EP« OIL SHALE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
by
E. R. Bates
Oil Shale Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio
Abstract
In response to the slowdown in oil shale dev-
elopment activity and general budget reductions, EPA
has substantially cut back its oil shale research
activities. However, several new projects are going
forward which should not only be of interest to
developers and researchers but also support future
regulatory and permitting decisions by the Agency.
New activities include evaluation of the potential
for using combusted Green River shale to adsorb S02
as a primary sulfur control technology, preparation
of a new Pollution Control Technical Manual on the
Unishale B and C processes, and preparation of two
state-of-the-art reports addressing planning and
designs for retorted oil shale disposal and control
of gaseous emissions from retorting. Activities
which have been ongoing for some time include in-
vestigation of leaching and hydraulic properties
of retorted shales including co-disposal of waste-
water and shale, field testing of Stretford and
caustic scrubbing for control of H2$ in shale
offgas, a compilation of available information on
solid waste characteristics for various retorting
technologies, and assessment of retorted shale as a
liner for retorted shale disposal sites. A select-
ed list of published EPA reports on oil shale is
provided, including recently released reports on
assessment of the auto-oxidation potential of re-
torted and raw oil shales, field evaluation of
leachates from raw mined oil shales, and leaching
and hydraulic properties of selected retorted
shales.
TO BE PRESENTED AT:
Introduction
At the present time essentially all oil
shale research within EPA is being conducted by
the Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
which is part of EPA's Office of Research and
Development. The oil shale program is part of a
larger Synthetic Fuels Program administered by the
AEERL which is located in Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina. The primary purpose of the oil
shale program is to provide technical support to
EPA's Program Offices (such as ,the Office of Solid
Waste and Office of Toxic Substances) and EPA
Regional Offices (such as Region 8 in Denver).
Other objectives are to provide technical support
and information to other federal agencies, state
agencies, industry, and others interested in the
environmentally sound development of an oil shale
industry.
Emphasis
The oil shale research program has been re-
structured in an effort to provide maximum support
for Agency regulatory and permitting activities
during a time of sharp budget reductions. The
current emphasis is upon engineering studies,
laboratory investigations, and selected pilot-scale
tests of state-of-the-art control technology.
Larger scale field studies, basic research, and
technology demonstrations have been curtailed.
Current research is targeted toward providing
data and technical support to EPA Program and
18th Oil Shale Symposium, Sponsored by Colorado School of Mines, April 22-24, 1985
PROJECT OFFICER: Edward R. Bates (684-7774), U. S. EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
For Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, ORD, RTP, NC
-------
Regional Offices as they carry out Agency responsi-
bilities including:
• Review of Premanufacturing Notices under the
Toxic Substances Control Act
• Review and Issuance of Prevention of Significant
Deterioration Permits under the Clean Air Act
• Review of Environmental Impact Statements under
the National Environmental Policy Act
• Review of Environmental Monitoring Plans prepared
for the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corp. under the
Energy Security Act
• Preparation of a Report to Congress on Mining
Wastes (including oil shale) under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act
• Permitting Activities under the Clean Water Act
(NPDES) and Safe Drinking Water Act (underground
injection control)
The current program is therefore designed to meet
specific information needs in order to allow the
Agency to better carry out its responsibilities
in the above areas.
Current EPA Oil Shale Research Efforts
At the present time EPA has eight oil shale
research projects underway as listed in Table 1,
along with the performing organization (con-
tractor or grantee) and the estimated date that a
final report will be available. These projects are
focused on two particular areas of environmental
concern. Three projects are designed to provide
information on the quantity and characteristics of
gaseous emissions from oil shale retorting, along
with the effectiveness and cost of conventional and
innovative gaseous (especially SOX and NOX) pollution
control systems. This information is of particular
Importance to PSD permitting, review of environmental
impact statements, and evaluation of environmental
monitoring activities for SFC projects. Four
research efforts are directed at assessing the po-
tential environmental Impacts and evaluating control
technology for oil shale solid waste disposal.
