A REVIEW OF THE PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF RAW AND RETORTED OIL SHALES FROM THE GREEN RIVER FORMATION

The disposal of retorted oil shale is a problem of major proportion since each ton of raw oil shale entering currently used surface retort processes yields approximately 1600-1700 lb of retorted shale. Several options are available for disposal of retorted oil shales: (a) filling the deep, narrow canyons of the oil shale mine area with the spent shale, (b) backfilling the mine with spent shale as raw shale is removed, and (c) using the spent shale for productive uses. All of these options involve a determination and working knowledge of the geotechnical properties of the retorted oil shale. This report summarizes published geotechnical properties of raw and retorted oil shales from the Green River Formation. Basic physical properties including gradation, specific gravity and Atterberg limits and engineering properties including compaction, permeability, settlement, soundness, and strength are summarized and discussed. Where appropriate, conclusions are drawn about the suitability of retorted oil shales as a geotechnical construction material. Appendix A discusses three retorting processes used to extract oil from oil shale. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This study was funded by the U.S. Bureau of Mines under Interagency Agreement H0262064.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Snethen, D R
  • Farrell, W J
  • Townsend, F C
• Publication Date: 1978-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 40 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregate gradation; Atterberg limits; Compaction; Ground settlement; Oil shales; Permeability; Physical properties; Properties of materials; Raw materials; Soundness test; Specific gravity; Strength of materials; Waste disposal
• Old TRIS Terms: Grading (By size); Retorts; Soundness
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00178325
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Misc Paper S-78-3 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 29 1978 12:00AM