Shale retorting process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING AND HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING SOLIDS OF DIFFERENT PARTICLE SIZE WHICH COMPRISES SEPARATING SAID SOLIDS INTO A FINES PORTION AND A COARSE PORTION, PASSING SAID COARSE PORTION UPWARDLY IN THE FORM OF A DENSE BED FROM A SOLIDS FEEDER ZONE SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A DISENGAGING ZONE, A SOLIDS PREHEATING AND PRODUCT COOLING ZONE, AND A RETORTING ZONE, PASSING A PRIMARY STREAM OF HOT EDUCTION GAS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID RETORTING ZONE TO EDUCT HYDROCARBONS, FROM SAID COARSE PORTION, COOLING AND PARTIALLY CONDENSING SAID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID SOLIDS PREHEATING AND PRODUCT CONDENSING ZONE, REMOVING THE LIQUID AND GAS PHASES FROM SAID DISENGAGING ZONE, SEPARATING SAID LIQUID AND GAS PHASES FROM EACH OTHER, BURNING PART OF SAID SEPARATED GAS AS FUEL IN A PRIMARY HEATING ZONE, PREHEATING A FIRST AND A SECOND RECYCLE STREAM OF SAID GAS AND A STREAM OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN SAID PRIMARY HEATING ZONE, BURNING THE PREHEATED FIRST RECYCLE STREAM WITH THE PREHEATED OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN A SECONDARY HEATING ZONE TO FORM A HOT FLUE GAS, COMBINING SAID HOT FLUE GAS WITH THE PREHEATED SECOND RECYCLE STREAM TO FORM A SECONDARY HOT EDUCTION GAS, CONCURENTLY CONTACTING SAID FINES PORTION WITH SAID SECONDARY HOT EDUCTION GAS IN A FINERS EDUCTION ZONE ISOLATED FROM SAID RETORTING ZONE, THEREBY EDUCTING HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FINES, SEPARATING SPENT FINES FROM THE HOT GASEOUS EFFLUENT OF SAID FINES EDUCTION ZONE, PASSING THE HOT FINES-FREE GASEOUS EFFLUENT INTO THE TOP OF SAID RETORTING ZONE AS SAID PARIMARY HOT EDUCTION GAS TO CONTACT SAID COARSER PORTION THEREIN COUNTERCURRENTLY, AND REMOVING SPENT SOLIDS FROM THE TOP OF SAID RETORTING ZONE.