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L~ ~ ~ QO• ~Y OF 7HE COLOA.{DO SCHOOL OF ~f L~-ES~ R'e consider the ariginnl retorts to have been rather small. Thoy are only 1;:i0th cr 1/40th the size of commercial retorts, yet mvhen conmparrd scith a conyenticnal chemical reactor, this has been no pilot-plant size operation. The research has been successful. The retorts contained from 6,000 to 10,000 tons. Work has been redirected ir. the Research Mine with most of the eSort now concentrated on rock fragmentation research and mcith incesti,ations there, and in the Commercial Mine, an rock mechanics. These hate been some novel problems. The cross-sectional area of a research retort is bet«een 900 and 1,000 square feet and obtaining valid temoera:mmre me:uurzments across that area has been dif5adt. \Ve have learned hoc to control the flame front so that it mom es in the direction ae desire. \Ve needed to place thermocouples in the sertical plane by drilling into the rubble pile from the surface and then placing the thermocouples using the drill pipe far the thermowell, but, this technique had not been tried. \'o one had drilled through rubble before us. \Ve decelopcd a technique that is reliable, and that problem is behind ma na~c. Oil and s.•ater run into the sump during the retorting process. The sump is behind the retor•, buLlhcad in the gaseous atmosphere, and the oil and mvatcr are pumped from there to the sum{ace where they are separ- ated and analyzed. Cos corning off the retort ako goes throueh the bulk- head in an 8-inch pipe, then through botlm a venhrri scrubber and a Cen- I ~, trifix-type kmackout. - Retort ignition is a relatively simple matter. We use propane Eor only ~' SIN OIL SH.~LE PPOC ESS DEPELOP?[EST ~ 1?J a few hours to slut retorting and combustion, since only a small amcwrt of heat a necessary. Proh.tne is used .u a matter of comcnierce. Turning uou~ to miuim~ rem nation, these rc,, cations have traditionally demeloped arcimd coal mine experience and they prohibit fires under- ground. The undergrounc :etert concept requires a fire, although it ;s vi a mass of reek under loins pressure, and u easily confined. Still a carianec was required. \Cc u~orkcd ~~~ith the State Disision of \lirn5, \1LSA, and U. S. 3urcau of \tinrs to obtain the necessar}' permits which require adequate safety features and absolutcl; positise mntrel. This saEeh system is no~c in effect. All research rotor, cpcr,mticns are mnt:ol'.d from tJmc surface plant. There is a satellite control room in the mine with direct mmmunic ~tions to the surface but all sahin^ is operated from the surface. \Ic,t of the gas analysis and monitoring is done from the surface. In;aumentaticn includes data logging of do~~nhole temperatures, routine ten,.rrahire re- cordings on man}' other poinLS, and normal pressure mead:rmcnt and control. Retorting is easily mntrollcd by re, kiting gas. Oil production data can be related back to retort events but a time lag is inyohe~! that makes the relalicnship of oil prrpe~f?e; to operating conditions rather ambiguous. Continuous gas anal}ses are nm an a number of components, inc!udin~ carbon monocidc and os}gen. Chromato~ apps have been installed frr both indicich~al components and complete gas anahsis. A recent addition a a Varian mass spectrometer with capability to about 100 miss weight. It is doing a good job. The success of the research program led to hvo decisions That changed the direction of the project. Research continues at an aggressise pace, but at the same time mve have started development of a full-size commercial mine that will have the first commercial-size underground retort. Thc re- tort will he mere than 100 Eeet square and mare than 250 Eeet high. The decision to develop that room was made earls last year. The second decrsion .vas made at the enc] of 19-4. The project «:1c moored over to an operating arm of the company, and out of the research and development groan, when Occidental OiI Shale, [nc., a subsidian of the Occidental Oil S Gas Production Di~aion, myas set up. The change was rnadc became so much of the ucrk is no«' of a commercial, large-scale nahire tlm:u it administratively oycnchelms the research aspect. It uas obvious to us that chill-size retort could oat be dece!oped in the existing mine. The Research \liue is just belomy the \(ahogam• Ledge, too high to recover the entire 250 to i00 foot ore horizon, and it acs too small to permit operation aE the size of equipment one needs to develop a canm- mercial mine. There is insufficient room at the head of Logan Nash for a large mining operation. The hvo entrances to the Commercial \line, in a canyon off the north u Frcc^.E 1.-Surface plant, Occidental Oil Shale, Inc.