The Chevron STB process (also known as Staged Turbulent Bed Retorting Process) is an above-ground

shale oil extraction Shale oil extraction is an industrial process for unconventional oil production. This process converts kerogen in oil shale into shale oil by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. The resultant shale oil is used as fuel oil or ...

technology. It is classified as a hot recycled solids technology. The Chevron STB process is a hot recycled solids technology, which processes small particles of

oil shale Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitu ...

. It was invented by Paul W. Tamm and Gordon E. Langlois in the Chevron Research Company laboratory in

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a city council.

. As a heat carrier, it uses oil shale ash, produced by combustion of

spent oil shale Spent shale or spent oil shale (also known as retorted shale) is a solid residue from the shale oil extraction process of producing synthetic shale oil from oil shale. It consists of inorganic compounds (minerals) and remaining organic matter know ...

in the separate combustor. In this process, crushed oil shale is fed into the top of the

retort In a chemistry laboratory, a retort is a device used for distillation or dry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck. The liquid to be distilled is placed in the vessel and heated. Th ...

where it is mixed with the hot oil shale ash. The oil shale moves downward through the retort as

fluidized bed A fluidized bed is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a solid particulate substance (usually present in a holding vessel) is under the right conditions so that it behaves like a fluid. The usual way to achieve a fluidize bed is to pump pressur ...

of particles. While descending, the heat is transferred from the oil shale ash to the raw oil shale causing pyrolysis. As a result, oil shale decomposes to

shale oil Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock ( kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting o ...

vapors,

oil shale gas Oil shale gas (also: retort gas or retorting gas) is a synthetic non-condensable gas mixture (syngas) produced by oil shale thermal processing ( pyrolysis). Although often referred to as shale gas, it differs from the natural gas produced from sha ...

and spent oil shale. A stripping gas is inserted from the bottom of retort, which carries oil vapors into solids separation section. The fine particles are directed to the combustor while oil vapors are moved to the condenser. In condenser, shale oil is separated from water vapor and product gases. On the bottom of retort the spent shale is transported to the combustor.

References

{{Reflist Oil shale technology Thermal treatment Chevron Corporation

See also

References