Method for recovering oil and tailings from mineral, rock, or shale

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for recovering oil and tailing from a raw material such as shale, sand, and a rock, each of which contains oil. The raw material is heated in a fluidized bed, and a heat from the fluidized bed is utilized for heating an additional raw material in at least three retorts to produce oil and tailings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for recovering an oil and tailings from a raw material, comprising:
 heating a raw material in a fluidized bed at a temperature of 800-950° C. to produce a flue gas and an ash from the raw material;   heating a first retort and a second retort with the flue gas from the fluidized bed;   feeding an additional raw material into the first retort;   heating the additional raw material in the first retort with a first combustor;   transferring the additional raw material from the first retort to the second retort through a connecter between the first retort and the second retort;   heating the additional raw material in the second retort with a second combustor;   collecting an oil and a non-condensed gas from the additional raw material in the first retort and the second retort in an oil condenser;   transferring a residue derived from the additional raw material in the second retort from the second retort to a third retort through a connecter between the second retort and the third retort;   heating the third retort with the ash from the fluidized bed;   feeding a further additional raw material into the third retort;   collecting an oil and a non-condensed gas from the further additional raw material in the third retort in the oil condenser;   transferring a heat of a residue derived from the further additional raw material in the third retort to the fluidized bed via a heat exchanger; and   collecting tailings from the residue in the third retort;   wherein the flue gas from the fluidized bed is used for heating the additional raw materials in the first retort and the second retort, and the ash from the fluidized bed and the residue from the second retort are used for heating the further additional raw material in the third retort.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a heat of the flue gas is transferred from the fluidized bed to the first retort and the second retort; a heat of the ash is transferred from the fluidized bed to the third retort; and a heat from the third retort is recycled in the fluidized bed continuously. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a heat of the flue gas is transferred from the fluidized bed to the first retort and the second retort, and an additional heat is obtained from the first combustor and the second combustor. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the raw materials are heated in the first, second, and third retorts to collect the oil in the oil condenser, and an exhaust gas is expelled from the retorts through a chimney having a cyclone filter. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the raw materials are selected from sand, rock, or shale, each of which contains oil. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the raw materials are oil sand or oil shale with a particle size of 2 mm to 50 mm.