Experimental studies in a bottom-burning oil shale combustion retort

As the domestic demand for oil continues to increase, it is expected that the enormous worldwide oil shale reserves will eventually be tapped. Oil from the oil shale deposits of the United States constitutes a potential resource of 27 trillion barrels, which is nearly triple the equivalent energy contained in the domestic coal resource or 135 times the United States crude petroleum resource. Unfortunately, present economics and technology restrict the utilization of this vast resource to the thick, shallow veins of high grade oil shale located in the Piceance Creek Basin of Colorado. Nevertheless, the oil shale contained in the Green River Formation (located in the three states of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming) is of sufficient yield and accessibility to be considered recoverable. This recoverable reserve, which is within the realm of present technology, is estimated to be as high as 760 billion barrels.