IMPROVED PLANT AND PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING OIL, GAS AND BY-PRODUCTS FROM OILS SHELLS AND OTHER HYDROCARBON IMPREGNATED MATERIALS

摘要

The process for obtaining oil, gas and other products from pyrobituminous shales and the like includes introducing crushed shale into a retort and contacting the crushed shale in the top portion of the retort with a stream of retort gases. Hot gases are injected at an intermediate point of the retort and a stream of cold gases are injected at the bottom of the retort. The gaseous retorted matter above the zone where the shale undergoes pyrolysis is removed and directed to a cyclone from separation of heavy liquid components from a gaseous stream. The gaseous stream is then purified and compressed with a portion of the compressed stream being heated and reinjected as the steam of hot gases into the retort. The other portion of the compressed stream of gases is cooled and a liquid component consisting primarily of water and heavy oil is separate therefrom in a spray tower. The water portion is separated from the oil and recirculated to the spray tower while a part of the oily portion is separated for resue outside the process with the remainder being recycled to the cyclone. A portion of the compressed gases from the cyclone is cooled and injected into the bottom of the retort as the stream of cold gases.