Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

STATUS OF OIL SHALE PROJECTS (Underline denotes changes since June 1994)
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS (Continued)
A spouted bed pilot plant having a 12-inch diameter reactor, has been in operation since January, 1988. It processes oil shale
fines coarser than that used in the entrained bed reactor. Studies at the pilot scale have been concluded.
A multistaged fluidized bed pilot plant having an 8x8 inch square section was operated at Centec. Studies at this scale have
been concluded.
A circulating fluidized bed pilot scale boiler was started up in July, 1988. The combustor will be tested on both spent shale
and oil shale fines to produce process steam for the Petrosix commercial plants. Studies at the pilot plant have been con
cluded.
In the present days the efforts of R&D have been directed to some studies in environmental areas and mainly to increase value
to oil shale products and byproducts. The main studies are:
- Asphalts
- Retort
- Retort
and asphalts additives
water for agriculture
shale for ceramic, cement, glass, etc.
- Solvent
A nominal 2,200 tons per day Petrosix semi-works retort, 18 foot inside diameter, is located near Sao Mateus do Sul, Parana,
Brazil. The plant has been operated successfully near design capacity in a series of tests since 1972. A United States patent
has been obtained on the process. This plant, operating on a small commercial basis since 1981, produced 850 barrels per day
of crude oil. 40 tons per day of fuel gas, and 18 tons per day of sulfur. The operating factor since 1981 until present has been
93 percent.
As of December 31, 1994, the plant records were as follows:
Operations time, hrs 151.800
Oil Produced, Bbl 4.122.544
Processed Oil Shale, tons 9.141.895
Sulfur Produced, tons 78.813
High BTU Gas, tons 162,146
A 36-foot inside diameter retort, called the industrial module M-l. has been constructed at Sao Mateus do Sul. Startup began in
December 1991. Total investment was US$93 million with an annual cost estimated operating to be US$39 million. Since start-up,
retorting rate has reached 100% of projected capacity.
With the 36-foot (11-meter) diameter commercial plant, the daily production of the two plants will be:
Shale Oil 3,870 Bbl
Processed Shale 7,800 tons
LPG 50 tons
High BTU Gas 132 tons
Sulfur 70 tons
The technologies developed to reduce environmental impacts of the oil shale mining operations have been applied to reclaim about
200 ha of mined areas. Disposition of oil shale residues involves its placement in-pit followed by immediate surface reclamation
using stripped overburden materials. Rehabilitation comprises revegetation. using native forest species or local forage plants, and
reintegration of wild life, bringing back the local conditions for farming and preservation. Monitoring programs have been carried
out collecting data on amhiental air and waters (surface and groundwater). Results indicate that no significant environmental im
pact has occurred, according to the federal and state regulations.
Treatment of the shale oil involves centrifuging and filtering to remove solids and water. The oil product is then fractionated in
two fractions: naphtha and bottoms. The naphtha fraction is sent by truck to a refinery where it is processed in a FCC Unit. The
bottoms are also processed in a refinery, to dilute the fuel oil, or is sold as the fuel oil directly to the industries. The fuel gas has
been sold to Ceramic Industry, four kilometers away from the Petrosix Plant. LPG production is sold directly to industries or to
retailing distributor. Sulfur production is sold directly to clients from local paper mill and sugar industries.
Project Installed Costs: $120 (US) million
RAMEX OIL SHALE GASIFICATION PROCESS-Greenway Corporation and Ramex Synfuels International, Inc. (S-180)
On May 6, 1985 Ramex began construction of a pilot plant near Rock Springs, Wyoming. The pilot plant consisted of two specially
designed burners to burn continuously in an underground oil shale bed at a depth of 70 feet. These burners produce an industry
gas quality (greater than 800 BTUs per standard cubic foot).
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SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995