Studies have been carried out on a 31-gallon-of-oi1-per-ton Green River shale sample to determine the effects of pressure, sweep gas rate, and heating rate on the batch retorting process. Each experiment was performed in a vertical pressure retort with downward sweep gas flow, which could be heated at any predetermined fixed rate to a final bed temperature of about 950° F. Pressures from atmospheric to 1,500 psig, nominal heating rates from 14° to 125° F/hr, and nitrogen sweep gas space velocities generally in the range from 1 to 125 scf/hr/ft2 of bed have been studied. Oil yields, gas yields, and the ultimate distribution of the initial organic carbon in the raw shale are reported.
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