A shale pyrolysis system includes a retort with a first side and a second side. The second side is opposite the first side and the first side and the second side include descending angled surfaces at alternating angles to produce zig-zag motion of shale descending through the retort. Corners of the retort that change direction of the shale are rounded. The system includes steam distributors coupled to the first side and collectors coupled to the second side to produce crossflow of steam and heat across the descending shale from the first side to the second side, and a steam temperature control subsystem coupled to the steam distributors and configured to deliver higher-temperature steam to one or more upper sections of the retort and lower-temperature steam to one or more lower sections of the retort.

Systems for heating a body of crushed hydrocarbonaceous material to produce hydrocarbons therefrom can involve heating multiple zones of the body of material sequentially. An exemplary system can include a body of crushed hydrocarbonaceous material having a lower zone and an upper zone. A lower heating conduit can be embedded in the lower zone, while an upper heating conduit is embedded in the upper zone. A collection conduit is embedded in the upper zone at a location above the upper heating conduit. A lower heating valve is also operatively associated with the lower heating conduit and is capable of switchably flowing a heat transfer fluid through the lower heating conduit. An upper heating valve is operatively associated with the upper heating conduit and capable of switchably flowing the heat transfer fluid through the upper heating conduit. The lower heating valve and upper heating valve are also configured to sequentially flow the heat transfer fluid through the lower heating conduit and then through the upper heating conduit or through the upper heating conduit and then through the lower heating conduit.

A dry distillation reactor for a raw material of hydrocarbon with a solid heat carrier is provided. An inner component with a pore path or a pore space is arranged inside the reactor to form a flow channel for the gas-phase product of the dry distillation. Also a dry distillation method using the dry distillation reactor is provided. The dry distillation method includes moving the reacting materials from top to bottom; moving a gas-phase product of the dry distillation along a designed path in the reactor; and finally leading same out through an outlet arranged in a central collecting channel for the gas-phase product of the dry distillation.

A dry distillation reactor for a raw material of hydrocarbon with a solid heat carrier is provided. An inner component with a pore path or a pore space is arranged inside the reactor to form a flow channel for the gas-phase product of the dry distillation. Also a dry distillation method using the dry distillation reactor is provided. The dry distillation method includes moving the reacting materials from top to bottom; moving a gas-phase product of the dry distillation along a designed path in the reactor; and finally leading same out through an outlet arranged in a central collecting channel for the gas-phase product of the dry distillation.

An open system pyrolysis of a first hydrocarbon source rock sample obtained from a natural system is performed within a pyrolysis chamber by maintaining the pyrolysis chamber at a substantially constant temperature. Hydrocarbons are recovered from the pyrolysis chamber released by the first hydrocarbon source rock sample. A thermo-vaporization is performed within the pyrolysis chamber on the pyrolyzed sample at a substantially constant temperature. A first hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of hydrocarbon source rock is determined. A second hydrocarbon rock sample is ground to a grain size less than or equal to or less than 250 micrometers. A second pyrolysis is performed on the ground hydrocarbon source rock sample by maintaining the chamber at a substantially constant temperature. A second hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of the hydrocarbon source rock in the natural system is determined. The first hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency is verified using the second hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency.

An open system pyrolysis of a first hydrocarbon source rock sample obtained from a natural system is performed within a pyrolysis chamber by maintaining the pyrolysis chamber at a substantially constant temperature. Hydrocarbons are recovered from the pyrolysis chamber released by the first hydrocarbon source rock sample. A thermo-vaporization is performed within the pyrolysis chamber on the pyrolyzed sample at a substantially constant temperature. A first hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of hydrocarbon source rock is determined. A second hydrocarbon rock sample is ground to a grain size less than or equal to or less than 250 micrometers. A second pyrolysis is performed on the ground hydrocarbon source rock sample by maintaining the chamber at a substantially constant temperature. A second hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of the hydrocarbon source rock in the natural system is determined. The first hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency is verified using the second hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for enclosed recycling of oil-water-sludge in an oil shale dry distillation system, comprising: scrubbing and condensing oil shale dry distillation gas at a gathering pipe section, a gas tower section, an air tower section, and a cooling tower section respectively to recycle shale oil section by section; using a separator at an outlet of each section to purify and collect the shale oil, while purifying and recycling scrubbing/cooling water; using multistage dedusters to remove oil sludge entrained in an oil-water product; using an oil sludge collecting tank and a filter after the deduster to concentrate and recycle an oil sludge; and using cyclones before and after the gas tower section to remove aerosol particles and water drops entrained in circulatory gas. Advantages include: low equipment investment costs, small occupation area, low failure rate, a highly pure shale oil product and a highly concentrated oil sludge product, and recycled waste water generated in the purification and concentration processes, thereby achieving full enclosure of the device system, greatly reducing the energy consumption, and improving the oil shale dry distillation process in the prior art.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for enclosed recycling of oil-water-sludge in an oil shale dry distillation system, comprising: scrubbing and condensing oil shale dry distillation gas at a gathering pipe section, a gas tower section, an air tower section, and a cooling tower section respectively to recycle shale oil section by section; using a separator at an outlet of each section to purify and collect the shale oil, while purifying and recycling scrubbing/cooling water; using multistage dedusters to remove oil sludge entrained in an oil-water product; using an oil sludge collecting tank and a filter after the deduster to concentrate and recycle an oil sludge; and using cyclones before and after the gas tower section to remove aerosol particles and water drops entrained in circulatory gas. Advantages include: low equipment investment costs, small occupation area, low failure rate, a highly pure shale oil product and a highly concentrated oil sludge product, and recycled waste water generated in the purification and concentration processes, thereby achieving full enclosure of the device system, greatly reducing the energy consumption, and improving the oil shale dry distillation process in the prior art.

Methods and systems of heating a body of crushed hydrocarbonaceous material to produce hydrocarbons therefrom can involve heating multiple zones of the body of material sequentially. An exemplary method can include forming a body of crushed hydrocarbonaceous material having a first zone and a second zone. The first zone can be heated in a first heating stage to form a dynamic high temperature production region in the first zone. A cooling fluid can then be injected into the first zone after the high temperature production region forms. The high temperature production region can move into the second zone in a second heating stage. Hydrocarbons can be collected from the body of crushed hydrocarbonaceous material during both the first and second heating stages.

A method for analyzing the petroleum content of a rock sample includes at least three repetitions of heating a rock sample to a holding temperature, holding the rock sample at the holding temperature for a holding period, and collecting data about the rock sample during each holding period. The holding temperature for each subsequent holding period may be greater than or equal to a previous holding temperature. The data collected may be analyzed to determine the S1 parameter and calculated to determine the API gravity of the rock sample.