Results from these efforts will assist in evalu-
ating environmental impact statements, issuing ;
permits for retorted shale disposal activities,
reviewing Premanufacturing Notices, preparing a
legislatively required report to Congress on mining
wastes, and evaluating monitoring plans and activ- I
ities for SFC projects. One project is multimedia j
and supports all the above mentioned activities.
Air Emission Assessment and Control .
Two studies are being performed by KVB, Inc. '
under a subcontract from Metcalf and Eddy, Inc.
The first study consists of field testing of two
EPA owned pilot plants, a Stretford plant and a
liquid caustic scrubber, on a slipstream of retort
offgas from Geokinetics retorts 27 and 28 during
the spring of 1984. The objective was to assess
the performance of these two technologies as applied
to removal of h^S from a low heating value dilute
offgas such as that produced at Geokinetics' Seep
Ridge site. The results from this field testing
program, summarized in two other papers to be pre-
sented at this symposium, are presented in detail
in a final report which should be available in a
few months. The second study is just being started :
by KVB for EPA and involves preparation of a state-
of-the-art report on pollution control alternatives
for air emissions from oil shale operations. The
purpose of this effort is to pull together in one
document a digest of the best and most relevant
information available in the public sector on po-
tential air emissions and controls for oil shale
retorting. No original research is planned as part,
of this effort. Rather, it will produce an edited ,
compilation of the work performed by many organiza-<
tions over the last 10 years. This effort is just
beginning, but we hope that it will produce a
product available to the public by September 1986.
The third project focused: on air emissions
consists of a two-phased evaluation of an innova-
tive approach to control of sulfur emissions;
specifically, the potential effectiveness and
possible difficulties of utilizing combusted re- :
torted shale as a dry scrubbing agent to remove
sulfur from retort offgas. The study by J&A
Associates is targeted to evaluate the potential
effectiveness of this novel sulfur control concept
based on adsorbing S02 on the carbonate material
-------
part or all of the retort offgas, along with the
retorted carbonaceous shale and any unretorted oil
shale fines, are combusted to recover their energy
value. This concept may be employed as an integral
part of the retorting process as in the case of Lurgi
or Chevron STB or could be employed as an add-on
system for processes such as Unishale B or TOSCO II.
Phase I of this study will produce an engineering
analysis to identify the most important variables
influencing this process; Phase II will consist of
pilot scale testing at J&A's facilities near Golden,
Colorado.
J&A is considering three cases in their analysis
of combusted shale as a scrubbing agent. For direct-
fired retorting they will examine the OXY MIS process
coupled with Unishale C surface retorting. This case
was selected and sized to represent Cathedral Bluffs'
proposed project to SFC (Third Solicitation) except
for substituting Unishale C for the Unishale B pro-
cess. The Unishale C process employs spent shale
combustion to recover the energy value from the
carbonaceous retorted shale. For purposes of this
study the MIS retort offgas is fed to the Unishale C
retorted shale combustor to recover its energy value
and remove H2$ (in the form of S02). It should be
noted that the current plans of Cathedral Bluffs are
unknown following the February 19, 1985, release of
SFC's Phase I Business Plan which discouraged use of
the Unishale B process for the Cathedral Bluffs proj-
ect if SFC funding'was desired. Unishale C was
arbitrarily selected for this study as an example of
a process that combusts the retorted shale.
The second case is the indirect fired Unishale C
process which essentially consists of a Unishale B
retort coupled with a retorted shale combustor. This
case is selected and sized to represent the basic
building block module proposed by Union to the SFC
(Third Solicitation). It consists of two 1,590,000
liter/day (10,000 bbl/day) retorts that feed a single
3,180,000 liter/day (20,000 bbl/day) upgrade plant.
Two such modules constitute Union's proposal to SFC.
