Technology
The Green Leaf HCCO® (Homogeneous Charged Continuous Oxidation) Process applies to oil shale, oil sands, coal, and other carbon-rich ores.
Key Elements of the Process
- Direct, down-flow zone heating in steel drum retorts, with the capture of heat in successive beds for high thermodynamic efficiency
- Controlled, low-temperature oxidation of hydrogen-rich produced gas supplies heat and power for internal use and generates concentrated CO2 for sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in nearby oil fields
- Energy self-sufficient, resulting in no demand for imported fuel or electricity
- Density beneficiation increases the effective grade (30+% in the Uinta Basin) of the processed organic-rich ore for improved economics
- Creates lighter oil than traditional retorts but heavier than in-situ
- The process requires no water to produce oil and allows for the collection of produced water
- Primary water use is for dust control in the mining process
Intellectual Property
- 30+ U.S. patents and associated foreign patents
Process
HCCO® Process
- Selective mining and beneficiation separate strategic materials / rare earth elements from the oil shale and provide a rich feedstock for the retorting process
- Organic-rich ore is heated to pyrolysis by controlled low-temperature oxidation of the produced hydrogen-rich gas
- Heat is transferred from the gas to the rubblized shale bed
- Retort drums are ganged together so the ‘batch’ process of a single drum is made ‘continuous’ in heat and fluid movement, gaining the advantages of both types of processes
- Cool ore beds downstream act as condensers and for heat recovery, adding to the efficiency of the process
Products
- High yield, good quality oil (~24° API) with significant middle distillate content
- Concentrated CO2 is sequestered or used for enhanced oil recovery in nearby oil fields
- Spent ore (post retorting) is re-deposited in the mined pit for immediate reclamation