PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL SHALE

A process for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale comprising the steps of subjecting oil shale under superatmospheric pressure in the presence of hydrogen and steam, to low temperature hydrogenating distillation; separating the resulting fluid distillation mixture into liquid and gaseous products; and returning water and hydrogen separated from the fluid distillation mixture to the low temperature distillation; in which: Heat is drawn-off from the hot oil shale, after treatment in a low temperature hydrogenating distillation reactor, by the shale being sprayed with water whereby saturated steam is produced in decreasing pressure stages; The saturated steam of the pressure stages and water extracted during product separation are fed into the individual stages of a multi-stage compressor driven by a gas turbine, and are then delivered via a steam supply line to the reactor; The gas turbine is fuelled by supplying separated-off gaseous distillation products thereto; and The exhaust gases of the gas turbine are fed to a heat exchanger arranged in the steam supply line.