Oil Shale and Shale Oil

This chapter discusses the properties that are needed in designing a retort as well as in understanding oil shale retorting. In order to develop efficient retorting processes as well as to design a costeffective commercial-scale retort, physical, chemical, and physicochemical properties of oil shales and shale oils must be fully known. The nominal amount of condensable oil that can be extracted from oil shale is commonly expressed by the Fischer assay of the oil shale. The actual oil content in the oil shale normally exceeds the Fischer assay. Porosity of the mineral matrix of oil shale can be determined by the methods used in determining porosity of petroleum reservoir rocks because the organic matter in the shale is solid and essentially insoluble. The raw oil shales have high compressive strengths both perpendicular and parallel to the bedding plane. The term “thermal” is used here to represent parameters that are directly or indirectly related to the transport, absorption, release of heat.