THERMAL-DIFFUSIVITY OF GREEN RIVER OIL-SHALE BY THE LASER-FLASH TECHNIQUE

The thermal diffusivity of Green River oil shale has been measured by the laser-flash technique. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range 25-350°C and for various grades of shales ranging from 6 to 100 gal./ton. The thermal diffusivity (α) is seen to decrease with increasing temperature, especially for shales with low organic content. Richer shales, on the other hand, show very little sensitivity in their α values to temperature and grade. The α values measured for Green River oil shales fall in the range 0.1-0.9×10-2 cm2/sec. Anisotropic effects were also observed for these α values; shales cored parallel to their bedding planes the diffusivities about 20-30% higher than those for the samples cored perpendicular to the stratigraphic planes. The presence of pore water in the shale is also shown to have a significant effect on α. © 1979.