Producing hydrocarbons from oil shale based on conditions under which production of oil and bitumen are optimized

Abstract

Kerogen in oil shale is converted to bitumen, oil, gases and coke via a retorting process. The vaporizable oil and gases are then recovered. Following the retorting process, bitumen is recovered via solvent extraction. The overall conversion process is enhanced by calculating conditions to optimize recovery of both oil and bitumen. This can be accomplished by either separately calculating conditions for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized, or calculating conditions for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized by applying a maximizing function to combined vaporizable oil and bitumen data. An advantage of this technique is that greater efficiency is achieved because the time duration of heating associated with the retorting process can be reduced and product yields increased.

1 . A method comprising the steps of:
 calculating input conditions under which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized; and   recovering vaporizable oil and bitumen using the calculated input conditions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  including recovering the vaporizable oil with a retorting process and recovering the bitumen with a solvent extraction process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  including separately calculating a program of heating times, temperatures, pressures, and/or additives for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  including calculating a program of heating times, temperatures, pressures, and/or additives for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized by applying a maximizing function to combined vaporizable oil and bitumen data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  including obtaining samples of oil shale from the reservoir interval or intervals of interest. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  including performing pyrolysis experiments to determine effects of temperature, pressure, heating rate, heating duration, and/or additives. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  including quantifying vaporizable oil and gas. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  including quantifying the bitumen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  including quantifying the bitumen using nuclear magnetic resonance. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus comprising:
 an analyzer which calculates input conditions under which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized; and   production equipment which recovers vaporizable oil and bitumen using the calculated input conditions.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  equipment that retorts oil shale to recover the vaporizable oil and solvent extraction equipment to recover the bitumen. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the analyzer separately calculates a program of heating times, temperatures, pressures, and/or additives for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the analyzer calculates a program of heating times, temperatures, pressures, and/or additives for which production of vaporizable oil and production of bitumen are optimized by applying a maximizing function to combined vaporizable oil and bitumen data. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the analyzer operates upon samples of oil shale from the reservoir interval or intervals of interest. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the analyzer performs pyrolysis experiments to determine effects of temperature, pressure, heating rate, heating duration and/or additives. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the analyzer quantifies vaporizable oil and gas. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the analyzer quantifies the bitumen. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the analyzer quantifies the bitumen using nuclear magnetic resonance.