METHOD FOR RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM TAR SANDS AND OIL SHALES

摘要

A method for treating hydrocarbonaceous deposits to recover a petroleum-like hydrocarbon portion and a cleaned particulate substrate portion. Hydrocarbonaceous ore containing bitumen and/or kerogen is crushed or otherwise comminuted to sand sized particles or smaller. The comminuted ore is mixed with water in a slurry hopper (11) to form a slurry (12), heated to between 60 DEG C and 100 DEG C in a first reactor vessel (14), and blended with oxidant solution (16), preferably hydrogen peroxide. In the presence of the oxidant free interstitial hydrocarbons and those hydrocarbons bound electrostatically to the surface of the substrate are released in an electrophysical reaction. Some of the released hydrocarbons and in particular bituminous and kerogenic compounds are then controllably cleaved by the oxidant in a limited Fenton's reaction to yield organic compounds having lower average molecular weights which are suitable for refining as oil. The cleaned particulate substrate substantially free of hydrocarbon contamination is environmentally suitable for landfill.