Technical Aspects of Oil Technical Aspects of Oil
Shale Production and Shale Production and
ProcessingProcessing
Milind D. DeoMilind D. Deo
Professor, Chemical EngineeringProfessor, Chemical Engineering
Institute for Clean and Secure EnergyInstitute for Clean and Secure Energy
Shale CompositionShale Composition
• Composition varies from deposit to deposit and even within deposit
Energy ValuesEnergy Values
Crude Oil Crude Oil –– 45 MJ/kg45 MJ/kg–– Price $10/MMBTU (at $60/barrel)Price $10/MMBTU (at $60/barrel)
Coal Coal –– 2727--31 MJ/kg31 MJ/kg–– Price $1.5/MMBTUPrice $1.5/MMBTU
Natural Gas ~55 MJ/kgNatural Gas ~55 MJ/kg–– Price $6Price $6--10/MMBTU10/MMBTU
Shale oil ~ 42 MJ/kgShale oil ~ 42 MJ/kg
Shale ~ 4.3 Shale ~ 4.3 –– 8 MJ/kg8 MJ/kg
Value is added by making liquid hydrocarbonsValue is added by making liquid hydrocarbons
EnergyEnergy
• Without any heat losses the ratio of energy out/energy in = 13• This is the absolute maximum that one can hope to achieve• Energy-in values for conventional oil/gas type operations have to be
added along with heat losses to compute more practical ratios which will be in the 3-6 range
Production potentialProduction potential
OIL
•One ton of sandstone
•Porosity 20%
•Grain density = 2.65 g/cc
•Oil saturation 80%
•Oil quantity = 25 gallons/ton
OIL SAND
•One ton of oil sand
•Bitumen wt fraction (10%)
•Bulk density = 2.2 g/cc
•Oil quantity = 28 gallons/ton
OIL SHALE
•One ton of oil shale
•Organic content (9.5%)
•Shale density = 2.67 g/cc
•Complete conversion
•25 gallons/ton shale oil
Shale Production PotentialShale Production PotentialAverage thickness = 550 feetAverage thickness = 550 feet
Density = 2.67 g/ccDensity = 2.67 g/cc
Average oil content = 30 gallons/tonAverage oil content = 30 gallons/ton
Barrel of Oil Equivalent/Acre = 1.3 millionBarrel of Oil Equivalent/Acre = 1.3 million
Shale
From T. Dammer
Oil ShaleOil Shale
To produce 100,000 barrels of oil/dayTo produce 100,000 barrels of oil/day–– 140,000 tons of oil shale/day will have to be 140,000 tons of oil shale/day will have to be
processed, if surface production facilities are usedprocessed, if surface production facilities are used
–– Kennecott processes 500,000 tons of material/dayKennecott processes 500,000 tons of material/day
–– For a 1000 MW power plant, about 10,000 tons of For a 1000 MW power plant, about 10,000 tons of coal is required/daycoal is required/day
LargeLarge--scale operation scale operation –– operations at such operations at such scales existscales exist
Processing OptionsProcessing Options
Mining Crushing Retorting
Fracturing RetortingProduct
Recovery
Refining
Liquid Fuels
By-Product
ATPGas combustion (Bureau, Petrosix)UnionToscoHydrogen AtmosphereKiviter Galoter
NaturalHydraulicExplosiveElectocarbonizationDrilling &Dewatering
CombustionHot gasesSteamGradual HeatingPyrolysis
In-Formation
Gas DriveArtificial Lift
Kerogen OilHydrocarbon Gases
Spent Shale
Thermal & Chemical TreatingHydrogenation
Mild-cat crackingHydrocracking
UtilizeDispose
Mine FillRevegetateDump
Underground Room & Pillar
Cut and FillBlock Carving
Open-Pit
Source: Strategic Significance of America’s Oil Shale resources, Vol II, 2004
Control on Operational Parameter
Ex-Situ
In-Situ
Not necessary?
