| In situ retorting of oil shale requires explosive fracturing to produce the increase in shale bed porosity necessary for a self-sustaining combustion. Fundamental to this are the compressive properties of oil shale.;Uniaxial compression tests of oil shale from the Green River Formation in Wyoming indicates that the compressive strength is strongly dependent on the organic content. Other stiffness and strength parameters, the elastic moduli, are observed to be heavily influenced by organic content and the subjected degree of stress. Data from stress and strain measurements together with-Fischer assay results were used in multiple regression computer programs to obtain correlation between ultimate compressive strengths, elastic moduli, stress levels, and oil shale composition. |
