and reliability principles to the prevention of major environment, safety, and health incidents

The study described in this report is part of a program to investigate how proven principles and techniques from the disciplines of quality assurance, reliability, and human factors might be used, or modified, to support environment, health, and safety programs. This report describes a study undertaken to determine whether there appears to be genuine, potential benefit from the use or modification of such principles or techniques in accident prevention. Results are based on a hindsight analysis of major accidents which have occurred.

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Environmental implications of synfuel development

The synthetic fuel industry is perhaps the only industry ever to be subjected to a nationwide review of potential environmental consequences before the first commercial scale plant is built. The first wave of synfuel plants will continue to be scrutinized by a suspicious public that has witnessed a decade of increasing environmental regulation, Three Mile Island, and Love Canal. The EPA will not be issuing pollutant discharge limits for synfuel facilities in the near future. Instead, the first plants will be regulated on a case-by-case basis using the environmental permit system. In general, synfuel plants should be capable of complying with applicable environmental standards by adapting commercial pollution control technology. There should be no acute environmental impacts from a properly suited, designed, and controlled plant. However, because no commercial-scale plants exist for most synfuel technologies, many environmental questions remain unanswered. The major questions deal with: (1) the long-term effects on workers and the environment of low-level exposure to synfuel chemicals; (2) the characteristics of actual gaseous, liquid, and solid waste from large-scale facilities; and (3) the adaptability effectiveness, and reliability of commercially available pollution control technology. Specific issues relate to the need for quantitative health risk assessments, the implications of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the practicality of the mandate for zero wastewater discharge, the control of fugitive hydrocarbon emissions, the effects of solid waste disposal, and the cumulative impacts of regional energy development (especially socioeconomics). Environmental monitoring will play a large role in understanding the technologies, characterizing pollutants and the effectiveness of control technology, developing realistic environmental standards, and determining the effects of synfuel chemicals on workers and the environment.

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Characterization and treatment of oil shale retort water

Argonne National Laboratory's research in the treatment and environmental control of oil shale retort waste water is described. It consists of 3 tasks: characterization, treatment, and engineering design and cost analysis. The comprehensive study is pragmatic to the extent it addresses critical issues that the oil shale industry must ultimately address for its production planning and permit acquisition. Results indicate that total organic carbon can be reduced by at least 90% in the Oxy-6 retort water. Retort water quality varies, and proven methods in the case of treating Oxy-6 retort water should be tested with other retort waters before generalized biological treatment techniques are adopted. The problem of maintaining sample quality over short and long periods of time may be an additional variable in treatment studies and should be minimized, when possible. Reuse of the biologically treated retort water for some purposes may require additional treatment to reduce the high concentrations of inorganic residual and organic constituents. The extent of reuse after organic carbon and inorganic residual reduction can be identified only by evaluating the necessary quality required for particular reuse purposes. A continued research program in water treatment, and especially in retort water reuse, is essential to the acceptability of the oil shale industry in the arid and relatively undeveloped region of the western states.

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Tar sand:  a petroleum resource of the future

Tar sand deposits that are 7% bitumin by weight, more than 10m thick, and less than 50m below the Earth's surface now have potential for near-term development. The amount of recoverable crude oil in US deposits could offset US petroleum imports for about 10 to 15 years. A comprehensive program is needed to define the areas and characteristics of US deposits and to develop new efficient and economical methods of in situ recovery, including thermal and nonthermal mobilization and combinations of conventional and novel extraction techniques.

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Experimental design and data of the August 1980 Corral Gulch nocturnal wind experiment, Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado

During August 1980, a meteorological field program was conducted in Corral Gulch in the Piceance Basin of northwestern Colorado. The purpose of this study was to investigate and document the characteristics of the nocturnal drainage and upper level winds. Intensive meteorological measurements were made on four experimental nights using a network of surface stations, free and captive balloon vertical profilers, an acoustic sounder, and the release and sampling of sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) tracer. This report is a summary of the experimental design and the data collected during this study, which will be analyzed and interpreted for air quality implications in subsequent articles.

