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TOWARDS AN INDUSTRY-‐ORIENTED AND UNIFIED GEOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE OF OIL SHALES
Väino Puura, Alvar Soesoo,
Mare Konsa, Margus Voolma
Tallinn University of Technology, ENEFIT
Quality and composiPon of oil shale are of primary interest when planning to develop a deposit
Beside the size of resources, and thickness and depth of the seam, and environmental etc. issues.
n Here, our interest is concentrated on the OS quality and related topics.
n NB! Oil shale has long had marginal economic value, and most deposits will remain like this for a long Pme
The rise of interests inthe development of OS provokes a need for adequate informaPon on new deposits
n However, it appears to be insufficient when an operator starts to select a deposit for development. Both the operator and local geo-‐authority feel the shortage of data.
n Overview publicaPons and geological reports yield insufficient informaPon, because the survey has been too restricted
n OXen an addiPonal preliminary survey is the basic opPon and method of preparaPon of MOU and a Concession Agreement.
From inferred resources towards the proved reserves FS Feasibility reserves
MOU / Concession agreem
ent
D DD
F1 E1 Economic
Proven reserves
DISAPPO-‐INTMENTS OF OPERA-‐TORS ????
F2 E2 PotenFal Economic
Probable reserves
F3 E3 Intrinsical Economic
G1 -‐ G4
Geological Resources
DetExpl-‐raFon G1 measured
GenExpl-‐raFon G2 indicated
Pros-‐pecFng G3 Inferred
Reconn-‐aissance study G4
Data for MOU and Concession Agreement are poor
In numerous new basins and and deposits, operators meet a serious shortage of informaPon when searching for new sites that would merit development:
p In global and area reviews p In prospecPng and exploraPon reports,
Because: £ Usually in prospecPng or reconnaissance reports only data on oil yield or heaPng value are available
£ Basic research of OS was and sPll is declining
Decision-‐making process is handicapped:
The data on energy potenFal of OS – p Oil yield
and/or
p Calorific value Which is of primary interest for developers
Is not enough for the assessment £ Feasibility of deposits depends on a number of addiFonal characterisFcs
AddiPonal properPes essenPal for OS uPlizaPon, e.g. predicPng their economic value, in general:
A. ComposiFon of organic (OM) and mineral maVer (MM) and content of impuriFes,
B. Physical and mechanical properFes of OS and inclusions/interbeds
n The properFes may have provincial or basin-‐wide importance, or occur at certain deposits
ComposiPon of OS to be ascertained for industrial development
A. ProperPes, e.g. oil yield of OM
B. Bulk mineralogical and chemical composiPon of OS and interbeds/inclusions
C. ImpuriPes: sulfur, phosphate, chert, salts
D. ImpuriPes: trace elements, including radioacPve, toxic, heavy metals, p possibly useful for extracPon
Physical properPes of OS criPcal for industrial development
n Strength, hardness, abrasiveness, porosity and their variaPons – condiPons of mining and beneficiaPon, and fuel preparaPon
n Physical and mechanical properPes separately of OS and interbeds/inclusions, etc.
In more details: geological factors, which may complicate the industrial use of OS i. Geological age ii. Environments of formaPon iii. Origin and energy potenPal of OM iv. Origin and composiPon of MM v. AlternaPon of different lithologies vi. Sedimentary structure and texture vii. DiagenePc structure and texture viii. DeformaPon, katagenesis, metamorphism ix. Geochemistry: macro component contents, impuriPes x. Geochemistry: trace elements, impuriPes, ........ Etc..
Thus, different interrelated aspects have to be integrated in an industrial classificaPon of OS
n Origin: aspects of accumulaPon and alteraPon
n ComposiPon and physical properPes
n QualiPes and parameters essenPal for OS uPlizaPon, e.g. predicPng the economic value of OS
Accepted classifica2on criteria and a code for pre-‐MOU/pre-‐Concession survey would promote adequate prospec2ng of OS
Examples of significance of addiPonal factors n Kukersite – Estonia: limestone inclusions
n Boltysh oil shale – Ukraine: young age
n S-‐ and trace element-‐rich oil shales – Scandinavian/Estonian OS (Cambrian-‐Ordov.) and Mediterranean Province (Cretaceous) NB! Low-‐carbonate S-‐ and trace element-‐rich
n DeformaPon and metamorphism of OS, etc.
KUKERSITE -‐ ONE OF THE BEST QUALITY OS
Inclusions and interbeds of limestone:
SelecPve mining or beneficiaPon needed Significant economic disadvantage
BOLTYSH oil shale, Paleogene, the Ukraine
n High quality, deep sebng, water-‐saturated n Young age:
p Poor compacPon, high porosity and high moisture
p Low strength of oil shale and overburden unfavorable for underground mining
Alum shale, Upper Cambrian, Sweden Graptolite argillite, Lower Ordovician, Estonia
n High age, well compacted, diagenePc inclusions
n Low heaPng value, low oil yield of OS and OM
n High silicate, high sulfur, high trace elements p Low carbonate content for neutralizaPon of and secling of
acPvated trace elements
Future prospects: co-‐uPlizaPon U, Mo, V etc…
Alum shale
Kukersite
El-‐Lajjun, (a)laminite mudstone, (b) lenses of grainstone and diagenePc chert
A remark : Laminite oil shale is the dominant rock type of both marine and lacustrine OS
El-‐Lajjun, MaastrichPan, Jordan
AlternaPon of sedimentary layers of high to low carbonate/silicate raPo, inter-‐layers of high P content, diagenePc silica (chert) concrePons and random large carbonate balls
n High S content, high content of many trace elements
p Emissions into atmosphere and hydrosphere? n Dominantly soX OS with strong carbonate interbeds and
concrePons,
p Extremely strong and abrasive chert interlayers and inclusions
Cretaceous OS occurrences in Egypt (preliminary insight)
n Dominantly silicate sedimentary layers n High sulfur and phosphate n High content of trace elements, prospects of co-‐uPlizaPon of some
n Environmental concerns with neutralizaPon of S and secling of trace elements
Metamorphosed OS occurrences in Syria and Morocco
n OS occurrences are located on the slopes of Palmiride and Northern Atlas mountains p Slightly metamorphosed
p Cretaceous and Paleogene age
n Organic macer in these lean OS is highly mature, with low Fisher oil yield
Well studied oil shale key to poorly studied deposits
n Data from well studied OS deposits enables building up of the basic framework for a unified industrial classificaPon
n Should enable assessment of a huge variety of poorly studied deposits
n The pre-‐MOU and pre-‐concession surveys and assessments need help of good text-‐books and comprehensive classificaPons
n IntroducPon of a specialized guide for oil shale prospecPng would serve for becer basic database of MOU and Concession Agreements.
InternaPonal cooperaPon is needed
n Above, first of all, data and experience on development of OS deposits in Europe and Mediterranean area are considered
n However, in the proposed synopsis, OS types should be considered worldwide
n InternaPonal cooperaPon is needed to gather, systemaPze and analyze the OS data, focusing on risky issues
n Basic research should support the process
Thank you for your acenPon!