Kinetics of oil generation from Colorado oil shale

Isothermal and nonisothermal methods have been used to investigate the kinetics of oil generation during decomposition of 91.7 ml/kg (22 U.S. gal/short ton) Colorado oil shale. The result from the nonisothermal method gives an apparent activation energy of 219.4 kJ/mol and a frequency factor of 2.81 × 10¹³s^?1. Furthermore, the process is found to be first-order to within experimental error. These results compare favourably with isothermal data reported here and in the literature. The results show the reliability and convenience of nonisothermal kinetic experiments in studying oil-shale decomposition reactions. The principal advantages are short-term experiments and the lack of initial heat-up periods. Moreover, nonisothermal experiments more accurately simulate actual conditions of above-ground and in situ oil-shale retorting. These kinetics are ‘effective’ values and can only properly be used to describe the macroscopic oil-production process rather than the complex microchemistry.