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Flash pyrolysis of coal with reactive and non-reactive gases. Progress report, October 1, 1981-September 30, 1982. [Yields in various gases and conditions]

This report presents the results of the first year's work. The purpose of the program is to develop a data base for the process chemistry of the flash pyrolysis of coal with both reactive gases (H/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, CO and CO/sub 2/) and non-reactive gases (He, N/sub 2/ and Ar). The yields and distribution of products are presented as a function of the reaction variables. A 1 in. ID by 8 ft long downflow entrained tubular reactor was used to obtain product yields and distribution as a function of the process variables. The pyrolysis of New Mexico sub-bituminous coal was performed at temperatures ranging from 825 to 1000/sup 0/C and at gas pressures ranging from 20 to 1000 psi. Residence time of the coal particles at reactor conditions ranged from 0.5 to 8 sec. Pyrolysis in reactive gases caused higher conversion of coal than that in non-reactive gases. The total carbon conversion to gaseous and liquid products correlated in the following order: H/sub 2/ > CH/sub 4/ > He > CO > N/sub 2/ > Ar. For the reactive gases, H/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/ and CO at 900/sup 0/C and 200 psi, the total carbon conversion to gaseous and liquid products was 37.6%, 30.4% and 17.5, respectively. For the non-reactive gases, He, N/sub 2/ and Ar, the yields were 16.6%, 15.3% and 9.3%. A correlation appears to exist between the yields and heat-up rate of the coal particles for the inert gases in the order of He > N/sub 2/ > Ar. The flash pyrolysis in methane was characterized by a high yield of ethylene, reaching 10.5% at 825/sup 0/C and 50 psi, which was approximately two times higher than with inert helium gas under similar conditions. Phenols, if any, were present only in trace amounts in the light oil fraction of the liquid products. The yield of tar increased with increase in the pressure of helium but decreased with increase in the pressure of hydrogen. The composition of tar depended on the nature of the pyrolyzing gas. 43 figures, 13 tables.

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Control technology for in-situ oil-shale retorts

The object of this study was to evaluate control technologies for groundwater pollution resulting from leaching of modified in-situ spent shale. Preliminary engineering analysis was used to identify control technologies which were technically feasible and cost-effective. Process modification, intentional leaching, and retort grouting were further evaluated using numerical modeling and experimental techniques. Numerical simulation of the geohydrology at tracts C-a and C-b was used to determine the flow regime during and after processing, the amount of water available from dewatering, and the time scale of groundwater reinvasion. It was found that reinvasion would take over 200 years and that dewatering flows would probably be insufficient to satisfy water requirements for retort grouting. The formulation of low-cost grouts based on surface-retorted spent shale was studied experimentally. A high-strength hydraulic cement was produced by calcining Lurgi spent shale with an equal amount of CaCO/sub 3/ at 1000 C for 1 h. Electrical conductivity measurements indicated that the leachate from a grouted retort would be more concentrated than that from an ungrouted retort, but the increase in concentration would be more than offset by the reduction in flow. A standard flow-cone test used for grouting of preplaced aggregate concrete was used as the criterion for grout fluidity. This criterion was achieved by inclusion of either 33 percent sand or 0.25 percent lignosulfonate fluidizer in the grout. These grouts were found to be Casson fluids with yield stress values about 60 dyne/cm/sup 2/. Intentional leaching of MIS retorts was evaluated by developing a mass-transfer model of the leaching process. The model was experimentally verified for total organic carbon and used to calculate that 2.1 to 3.4 pore volumes would be needed to reduce leachate concentrations to 10 percent of their initial value.

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Recovering oil by retorting a nuclear chimney in oil shale

A method is proposed for recovering oil by retorting oil shale shattered by deep underground nuclear explosions. Because most of the oil will be obtained from chunks of oil shale with maximum dimensions exceeding 1 ft, retorting times of up to several weeks are needed for complete recovery. A study of the heat economy of the retorting process in an underground nuclear chimney suggests that the nuclear detonation itself and the subsequent controlled combustion of residual carbon in retorted oil shale will provide ample energy. The proposed method is shown to be thermally efficient. A 5-ft diam., 12-ft high aboveground batch retort has been constructed for the experimental retorting of mixtures of oil shale particle sizes. Low rates of air and recycle gas, low-retorting temperatures and slow combustion front advance have characterized its operation. In spite of imperfect mist-separating equipment, recoveries of about 60% of Fischer assay have been obtained. The particle size distribution of 30 gal/ton oil shale has not been appreciably altered by the retorting. The proposed technique appears to be a promising one for recovering the oil from thick, deep, oil shale deposits. (22 refs.)

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Control strategies for mitigation of oil-shale-related-water quality concerns

A comprehensive study of in situ retorting at the Logan Wash has indicated the importance of developing baseline information including raw shale characterization, the elucidation of mineralogical and chemical controls on trace element mobilities from shales subjected to in situ processing, and the research necessary to identify strategies for control of recognized environmental impacts. It is impossible to assess the magnitude of trace element releases to be expected from a commercial in situ facility once banks of retorts or the entire facility is abandoned and dewatering of the area is concluded. However, laboratory-scale studies can indeed identify the relative environmental acceptability of spent shale materials generated by in situ processing. In this research, an attempt was made to relate mineralogy and leaching behavior of field-generated materials with leachate composition and solution chemical processes. The interaction of these factors will ultimately affect the impact of in situ processing on surface and groundwater quality.

