Rio Blanco Oil Shale Company
Encyclopedia
The Rio Blanco Oil Shale Company was an American shale oil extraction technology technology research and development company. The company was established as a general partnership of Gulf Oil
(now part of Chevron Corporation
) and Standard Oil of Indiana (now part of BP
). It was named after the Rio Blanco County, Colorado
, the location of the company's oil shale
tract.
The Rio Blanco Oil Shale Company was established in 1974. In 1974, it win a bid for Federal Oil Shale Lease C-a in the Rio Blanco County. In 1977, the company started preparations to demonstrate its modified in-situ extraction process. The demonstration program included construction of two in-situ retorts using company-developed techniques for rubbling
and ignition of the oil shale deposit, and operation the process through surface drill holes. The mining and blasting used in this process created a bed with close to 40% porosity
. This enabled to retort the chimney at a substantially faster rate achieving higher oil yields. The first retort ignited in October 1980 and the second one in June 1981. The demonstration achieved an average oil yield of 68% of Fischer Assay
. The demonstration program cost $132 million.
Later the company acquired the modified in-situ technology developed by Occidental Petroleum
. The major differences of two technologies lay in methods of rubblizing and fractioning of the shale deposit. The company also obtained a license for using the Lurgi-Ruhrgas process
.
In 1985, Amoco (former Standard Oil of Indiana) took control over the company acquiring Gulf Oil's take from the Chevron Corporation. In the same year, the company ceased its operations.
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
(now part of Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
) and Standard Oil of Indiana (now part of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
). It was named after the Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County is the sixth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 5,986 at U.S. Census 2000. The name of the county is the Spanish language name for the White River which runs through it...
, the location of the company's oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
tract.
The Rio Blanco Oil Shale Company was established in 1974. In 1974, it win a bid for Federal Oil Shale Lease C-a in the Rio Blanco County. In 1977, the company started preparations to demonstrate its modified in-situ extraction process. The demonstration program included construction of two in-situ retorts using company-developed techniques for rubbling
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
and ignition of the oil shale deposit, and operation the process through surface drill holes. The mining and blasting used in this process created a bed with close to 40% porosity
Porosity
Porosity or void fraction is a measure of the void spaces in a material, and is a fraction of the volume of voids over the total volume, between 0–1, or as a percentage between 0–100%...
. This enabled to retort the chimney at a substantially faster rate achieving higher oil yields. The first retort ignited in October 1980 and the second one in June 1981. The demonstration achieved an average oil yield of 68% of Fischer Assay
Fischer Assay
The Fischer assay is a standardized laboratory test for determining the oil yield from oil shale to be expected from a conventional shale oil extraction. A 100 gram oil shale sample crushed to...
. The demonstration program cost $132 million.
Later the company acquired the modified in-situ technology developed by Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America...
. The major differences of two technologies lay in methods of rubblizing and fractioning of the shale deposit. The company also obtained a license for using the Lurgi-Ruhrgas process
Lurgi-Ruhrgas process
The Lurgi–Ruhrgas process is an above-ground coal liquefaction and shale oil extraction technology. It is classified as a hot recycled solids technology.-History:...
.
In 1985, Amoco (former Standard Oil of Indiana) took control over the company acquiring Gulf Oil's take from the Chevron Corporation. In the same year, the company ceased its operations.