However, this study differs from Union's proposal to
the SFC in that the combustor is used to scrub H2S
(in the form of S02) from the retort offgas, which
was not proposed by Union.
The third case is use of S02 adsorption as an
integral part of the retorting plant. This would be
the case for Lurgi as proposed by Rio Blanco and for
the Chevron STB process proposed for Clear Creek.
We have selected the Lurgi example due to the
greater amount of information available. J&A will
look at a single Lurgi retorting system which would
process 11,612 metric ton/day (12,800 short ton/
day) of raw shale to produce 772,263 liter/day
(4,857 bbl/day) of shale oil. Such systems could
be replicated to reach desired plant size.
The above three cases were selected to provide
for analysis of diverse retorting systems and at
the same time produce information which may be ;
useful to both SFC and EPA . The final report
should be available about June 1986.
Environmental Impacts and Designs For Solid Haste
Disposal
Four projects constitute EPA's current program
in the oil shale solid waste area. One study by
Colorado State University is designed to investigate
the nature of leachates produced from retorted oil
shale along with hydraulic properties, such as
permeability and water holding capacity, of the
shale which may control the quantity of leachate
produced. RCRA and ASTM batch leaching tests,
along with a specific column leaching test, referred
to as the ESM (equilibrated soluble mass) test,
have been employed to leach TOSCO II, Lurgi, Paraho,
and Hytort retorted shales. Alflis Chalmers, Chevron
STB, and Unishale B retorted shales are scheduled
for future tests. Included in this project is
evaluation of the impacts on leachate characteris-
tics due to co-disposal of oil shale wastewater with
the retorted shale. Samples of co-disposal waste-
waters have been obtained for Paraho (direct mode)
and Lurgi retorting. During the next few months
samples should also be available for Chevron STB
and Unishale B. These wastewaters will be blended
with the retorted shale from the same process and
then will be leached in columns by the ESM method.
Comparison to leachates produced in the same manner
but with distilled water blended with the retorted
shale should provide indication of any potential
impacts resulting from co-disposal of wastewaters.
The leachates will be analysed for both inorganic
and organic contaminants. Some results from this
laboratory effort have already been published (but
not co-disposal) in report EPA-600/D-84-228,
-------
And Selected Hydraulic Properties of
Processed Oil Shales." Complete results from this
research should be available about December 1985. An
analysis of liquid and vapor transport coefficients
for retorted oil shale, co-sponsored by EPA and
AMOCO, is the subject of a paper by David McWhorter
and Glen Brown to be presented at this symposium.
A second effort by Colorado State University is
just getting underway. EPA recently awarded a coop-
er ative agreement to Colorado State University for
the purpose of preparing a state-of-the-art report
focused on the environmental problems, approaches,
and control technology applicable to oil shale solid
waste (spent shale) disposal sites. The primary in-
tention is to assemble in one report what has been
learned from many separate research efforts funded by
various Federal and State agencies as well as private
industry. Currently this information exists in many
separate, and often obscure, published and unpublish-
ed sources. Locating, extracting, and evaluating
what has been done, in order to determine what has
been learned and what major questions remain, will
not be an easy task. However, we believe that the
final product will prove to be a very useful refer-
ence for all parties involved in oil shale: research-
ers, regulating agencies, and developers. In order
to assist us in identifying all relevant information
sources, environmental considerations, and control
technology applicable to this effort, EPA has formed
a small informal advisory group composed of individu-
als who have wrestled with this problem. Included in
this advisory group are representatives from industry,
other Federal Agencies, States of Colorado and Utah,
and researchers from the consulting and academic
worlds.
