Paraho process
| Process type | Chemical |
|---|---|
| Industrial sector(s) |
Chemical industry oil industry |
| Feedstock | oil shale |
| Product(s) | shale oil |
| Leading companies | Paraho Development Corporation |
| Inventor | John B. Jones, Jr. |
| Developer(s) | Development Engineering, Inc. |
The Paraho process is an above ground retorting technology for shale oil extraction. The name "Paraho" is delivered from the words "para homem", which means in Portuguese "for mankind".
The Paraho process was invented by John B. Jones, Jr., later president of the Paraho Development Corporation, and developed by Development Engineering, Inc., in the late 1960s. Its design was based on a gas combustion retort developed by the United States Bureau of Mines and the earlier Nevada–Texas–Utah Retort. In the late 1940s, these retorts were tested in the Oil Shale Experiment Station at Anvil Points in Rifle, Colorado. In 1971, the Standard Oil of Ohio started to cooperate with Mr. John B. Jones providing financial support for obtaining an oil shale lease at Anvil Points. In May 1972, the lease was approved. Before leasing a track at Anvil Points, a test of using the Paraho Direct process for limestone calcination in cement kilns was carried out.
The consortium for developing the Anvil Points lease – the Paraho Development Corporation – was formed in 1973. In addition to the Standard Oil of Ohio, other participants of the consortium were Atlantic Richfield, Carter Oil, Chevron Research, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron, Gulf Oil, Kerr-McKee, Marathon Oil, Arthur G. McKee, Mobil Research, Phillips Petroleum Company, Shell Development, Southern California Edison, Standard Oil Company (Indiana), Sun Oil, Texaco, and the Webb-Chambers-Gary-McLoraine Group.Shale oil retorting started in 1974 when two operational retorts – pilot plant and semiworks – were put into operation. The semiworks unit achieved a maximum throughput capacity of 290 tons (263 tonnes) of raw oil shale per day. In March 1976, the Paraho Development Corporation tested a modification of its technology – the Paraho Indirect process. The Anvil Points lease was closed in 1978.
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