Molecular Composition of Shale Oil

Molecular compositions of shale oils differ widely among deposits and retort technologies. Shale oils invariably contain high concentrations of heteroatom-containing compounds, and these characteristics will strongly influence approaches to processing of shale oil to marketable products. An advanced analytical method for identifying and quantifying molecular composition of shale oil, the Z-BaSIC™, method is illustrated and results are given. Results show that like conventional petroleum, compound types can be readily described by a limited number of homologous series. Detailed knowledge of composition will assist in the development of effective process steps needed to assimilate vast shale oil resources into the market-place.