Production of hydrocarbon gases from oil shale

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PIPELINE QUALITY GAS BY GASIFICATION OF ORGANIC COMPONENTS OF OIL SHALE WHEREIN ABOVE ABOUT 77 PERCENT OF THE ORGANIC CARBON IN SAID OIL SHALE IS CONVERTED TO LIQUIDS AND GASES THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: INTRODUCING FRESH OIL SHALE INTO A PREHEAT AND PREHYDROGENATION ZONE; GRADUALLY PREHEATING OIL SHALE IN A PREHEAT AND PREHYDROGENATION ZONE TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700* TO ABOUT 950*F. IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN-RICH GAS WITH LESS THAN ABOUT 20 WEIGHT PERCENT OF THE ORGANIC COMPONENT OF OIL SHALE CONVERTED TO LIQUID AND GAS IN SAID PREHEAT AND PREHYDROGENATION ZONE, SAID OF LESS THAN ABOUT 50*F. PER MINUTE ABOVE AND ABOUT 500* TO 600*F. AND SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS AND SHALE PASSING COUNTERCURRENTLY IN SAID PREHEAT AND PREHYDROGENATION ZONE; HYDROGASIFYING THE PREHATED AND PREHYDROGENATED ORGANIC COMPONENTS OF OIL SHALE IN A HYDROGASIFICATION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1200* TO ABOUT 1500*F. IN HE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST A STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN-RICH GAS TO FORM LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PARRAFINIC GASES AND LIQUID HYDROCARBONS FROM THE PREHEATED AND PREHYDROGENATED ORGANIC PORTION OF SAID OIL SHALE; SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS BEING SUPPLIED TO SAID PREHEAT AND PREHYDROGENATION ZONE IN LARGER VOLUMES THAN THE HYDROGEN-RICH GAS SUUPPLIED TO SAID HYDROGASIFICATION ZONE SEPAREMOVING SPENT SHALE FROM THE HYDROGASIFICATION ZONE SEPARATE FROM SAID GASES; AND PURIFYING AND UPGRADING SAID GASES BY REMOVING LIQUIDS AND UNDESIRED STEAM, CARBON MONOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDDE, AMMONIA AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE FOLLOWED BY METHANATION TO PROVIDE PIPELINE QUALITY GAS.