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In situ recovery projects in the Northwest Asphalt Ridge (Utah) tar sand deposit

The Laramie Energy Technology Center (DOE) conducted three in situ recovery projects in the Northwest Asphalt Ridge (Utah) tar sand deposit. These projects included: a reverse-combustion project (TS-1C), a reverse/forward-combustion project (TS-2C), and a steamflood project (TS-1S). The chemical and physical properties of the oils produced during these three projects have been determined and these properties have been related to the method of production. The majority of the oil produced by the first combustion project (TS-1C) was quite similar to the original bitumen. This was because the highest temperature observed during the project was only about 177/sup 0/C (350/sup 0/F). However, the second combustion project (TS-2C) produced a total oil significantly improved in fuel quality with respect to the bitumen. The reason for the observed improvement in the produced oil is that this project experienced higher, more widespread temperatures (>538/sup 0/C (>1000/sup 0/F),9600 ); thus, resulting in more extensive thermal cracking of the original bitumen. The properties of the oil produced during the steamflood project (TS-1S) were very similar to those of the original bitumen. This was because after the viscosity of the bitumen was reduced by the injection of steam, the bitumen was then produced to the surface by a hot-water drive mechanism. 12 refs., 4 figs., 8 tabs.

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Trace sulfur-containing species in the offgas from two oil shale retorting processes

Six non-H/sub 2/S sulfur species were identified and quantitated from two different retorting processes, a modified in situ process and an aboveground process. Carbonyl sulfide (COS), methyl mercaptan (CH/sub 3/SH), carbon disulfide (CS/sub 2/), thiophene, methylthiophene, and sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) were determined by gas chromatography combined with a flame photometric detector. One of the in situ retorts produced the highest concentrations of sulfur species while the aboveground retort produced the least of the three retorts studied. However, other modified in situ retorts have been reported to produce relatively low concentrations of sulfur species. Variability in the quantitative data was attributed to variability both in sulfur content of the raw oil shales and in retort conditions. Possible reaction mechanisms were considered. The non-H/sub 2/S sulfur species comprise 0.4-6% of the low molecular weight sulfur species measured in the retort off-gases. Abatement strategies must consider the presence of these trace species if the air quality standards proposed by Colorado are to be maintained.

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Natural restoration of ground water in UCG

Ground water contamination from underground coal gasification (UCG) has been documented at several field tests in Texas and Wyoming. However, monitoring data following the termination of gasification operations has shown that contaminant concentrations decrease with time, apparently because of natural processes. This research evaluates the probable natural mechanisms for the reduction of organic contaminant concentrations in ground water. Results indicated that biological degradation and adsorption could be a significant mechanism for removal of organics from ground waters. 12 refs.

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Bibliography of publications dealing with tar sands

To assist industry in the development of tar sands (oil sands), a compilation of technical reports, patents, journal articles and books has been prepared. The emphasis of this bibliography has been the US resource and its development. Also included are pertinent articles on non-domestic tar sand and related heavy oil resources and their development. The subjects include: geology and resource evaluation; chemical and physical properties; in-situ recovery; upgrading and refining; history; environmental; and miscellaneous (includes general survey papers; resource development, health and safety, economics, etc.).

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Mechanical characterization of Eastern reference oil shale

Characterization of mechanical properties of Eastern oil shale is needed to provide information necessary for designing oil shale processes. This research contract was sponsored by Western Research Institute from December 1, 1986 to July 31, 1987, in a major effort to generate a much-needed database for characterization of Eastern reference oil shales. the following tasks have been completed: (1) A sophisticated and fully automated data acquisition and reduction system has been perfected with more than 1000 lines of written Basic code, involving a Keithley System 501 and Zenith Z-248 computer, interfacing with an Instron 1332 servo-hydraulic loading system, strain-gage instrumentation, LVDTs and other sensors. Manpower savings of 1500% are achieved with this automated system. (2) The following properties have been characterized: oil yields, M, as functions of specific gravities, rho; Young's Moduli, E, as functions of strain-rates and oil yields; Poisson's ratios, nu, as functions of strain-rates and oil yields; ultimate tensile strengths, sigma/sub t/; ultimate compressive strengths, sigma/sub u/; longitudinal wave velocities, v/sub p/; shear wave velocities, v/sub s/; and fracture toughnesses characterization (preliminary). 88 refs., 34 figs.

