Patent ID: 8522876

Claim:
A method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a hydrocarbon-containing material, comprising a fossil fuel material selected from oil shale, coal, sands, or a combination thereof, the method comprising: providing a hydrocarbon-extracting fluid consisting essentially of turpentine fluid alone or a combination of a turpentine fluid and a turpentine-miscible second fluid; contacting oil shale, coal, oil sands, or a combination thereof with said hydrocarbon-extracting fluid, to form an extraction or separation mixture so as to extract or separate hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from said oil shale, coal, oil sands, or a combination thereof into said hydrocarbon-extracting fluid and form an extraction fluid comprising said turpentine fluid containing the extracted hydrocarbon-containing organic matter; and separating said extracted hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a residual material not extracted.