Advances in World Oil-Shale Production Technologies

Abstract

Abstract The development of domestic oil shale resources has regained significant attention in the past few years. Several factors have contributed to this, including high oil prices, emerging recovery technologies, increasing world demand for liquid hydrocarbons, and the continued decline in U.S. conventional oil production. In recent years, several initiatives have been taken by government and the private sector to encourage the development of a domestic oil shale industry. The United States has the largest and most concentrated deposits of oil shale in the world, including nearly 2.0 trillion barrels across the eastern and western states. However, until recently, U.S. oil shale development efforts have largely been in hiatus. Several other nations also have significant oil shale resources, including China, Estonia, Israel, and Turkey. Since 2006, more than 25 U.S. companies have made public information about new oil shale technologies. Other non-U.S. companies have also achieved significant advances. An analysis has been conducted to identify and profile advanced oil shale technologies that improve performance and help mitigate barriers to commercialization. Advances include reduced water use, improved energy efficiency and net energy balance, better carbon and emissions management, reduced surface impact, spent shale use and disposal, and effective groundwater protection. The analysis addresses both surface and in-situ processes and includes technologies intended to produce liquid fuels or to fire electric power generation. Notable examples include the Kiviter and Galoter retorts in use in Estonia, the Alberta Taciuk Processor considered for use by OSEC in Utah, Shell's In-Situ Conversion process under consideration in Colorado and in Jordan, Petrobras' Petrosix Gas Combustion Retort (and variations) in use in Brazil, the Raytheon/CF radio-frequency with critical fluids technology just licensed by Schlumberger, and the EcoShale process under development in Utah. The results of the analysis suggest significant promise that production of oil from oil shale can be technically and economically feasible while meeting rigorous industry and public standards for technical performance, resource conservation, and environmental protection. It also identifies areas where further research, development, and demonstration are needed. Background Oil shale was used by the Swedes, Scots, and French as early as 1637 as a source of fuel. The Swedes produced oil from alum shales until 1966, when other fuels became more readily available. Oil shale has been recognized as a valuable U.S. energy resource since as early as 1859, the same year Colonel Drake completed his first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The Scots also began producing shale oil in 1859. Early products derived from shale oil included kerosene and lamp oil, paraffin, fuel oil, lubricating oil and grease, naphtha, illuminating gas, and ammonium sulfate fertilizer. 1 Since these early beginnings, energy companies and petroleum researchers around the world have developed, tested, enhanced, and in many cases, demonstrated a variety of technologies for recovering oil and gas from oil shale and upgrading it to produce fuels and byproducts. Both surface processing and in-situ technologies have been conceived, developed and tested in the laboratory, field tested at pilot and semi-works scale, or demonstrated at commercially representative scale in demonstration plants.