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LLL 1979 field program

The major effort this year is the planning and construction of our next field experiment, Hoe Creek No. 3. This is to be a full steam/oxygen test using a directionally drilled linking channel to be ignited later this summer. The directionally drilled hole, DD-1 has been completed as well as most of the rest of the well patterna and surface plant. A description of the current status and of our plans for the rest of the year will be given.

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Proceedings: 1986 seminar on atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion technology for utility applications

This EPRI-sponsored seminar was organized to review recent technical and market developments related to utility-size AFBC steam generators. The objective of the seminar was to assist electric utilities in planning, evaluating, building, and operating AFBC power plants. Attendees included 231 representatives from 112 organizations (electric utilities, equipment vendors, architect/engineering companies, universities, and various government organizations). The major topics discussed during the seminar were operating experience from industrial AFBC units and Pilot Plants; progress on the three AFBC demonstration and other commercial projects; review of fuel characterization research as related to steam generator design; AFBC power plant simulation and controls; and issues related to economic assessments and power plant licensing. Papers have been entered individually into ERA and EDB.

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Preliminary evaluation of chemical indicators for the analysis of production losses from tar sand recovery

This report presents the results of a preliminary investigation to evaluate changes in the chemical composition of thermally altered tar sand bitumen. The objective of the study was to determine if changes in the chemical composition of the tar sand bitumen can be correlated to chemically related production losses or thermal history of the bitumen. Tar sand samples from the Tar Sand Triangle deposit in southeastern Utah were thermally altered under autogenous conditions at temperatures of 380/sup 0/C, 400/sup 0/C, and 420/sup 0/C for time periods ranging from 1 to 24 hours. The thermally altered tar sands was serially extracted with normal heptane, toluene, and pyridine. The normal heptane extracts from each thermal alteration experiment were analyzed by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometery (GC/MS) to determine the presence of several classes of compounds. The heptane fractions from the thermally altered tar sand represent a complex mixture that can not be evaluated using conventional combined GC/MS techniques. For this reason, the presence of the different classes of compounds was determined by profiling ions selected to represent each class of targeted compounds. The classes of compounds targeted for this analysis included normal alkanes, tricyclic diterpanes, pantacyclic triterpanes, and aromatic species having general empirical formulas ranging from C/sub n/H/sub 2n-6/ through C/sub n/H/sub 2n-40/. The results of this investigation indicate that the pentacyclic triterpanes are the only class of compounds that follow a trend with the thermal alteration conditions. The relative intensity of the pentacyclic triterpanes decreases with increasing exposure time for each temperature investigated. This class of compounds may be useful for tracing the thermal history of tar sand bitumen in a process. 12 refs., 2 figs., 17 tabs.

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Surface chemical properties of sodium salts of carboxylic acids isolated from Green River shale. [Sodium carboxylates]

Organic material isolated from Green River shale varies substantially with the method of isolation. Short-time supercritical fluid treatment and solvent extraction of Green River shale produces large amounts of sodium carboxylates. These sodium salts were observed to form emulsions and therefore be surface active. Quantitative surface activity measurements were then determined using the shale extract. The material was found to have a limiting surface tension of about 41 dynes/cm (as expected) for carboxylates. However, the critical micelle concentration is quite high and has a measured molecular weight value of 600. This probably results from higher solubility of the lower molecular weight species. The solution did not display hysteresis. In general the carboxylic acid salts isolated from Green River shale displayed surface activity similar to those of model compounds cited in the literature.

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Process off-gas characterization experiments for block reactor runs 10 and 12

Western Research Institute (WRI) has developed a facility to study gaseous emissions from a block reactor by sampling volatile trace metals, particulates, and gas condensates. The facility was recently used in two experiments to sample process off-gas from the retorting of an eastern oil shale. Those elements found in measurable quantities in the retort off-gas of the first experiment were silver, aluminium, arsenic, boron, calcium, sodium, iron, mercury, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, selenium, silicon, and zinc. Elements detected in the second experiment were arsenic, boron, calcium, chromium, copper, sodium, iron, mercury, magnesium, nickel, phosphorus, and selenium. The off-gas samples in both experiments contained very low quantities of metals. There are probably several causes for the low recovery of metals. the most salient characteristic of the off-gas from eastern oil shale compared with that from western oil shale is the high concentration of sulfur. The amount of sulfur in the off-gas depends on the sulfur source, reaction, temperature, and steam injection rate. In these experiments, the presence of oxygen in the off-gas allowed the formation of subsequent precipitation of elemental sulfur, thus hampering accurate characterization of the sulfur species in the off-gas. 11 refs., 5 figs., 10 tabs.

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