Destructive distillation of oil shale, The

Abstract

In view of the fact that the domestic supply of oil well petroleum In the United States is being consumed at a rapid rate, and that probably within a period of twenty or thirty years will have been largely consumed, the problem of our future oil supply becomes acute. The United States will either be forced to import petroleum at a much higher cost than exists at present, or else she must find some suitable substitute which may be obtained in this country. In connection with the great demand for petroleum and the ever decreasing supply, much interest has been taken in the production of oil from the carbonaceous shales of the western part of the United States, particularly throughout Colorado, ,Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. With the fact in mind that possibly within the present generation this country may depend upon shale for its source of oil, and also because of the fact that no courses in oil shale are given in this University at the present time, we have chosen this work for our thesis in order that we might acquaint ourselves with some of the fundamental problems connected with the retorting of oil shale. We have, therefore, approached this subject for the purpose of studying such retorting problems as: (1) Effect of beat and rate of heating shale. (2) Size of shale. (3) Effect of pressure and vacuum. (4) Quality of oil produced from shale. We will plan our experimental procedure as best suited for the apparatus and in accordance with the time allotted, and will draw our own conclusions according-to the results or the experiments and attempt to explain them from our own viewpoint. Robert J. Stewart, John Trenchard.