How does oil shale generate electricity?
It is burned to generate electricity, is a component in chemical industries, and byproducts are used in cement production. Obtaining shale oil from oil shale involves heating kerogen in a process called pyrolysis. The rock is crushed, and then retorted (heated) to release the shale oil.
What are the two ways oil shale can be used?
Unlike conventional oil, shale oil cannot be recovered by drilling; it requires heating for oil to be released 3. There are two methods of recovering shale oil – ex-situ and in-situ processing. In ex-situ processing, shale oil is mined with conventional mining methods, like open pit, strip or underground mining.
What is the problem with shale oil?
The production of oil from shales has a potentially serious impact on the environment. Four specific areas of concern dominate discussion regarding development of the resource: greenhouse gas output, water consumption and pollution, surface disturbance, and socioeconomic effects.
What are the characteristics of oil shale?
Oil Shale is organic-rich sedimentary rocks that have contain kerogen (insoluble organic matter in sedimentary rock. When subjected to intense heat, these shales yield oil. Oil shales range from brown to black in color. They are flammable and burn with a sooty flame.
What is oil shale retorting?
Retorting is a frequently used method for producing shale oil from oil shale. During retorting, heat is usually supplied to the retort by heat-carrier gas of high temperature, such as 700 °C, until retorting ends.
How does shale oil impact the environment?
The production of shale oil and gas results in emissions of greenhouse gases, photochemical air pollutants and air toxics. Air emission sources from shale oil and gas development are diverse, have complex behavior and are distributed across a large number of individual sites.
Why do we use shale oil?
As of 2008, it is primarily used as a heating oil and marine fuel, and to a lesser extent in the production of various chemicals. Shale oil’s concentration of high-boiling point compounds is suited for the production of middle distillates such as kerosene, jet fuel and diesel fuel.
What are the characteristics of shale?
Shale is a fine-grained rock made from compacted mud and clay. The defining characteristic of shale is its ability to break into layers or fissility. Black and gray shale are common, but the rock can occur in any color. Shale is commercially important.
What is oil shale composed of?
Oil shales consist of solid organic matter entrained in an inorganic mineral matrix. Chemically, the mineral content consists primarily of silicon, calcium, aluminum, magnesium, iron, sodium, and potassium found in silicate, carbonate, oxide, and sulfide minerals.
What is shale used for?
Shale is commercially important. It is used to make brick, pottery, tile, and Portland cement. Natural gas and petroleum may be extracted from oil shale.
What are the advantages of shale oil?
Shale oil production makes the United States more energy independent. Storing barrels of shale oil helps prices remain more stable. Shale oil extraction (fracking) benefits from innovative drilling techniques. Fracking causes ecological damage to the environment.
How does oil shale move through the retort?
The shale moves downward through drying, heating and retorting zones against an up-flowing stream of heated recycle gas. The retorted shale then moves down into the lowest section of the retort, where it is cooled by an unheated recycle gas stream before being discharged through one of the hydraulically sealed spent shale hoppers.
What is used to cool spent shale oil?
Non-condensable gases are compressed and part is used to cool the spent shale, part is heated and injected into the retorting zone, and the balance is used as fuel. Sulfur is recovered in a conventional Claus plant. Atmospheric and vacuum distillation are used to recover distillate from a composite of the high-boiling and low-boiling oils.
How is the oil shale refinery process simulated?
The oil shale refinery process with the indirectly heated moving bed is modeled and simulated in this work. Based on the simulation, a techno-economic analysis is performed and compared with the conventional Fushun oil shale refinery process.
How big is the Irati oil shale retort?
The retort is 18 ft in diameter, and has a capacity of 2200 tons per day of Irati oil shale. Escape for mechanical differences, the Petrosix retort is similar to the Paraho indirect retort. One operational difference is that the Petrosix spent shale is discharged into a water bath and pumped in a slurry to a disposal pond.