The objective of this work is to investigate, in the laboratory, the parameters associated with a chemically assisted in situ recovery procedure, using hydrogen chloride (HCI), carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), and steam (H{sub 2}0), to obtain data useful to develop a process more economic than existing processes and to report all findings. The technical progress of the project is reported. The project status is that the progress is being made towards being able to run meaningful experiments.

The purpose of the research project was to investigate the feasibility of the chemically assisted in situ retort method for recovering shale oil from Colorado oil shale. The chemically assisted in situ procedure uses hydrogen chloride (HCl), steam (H{sub 2}O), and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) at moderate pressure to recovery shale oil from Colorado oil shale at temperatures substantially lower than those required for the thermal decomposition of kerogen. The process had been previously examined under static, reaction-equilibrium conditions, and had been shown to achieve significant shale oil recoveries from powdered oil shale. The purpose of this research project was to determine if these results were applicable to a dynamic experiment, and achieve penetration into and recovery of shale oil from solid oil shale. Much was learned about how to perform these experiments. Corrosion, chemical stability, and temperature stability problems were discovered and overcome. Engineering and design problems were discovered and overcome. High recovery (90% of estimated Fischer Assay) was observed in one experiment. Significant recovery (30% of estimated Fischer Assay) was also observed in another experiment. Minor amounts of freed organics were observed in two more experiments. Penetration and breakthrough of solid cores was observed in six experiments.

We proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a catalytic membrane reactor (a ceramic membrane combined with a catalyst) to selectively produce methanol by partial oxidation of methane. Methanol is used as a chemical feedstock, gasoline additive, and turbine fuel. Methane partial oxidation using a catalytic membrane reactor has been determined as one of the promising approaches for methanol synthesis from methane. In the original proposal, the membrane was used to selectively remove methanol from the reaction zone before carbon oxides form, thus increasing the methanol yield. Methanol synthesis and separation in one step would also make methane more valuable for producing chemicals and fuels. The cooling tube inserted inside the membrane reactor has created a low temperature zone that rapidly quenches the product stream. This system has proved effective for increasing methanol selectivity during CH{sub 4} oxidation. The membranes broke during experiments, however, apparently because of the large radial thermal gradient and axial thermal expansion difference. Our efforts concentrated on improving the membrane lifetime by modifying this non-isothermal membrane reactor.

The direct partial oxidation of CH{sub 4} to CH{sub 3}OH has been studied in a non-permselective, non-isothermal catalytic membrane reactor system. A cooling tube introduced coaxially inside a tubular membrane reactor quenches the product stream rapidly so that further oxidation of CH{sub 3}OH is inhibited. Selectivity for CH{sub 3}OH formation is significantly higher with quenching than in experiments without quenching. For CH{sub 4} conversion of 4% to 7% CH{sub 3}OH selectivity is 40% to 50% with quenching and 25% to 35% without quenching.

Interview with Thurman Hooper from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma concerning his experiences while employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Hooper worked at camps in Peaceful Valley, Colorado (Company 894); Bonham, Texas (Company 894); Durango, Colorado; Alamosa, Colorado; Jasper, Texas (Company 1820); and Bowie, Arizona. Includes Appendix.