COMPARISON OF DIELECTRIC HEATING AND PYROLYSIS OF EASTERN AND WESTERN OIL SHALES.

The IITRI RF process applies uniform dielectric heating to large blocks of oil shale in situ. Factors unique to the in situe dielectric heating of large monolithic shale blocks are considered in detail, such as product characteristics, production methods, andrecovery of energy from pyrolytic carbon and of uranium from Eastern Shales. Net energy ratios to recover oil and gas from the Eastern shales were found to be in the order of 3 based on products only from the RF pyrolysis step. This NER can be significantly improved by gasification of the pyrolytic carbon. This paper focuses on considerations unique to the RF heating process - the electrical behavior during RF heating, the improved characteristics of the products, the factors which permit recovery from large monolithic blocks in situ, and methods to recover additional energy from the residues and co-products.