Some of the subject areas to be addressed in
this report include:
• leachate control
• erosion control
• geotechnical stability
• diversion of upstream runoff
• revegetation
• top-cover construction
Examples of some of the kinds of data to be
gathered in support of this effort include:
• chemical properties !
mineralogy
organic chemistry
inorganic chemistry ;
leaching characteristics
cementing potential
• geotechnical properties
shear strength '•
compressibility
• hydrologic properties ;
permeability
water content
water retention
• plant growth properties !
nutrients >
toxicity
• characteristics of operations
quantities to be generated
co-disposal of process waters
co-disposal of raw shale fines
disposal temperature
• predictive models for ' ;
water balance
partially saturated flow
chemical transport
assessing regional impacts
It must be emphasized that the final report
will not prescribe a specific design but rather
will discuss various alternative designs and con-
trols along with their associated short and long
term environmental impacts and, tradeoffs. The
final product from this effort will not be available
until about the end of 1987. However, some initial
work sponsored by this effort (conducted by Robert
Heistand on estimating the quantities of solid
wastes from oil shale facilities) is the subject of ,
a separate paper at this symposium.
The other two current research efforts in oil
shale solid waste are concluding and will be avail-
able later this year. One is an assessment of oil
shale solid waste characteristics with a summary of
disposal control technology considerations. This
-------
effort by Monsanto Company presents brief discus-
sions of 15 retorting processes along with whatever
information is currently available in the open
literature regarding the physical and chemical prop-
erties of the solid wastes from these processes. The
final report is currently being reviewed by the
Agency and should be available to the public by
September. For the past 4 years Denver Research
Institute has been conducting a laboratory study for
EPA to assess the potential usefulness and problems
of using retorted shale to construct liners below
retorted shale disposal sites. Two materials select-
ed for intense study by DRI were TOSCO II, carbon-
aceous and decarbonized (burned) retorted shale and
Lurgi decarbonized shale. The study includes not
only evaluation of properties of these shales as po-
tential liner material as they exit the retort, but
also what modification could reasonably be made (such
as mellowing, mixing of carbonaceous and decarbonized
shales, aging, moisture content, compactive effort)
to improve their performance as a liner. Desirable
liner properties sought include low permeability,
long term durability, self healing capacity, struc-
tural strength, and reduced tendency to form planes
for mass slippage. The final report from this effort
should be available about the end of 1985.
Multimedia
One study, Pollution Control Technical Manual
(PCTM) for the Unishale B and C processes, is mu?tf-!
media in scope but focused upon pollution control
technology applications and costs. The product will;
be a manual very similar in content to the three
PCTMs EPA published in 1983 covering the TOSCO II,
Lurgi, and Modified In-situ processes. It was de-
cided to publish this additional manual on the
Unishale B and C processes due to the potential
support of the U. S. Synthetic Fuel Corp. for
Union Oil's Phase II expansion and the Cathedral
Bluffs project and because of the expressed poten-
tial interest in using the Unishale B process by >
White River, Getty, Cities Service, and Mobil. We
are receiving assistance from Union Oil and .
Cathedral Bluffs in preparing this manual which
will key off of Union's proposed Phase II expansion
on Parachute Creek but will also include discussion
of other pollution control design alternatives such
as proposed by Cathedral Bluffs.
Previous EPA Oil Shale Research
A selected list of the most significant EPA oil
shale reports currently available is presented in
Table 2 along with information on how these reports
can be obtained. A more complete list of reports :
is available to anyone who may be interested.
Requests for this more comprehensive list should be
addressed to E. R. Bates, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio
45268.
NOTICE
This paper has been subject to the Agency's peer and administrative
review, and it has been approved for publication as an EPA document.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute
endorsement or recommendation for use.
-------
Table 1: Current EPA Oil Shale Research Efforts
Descriptive Title
Contract or
Cooperative
Agreement f
Performing
Organization
Estimated Date
Report" Available
Alkaline and Stretford Scrubbing 68-03-3166
Tests for HgS Removal at Geokinetics
Pollution Control Alternatives 68-03-3166
for Air Emissions From Oil Shale
Operations
Control of Sulfur Emissions Through 68-03-1969
Adsorption on Combusted Retorted Shale
Leaching and Hydraulic Properties CR-807668
of Retorted Oil Shale Including
Co-Disposal with Wastewater
Pollution Control Alternatives for CR-812225
Oil Shale Solid Waste Disposal
Metcalf & Eddy
(KVB, Inc.)
