Process for the recovery of oil from oil-bearing minerals

Claim 1

IN THE RECOVERY OF OIL FROM OIL SHALE WHEREIN A SLURRY OF FINE PARTICLES OF SHALE IN A LIQUID HYDROCARBON OIL IS HEATED TO VAPORIZE THE OIL CONTENT OF THE SLURRY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES FIRST FORMING SAID SLURRY BY CONTACTING A MASS OF OIL SHALE CONSISTING OF LUMPS ABOUT 1/4 INCH AND LARGER IN DIAMETER WITH A LIQUID HYDROCARBON OIL AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 700-900*F. EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE DISINTEGRATION OF SAID LUMPS INTO FINE POWER PARTICLES WHICH SUSPEND READILY IN SAID LIQUID OIL TO FORM A SLURRY THEREWITH, MAINTAINING SAID CONTACT FOR A SUFFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO FORM SAID SLURRY, WITHDRAWING SAID SLURRY COMPRISING SUSPENDED FINE PARTICLES ONTRAINED IN SAID OIL, PASSING THE SLURRY INTO A TUBULAR HEATING ZONE UNDER CONDITIONS OF TURBULENT FLOW, VAPORIZING ALL OF THE SUSPENDING OIL AND THE VOLATILIZABLE PORTION OF THE OIL FROM SAID SHALE IN SAID HEATING ZONE TO FORM A DISPERSION OF SOLID RESIDUE FROM SAID SHALE IN OIL VAPORS, DISCHARGING THE RESULTING DISPERSION OF OIL VAPORS AND SOLID RESIDUE FROM THE HEATING ZONE, SEPARATING SAID VAPORS FROM THE SOLID RESIDUE IN SAID DISPERSION, A ND SUBJECTING SAID VAPORS TO REACTION WITH OXYGEN AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE EFFECTIVE FOR CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN.