How is shale oil produced

Shale oil products can be used in refineries to produce transportation fuels, as fertilizers by extracting Sulphur, in petrochemical industry to produce polymers, for inland heating as a blending component, as solvents and as marine fuel. By providing multi-level studies and test work and project execution support, EOT helps oil shale developers to fulfil shale oil projects all around the world. Shale Oil Production Estonia, uniquely in the world, has used oil shale to produce electricity, heat, gas and oil for a full century.

Gasoline Recovery. Using conventional gas processing technology, Enefit is developing a gasoline recovery unit to recover six tons per hour of shale gasoline from semi-coke gas streams from the oil plant. Hydrotreating Shale Gasoline. Shale oil refining complex.

Oil shale processing capacity: kg of oil shale per hour. Heat carrier ash for the retorting process is produced in combination with a mm CFB combustion plant. Purpose of the plant: to test various oil shales on a larger scale using Enefit Technology, to obtain further input data for engineering, and to produce raw shale oil samples for upgrade test runs.

During the ex situ process, oil shale is first extracted from the earth by surface or underground mining. The rock is crushed, and then retort ed heated to release the shale oil. The shale oil is then refined of impurities, such as sulfur.

During the in situ process, oil shale is not mined or crushed. Instead, the rock is heated to its oil window while it is still underground. One technology used for in situ oil extraction is known as volumetric heating. In this process, the rock is heated directly with an electric current. The heating element is injected either directly in a horizontal well or into a fractured area of the rock, until the oil shale begins producing shale oil.

The oil could then be pumped directly from underground. The internal combustion process uses a combination of gas, steam and spent shale produced by ex situ processing. These compounds are burned for pyrolysis. The hot gas is continually cycled through the oil shale, pyrolyzing the rock and releasing oil.

Unfortunately, substances in the oil shale, such as sulfides, react with water to form toxic compounds that are harmful to the environment and to us.

Sulfides can cause effects from eye irritation to suffocation. Water containing toxic substances is unusable, and expensive to decontaminate. The process also produces heaps of ash. This ash can pollute ground, air, and water sources. Another method that can be used either in situ or ex situ involves chemically reactive fluids. The fluids are injected directly into the retort zone where the rock is being heated.

High-pressure hydrogen is one of the most common chemically reactive fluids. It simultaneously heats the rock, removes sulfur, and upgrades the quality of the extracted oil. When shale oil is combusted heated , it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon on the earth is contained in plants, soil, fossil fuels, and all living things—including us!

The carbon in fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale has been sequester ed, or stored, underground for millions of years. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere at a much quicker rate than the trees, water, and ground can reabsorb it. Sometimes, climates can rise faster than organisms can adapt. Another environmental disadvantage to extracting shale oil is the enormous amounts of freshwater required.

Water is necessary for drilling, mining, refining, and generating power. Some experts estimate that three litres. Some of this water is contaminated by toxic compounds, and is costly to decontaminate. Mining can also contaminate groundwater. During in situ processing, toxic byproducts are left underground. They can leach into other sources of water, making them unsafe for drinking, hygiene , or development.

The United States has enormous proven deposits of oil shale. A source of oil in the United States would reduce the need for importing oil from other countries.

This would put people to work and make the U. However, not all of oil shale is recoverable. This determines whether they are economically worth recovering.

They have fewer impurities and are less complex than the carbonate-based oil shales in the Western United States, and thus cost less to extract and process. Depositional history also matters: Oil shales that developed in wetlands or small lakes are very rich in energy. However, these formations are usually small. Larger lakes created larger shale formations, although these usually yield less oil.

The process of extracting shale oil is expensive, much more expensive than the process of extracting crude oil. Due to this expense, the use of shale oil in the U.

Companies have only mined for oil shale when the price of crude oil is high. Today, the price of oil is relatively high and extraction technology is becoming more efficient and less expensive. The possibility of mining oil shale has again become a possibility.

Communities, governments, oil companies, and environmental organizations must weigh the cost of extraction with the benefits of an oil resource. Oil shale is a lot like coal—they're both rocks that can be burned for energy. Photograph by Emory Kristof. Some carbonate-rich shale deposits are also dinosaur-rich rock formations. The Irati Formation, in the state of Parana, Brazil, is a thin deposit of carbonate-rich shale.

It also contains many fossils of mesosaurs, a type of aquatic dinosaur. Silica Gems. In addition to oil shales, silica from ancient organisms created rock formations that are rich in minerals such as quartz, chert, and opal. Bakken formation. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. Also called crude oil. Also called oil-shale oil and kerogen oil. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Managing Resources. Previous Next. What is Shale? Thriving in the Energy Transition Oil, natural gas, and their liquid components such as propane and butane will continue to fuel homes, vehicles, airlines, large industries and manufacturers through the energy transition.

Inside shales. Benefits of Natural Gas This abundant domestic resource creates economic benefits, improves energy security, and is an ideal partner for energy innovation.

Putting Safety First in Shale Oil and Gas Safety drives our actions in our daily activities from exploration through production. Social and Environmental Responsibility in Shales Shell conducts its operations in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Have questions about Shales? If you have any questions about our Shales business, please submit your inquiry.