Analysis of Applicability of Oil Shale for in situ Conversion

Abstract

There are only a few substantial oil shale industries in the world, mainly because of the high cost of oilshale development relative to coal, oil and natural gas. Innovative approaches to oil shale processing could change this situation. Underground (or in situ) conversion could become a very useful technology, once an efficient way is found to prepare oil shale deposits for heating and to transfer heat into them. A new electrophysical method, which uses electrical treeing breakdown and resistive heating to fracture and heat underground formations, appears to have great potential in this regard. This paper examines the potential applicability of the process to two oil shale deposits in Russia. Results of laboratory tests are presented that confirm the technology's ability to obtain high yields of good quality oil and gas. Values for some of the technology's important operating parameters are suggested, and energy ratios are calculated from both theory and results of the laboratory tests. The energy ratios of the process are compared with other methods of underground and aboveground oil shale processing.