Method and apparatus for treating shale

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR TREATING OIL-BEARING SOLIDS, WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A RETORTING ZONE AND A TWOZONE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION SYSTEM, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING A REACTION ZONE AND A BURNER ZONE, PASSING FINELY DIVIDED CARBON-COATED SOLID PARTICLES FROM SAID REACTION ZONE TO SAID BURNER ZONE FOR OXIDATION THEREIN, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE PARTICLES THUS HEATED FROM AID BURNER ZONE TO SAID REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING AND PASSING LARGER SIZED OIL-BEARING SOLIDS DOWN THROUGH SAID RETORTING ZONE, PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID HEATED FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES FROM SAID BURNER ZONE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID RETORTING ZONE TO CONTACT SAID DOWNFLOWING LARGER SIZED OIL-BEARING SOLIDS AND TO SUPPLYING REQUISTS RETORTING HEAT THERETO AND TO FORM VAPOROUS HYDROCARBONS, WITHDRAWING SPENT OIL-BEARING SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID RETORTING ZONE AND DISCARDING THEM FROM THE METHOD, WITHDRAWING THE VAPOROUS HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID RETORTING ZONE AND PASSING THEM TO SAID REACTION ZONE FOR FURTHER REACTION, WITHDRAWING VAPOROUS REACTION PRODUCTS OVERHEAD FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, AND RETURNING FINELY DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES FORM SAID RETORTING ZONE TO SAID TWO-ZONE HYDROCATBON CNVERSION SYSTEM.