Oil Shale Retorting - CERI-Colorado Energy Research Institute

An ImprovedOil Shale

RetortA Road Not Taken

26th Oil Shale SymposiumOctober 17, 2006

Larry M. Southwick, P.E.Cincinnati, Ohio

OutlineIntroductionFluid Bed RetortsFluid Catalytic CrackingFundamentalsDemo PlantsResolution

Synfuels BasicsOil shale

KerogenHeating (500°C or more)

Oil sandsBitumenWater dissolution

Oil and gasNo mining requiredGenerally higher quality products

ChallengesTechnology

Large scale miningWhole mass must be heatedSmall unit sizes heretoforeRecovery low (<~50% of organic C)Dusting into product oilBeneficiation has not been successful

ChallengesOther Areas

Operational risks (need good demo plant)Environmental permitting/liabilitiesUncertain public policyLead time - design, permitting, constructionEconomics

Lots of iron and steel in plantsErgo, oil price goes up, plant cost riseCan’t get there from here

Fluid Bed RetortingHytort

High pressure, hydrogen, mistingNot viable as moving bed - redesignFluid bed tried

Chattanooga EnergyHigh pressure, hydrogen, spouted bed

Ensyn/IvanhoeHigh velocity cyclonic vesselBiomass, heavy oil, oil shale

Fluid Cat CrackingESSO

1940’s, Australian shalesYield loss, dusting into product

SinclairHot gas from combustion to heat retortModify Gas Combustion

METCStacked beds (Kellogg A)

ESSO

Advanced ConceptsKentort II

Devonian, pyrolyzer, gasifier, combustorHeat carrier, reactivityTarry, dirty oil

Univ. of Queensland/CSIROCirculating beds: retort & combustorInert carrier, or well combusted spent shaleHigher temperature = higher yieldsRundle Twins - road not taken (ATP)

KENTORT II

CSIRO/QUEENSLAND

Oil Company EntriesExxon

FCCU pilot plant, secretiveGreen River shale, Rundle shaleDusts into oil Viewed as not viable

AmocoCirculating beds: Contactor, retort, combustorInert carrier or combusted spent shaleBasic data, shale holding time, strip vaporsShale fines into product oil, same on LurgiSand lost to system, replaced by spent shaleViewed as not viable

Exxon

AMOCO

Design ResolutionInert carrier

No spent shale in retort - better yieldNo dusts into oil - better quality oils

Fluid bed designLike AmocoDo not allow carrier/shale separationRemove dust from carrier after heatingObtain basic data: temp., particle data, fluidization characteristics (species, psd)Need pilot testing

ConclusionsHigh oil prices will not make small scale units magically become economicalToo much iron, steel and concreteNeed to find a larger capacity alternativeFCCU holds considerable promiseThink beyond Big Oil’s dead ends

FCCU benefited from years of improvements

Investigate beneficiation - fines not an issue if Fl. BedOil sands has done it, oil shale can too!