Ex-Situ Process Diagram
RetortCombustor
K + S
KU + S + CS + coke + char
CSP
CH4
S + others
CS: Combusted Shale
Direct or Indirect
KU: kerogen Unreacted
S: Feed Shale
P: Product
air
Depending on the kerogen conversion
Direct and Indirect ProcessesDirect and Indirect Processes
From the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment Reports
The Petrosix RetortThe Petrosix Retort
From the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment Reports
Sample Products (based on 100% conversion)
Products Weight Percent
Naphtha 28.5 %
Distillate 15.9 %
Gas oil 1.8 %
Char 18.8 %
Coke 8.9 %
Other 26.1 %
Surface Processing IssuesSurface Processing Issues
KnowledgeKnowledge--experience in the 70sexperience in the 70s--80s80s
–– Scattered, not integratedScattered, not integrated
Solids handlingSolids handling
–– Oil mistsOil mists
Problem of fines in the oilProblem of fines in the oil
Scale of operation Scale of operation
–– Must be large to overcome the oilMust be large to overcome the oil--price price
thresholdthreshold
Oil Shale Oil Shale –– Insitu ProcessesInsitu Processes
Rubble inRubble in--situ extractionsitu extraction
–– Create a rubbleCreate a rubble
–– Air and steam injection at the topAir and steam injection at the top
–– Large scale experiments runLarge scale experiments run
Yields of about 7 gpt Yields of about 7 gpt –– 40% of the oil in place40% of the oil in place
Modern inModern in--situ processessitu processes
–– Electric heating Electric heating -- ShellShell
–– Other forms of heatingOther forms of heating
–– Porosity creation, inPorosity creation, in--situsitu
Hybrid processes (Redleaf Hybrid processes (Redleaf –– Ecoshale)Ecoshale)
Shell ICP (Insitu Conversion Process)Shell ICP (Insitu Conversion Process)
From www.shell.com
InIn--situ Issuessitu Issues
Porosity, permeability creationPorosity, permeability creation
Conversion and recoveryConversion and recovery
Question of residual oilQuestion of residual oil
Heat losses and energy efficiencyHeat losses and energy efficiency
Impact on waterImpact on water
Carbon footprintCarbon footprint
Upgrading Shale OilUpgrading Shale Oil
ObjectivesObjectives–– Nitrogen removal Nitrogen removal
–– Molecular weight reductionMolecular weight reduction
–– HydrogenationHydrogenation
Some modifications to the existing hydroSome modifications to the existing hydro--processing technologies may be requiredprocessing technologies may be required
Similar costsSimilar costs
ResourcesResources
WaterWater
–– No direct water input requiredNo direct water input required
–– Surface processingSurface processing
Water for mining operations Water for mining operations
Same order as a refinery or chemical process plantSame order as a refinery or chemical process plant
–– InIn--situ processingsitu processing
Water required for drilling/associated activitiesWater required for drilling/associated activities
Carbon footprintCarbon footprint
–– Process and fuel dependentProcess and fuel dependent
Carbon Footprint Kilograms of Carbon Footprint Kilograms of
COCO22 Per BarrelPer BarrelOil Oil Sands
Mining/
Extraction
Oil Sands
In-Situ
Oil Shale
Mining/
Extraction
Oil Shale
In-Situ
Production 25 45 95 85 66 (NG)261 (Coal)
Upgrading 28 37 37 37 35
Transportation(gasoline,Diesel, jet fuel)
450 450 450 450 450
Preliminary Estimates Only
Oil sands numbers from Professor Murray Gray, University of Alberta
Process PossibilitiesProcess Possibilities
InIn--situ situ Surface ProductionSurface Production
–– Energy selfEnergy self--sufficientsufficient
Sequester CO2
Shale Deposit
Heat Gas
LiquidHydrocarbons
Sequester CO2Re-use, recycle all water
Ongoing Research at U of UOngoing Research at U of U
Depositional heterogeneity and inDepositional heterogeneity and in--situ modelingsitu modeling
Fundamental transformation kinetics and compositions Fundamental transformation kinetics and compositions
of oilsof oils
KerogenKerogen--asphaltene atomistic modelingasphaltene atomistic modeling
Impact on water qualityImpact on water quality
OxyOxy--fuel combustion for providing the energyfuel combustion for providing the energy
PorePore--scale analysisscale analysis
Climate change legislationClimate change legislation
Market analysisMarket analysis
Data repositoryData repository
Summary
Fundamental kinetics and compositional understanding
P
Temperature Controller
Gas Cylinder
Back Pressure
Regulator
Vent line-1
Pressure Gauge
Heater
Check valve
Relief valve
Waste Container
PPressure GaugeSeparation unit
Cooling
Unit
Product 1
Condenser-1
Condenser-2
Gas Sampler
Product 2Product 3
Product 4
Vent line-2
Vent line-3
Flow meter
Insulation
SummarySummaryPossible to institute environmentally Possible to institute environmentally
responsible, energyresponsible, energy--efficient processesefficient processes
Key issues need to be resolved with Key issues need to be resolved with
respect to both surface extraction and inrespect to both surface extraction and in--
situ technologiessitu technologies
A lot to be learnt from previous research A lot to be learnt from previous research ––
particularly on exparticularly on ex--situ processessitu processes
Fundamental and applied research on Fundamental and applied research on
resource characterization pyrolysis, resource characterization pyrolysis,
environmental and policy aspects environmental and policy aspects
underway at the University of Utahunderway at the University of Utah
