Institute of Gas Technology

Hycrude Corporation

John C Janka

Frank C Schora

Ted M Knowlton

Harlan L Feldkirchner

An apparatus and process for liquid removal from a mixture with solid particulate materials utilizing a screw conveyor within a housing for transport of solids, the screw conveyor upcoming side being in proximity to the housing means and the screw conveyor downcoming side being spaced from at least a portion of the housing means to form a liquid collection volume from which the liquid is removed.

Solids dewatering apparatus and process

A process for production of hydrogen from oil shale fines by direct introduction of the oil shale fines into a fluidized bed at temperatures about 1200.degree. to about 2000.degree. F. to obtain rapid heating of the oil shale. The bed is fluidized by upward passage of steam and oxygen, the steam introduced in the weight ratio of about 0.1 to about 10 on the basis of the organic carbon content of the oil shale and the oxygen introduced in less than the stoichiometric quantity for complete combustion of the organic carbonaceous kerogen content of the oil shale. Embodiments are disclosed for heat recovery from the spent shale and heat recovery from the spent shale and product gas wherein the complete process and heat recovery is carried out in a single reaction vessel. The process of this invention provides high conversion of organic carbon component of oil shale and high production of hydrogen from shale fines which when used in combination with a conventional oil shale hydroconversion process results in increased overall process efficiency of greater than 15 percent.

Production of hydrogen from oil shale

A process for petroleum recovery from an underground deposit by injecting hydrogen-rich gas in the absence of added hydrogenation catalysts into the underground deposit, the gas and deposit being at temperatures of less than 300.degree. F., maintaining the hydrogen-rich gas in contact with the petroleum at temperatures of less than 300.degree. F. for a time sufficient to reduce to desired levels viscosity and sulfur content of the petroleum by reaction with the hydrogen followed by recovery of the petroleum from the underground deposit. One embodiment is specifically set forth injecting carbon dioxide into the underground deposit after the reaction of the petroleum and hydrogen to increase the petroleum mobility ratio and to utilize both the hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced by partial oxidation of produced petroleum at the well site and resulting in as low as down to about 20 percent of the original oil in place remaining in the reservoir.

Growing community of inventors

Forest Park, IL, United States of America

John C Janka