Oil Shale

Abstract

Oil shale, found in numerous geologic deposits throughout the world, has been used commercially on a very limited scale. The organic matter in oil shale exists as a complex, high molecular weight solid polymer in an inorganic rock matrix. Production costs for crude shale oil are generally much higher than those for conventional crude oil, in part because of the high concentrations of heteroatoms in the crude shale oil. Refining costs are also higher. Retorting processes for oil shale, as well as the upgrading processes needed to refine the crude shale oil into fuels and other products, are described. Shale oil asphalt is the most promising of these products. Several commercial oil shale operations exist, but these are all outside of the United States.

Near-Term Feasibility of Alternative Jet Fuels

“…The production of jet fuel from shale oil using high-temperature retorting (either surface or in situ) methods requires hydrotreatment to reduce olefin content and organic nitrogen compounds (~2 percent by weight) (Piper and Heistand, 1996); the resulting fuel has moderate levels of aromatic compounds (10 to 25 percent) and should not pose either lubricity or compatibility issues (Harney, 1983). Such fuels are already approved for both commercial and mili-tary aviation.…”