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Kerogen Systems, Incorporated

Otto John Schneider

Ronald C Stites

Paul S Owen

A method of retorting oil shale is provided, comprising: continuously feeding oil shale into a retorting unit; heating the retorting unit using renewable electrical energy; converting the oil-shale kerogen into kerogen oil; conveying a cross-flow sweep gas across a moving bed of the oil shale, to carry the kerogen oil out of the retorting unit; recovering the kerogen oil; and recovering spent oil shale. The combination of electrical heating and cross-flow retorting achieves uniform heating to optimize the production of hydrocarbons. A system for retorting oil shale is also provided, comprising: a retorting unit; an inlet for continuously feeding oil shale; electrical-energy elements within the retorting unit; an inlet for conveying a cross-flow sweep gas through the retorting unit; and an outlet for the cross-flow sweep gas carrying the kerogen oil. The principles of the invention may be applied to ex situ systems, in situ systems, or hybrid systems.

Renewable energy use in oil shale retorting

Optimized, heat-integrated methods and systems are provided to produce multiple, high-value products from oil shale, while minimizing overall energy and water usage. A method for producing multiple products from oil shale comprises: feeding raw oil shale into a heated retorting unit, to convert kerogen into a retorted stream; introducing the retorted stream to a distillation column to generate a high-cetane diesel stream, an &#x3b1;-olefin-containing chemical stream, an asphalt/asphalt additive stream, and an overhead gas stream, wherein heat contained in the retorted stream is harnessed as distillation energy; separating the overhead gas stream into a fuel gas stream and a purge gas stream; combusting the fuel gas stream to generate hot flue gas; heating the purge gas with hot flue gas; feeding the heated purge gas directly to the heated retorting unit; and recovering the high-cetane diesel stream, the &#x3b1;-olefin-containing chemical stream, and the asphalt/asphalt additive stream as products.

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Mill Valley, CA, United States of America

Otto John Schneider