Metcalf & Eddy
(KVB, Inc.)
J & A Associates
Colorado State
University
Colorado State
University
9/85
9/86
6/86
12/85
12/87
Assessment of Solid Waste Char-
acteristics and Control Technology
for Oil Shale Retorting
Assessment of-Retorted Oil Shale as
a Liner for Retorted Oil Shale
Disposal Sites
68-01-6487
CR-809223
Monsanto
Denver Research
Institute
9/85
12/85
Pollution Control Technical Manual
for Unishale B and C Retorting Pro-
cesses
CR-811679
Denver Research
Institute
6/86
-------
Table 2: Selected List of EPA Oil Shale Reports
Title
Authors
Report f EPA-
NTIS #PB
Environmental Perspective on the
Emerging Oil Shale Industry
Overview of Large Scale Surface
Mining of Oil Shale: Piceance
Basin, Colorado
E. Bates
T. Thoem
R. Lappi
D. Carey
A. Pelofsky
E. Bates
J. Martin
*600/2-80-205a
*600/D-82-283
81-186942a
None
Pollution Control Technical Manual: Denver
TOSCO II Oil Shale Retorting with Research
Underground Mining Institute
*600/8-83-003
83-200212
Pollution Control Technical Manual: Denver
Modified In-Situ Oil Shale Retorting Research
Combined with Lurgi Surface Retorting Institute
Pollution Control Technical Manual: Denver
Lurgi Oil Shale Retorting with Open Research
Pit Mining Institute
Quality and Quantity of Leachate D. McWhorter
From Raw Mined Colorado Oil Shale
*600/8-83-004
*600/8-83-005
*600/D-84-143
83-200121
83-200204
85-118057
Leaching and Selected Hydraulic
Properties of Processed Oil Shales
D. McWhorter
V. Nazareth
*600/D-84-228
85-146405
Project Summary: Groundwater
Monitoring Recommendations for
Oil Shale Development
L. Everett
*600/S4-83-055
None
Field Studies on Paraho Retorted
Oil Shale Lysimeters: Leachate,
Vegetation, Moisture, Salinity,
and Runoff
M. Kilkelly
H. Herbert III
W. Berg
600/7-81-313
81-234742
Field Studies on USBM and TOSCO II
Retorted Oil Shales: Vegetation,
Moisture, Salinity, and Runoff
Control of Sulfur Emissions from
Oil Shale Retorting
M. Kilkelly
W. Berg
H. Herbert III
R. Lovell
S. Dylewski
C. Peterson
600/7-81-139
600/7-82-016
82-109810
82-231945
-------
Table 2 (Cont'1): Selected List of EPA Oil Shale Reports
Title Authors
Environmental Monitoring Reference B. Henschel
Manual for Synthetic Fuels J. Stenunle
Facilities
Report f EPA-
600/8-83-027
NTIS »PB
83-251850
Auto-Oxidation Potential of Raw and
Retorted Oil Shale
D. Green
600/2-84-153
85-156248
Logan Wash Field Treatability
Studies of Wastewaters From Oil
Shale Retorting Processes
B. Desai
D. Day
T. Ctvrtnicek
600/2-84-115
84-211143
A Compendium of Reported Physical
and Chemical Data For Petroleum
and Synthetic Fuel Products:
Volume I - Petroleum and Shale
Oil Products
S. Quilivan
A. Panahloo
M. Ghassemi
560/4-84-001 a
84-186063
* Publication is available free from ORD Publications, Center for Environmental Research Information,
U.S. EPA, 26 W. St. Clair St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45268.
All other reports should be ordered from National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road,
Springfield, Virginia 22161. Prices vary.
------- |