The Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) has promoted research and development of oil shale under the guidance of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in cooperation with 35 Japanese companies in various industrial fields including iron and steel, heavy machinery and mining. Three types of plant (vertical shaft, circular grate and cross flow) were constructed to promote oil shale research and development on a 3 ton per day bench scale. These were designed and constructed in 1982 and operated through 1983. On the basis of the experimental results, the process of the 300 ton per day pilot plant for research of commercial plants consisted mainly of a vertical shaft type retort. In addition to a vertical shaft type retort, as a retorting/gasifying unit, crushing, screening, oil recovery and heat recovery units were installed. The individual units, installation work and trial runs were completed by the end of 1986. The formal programme of research started in 1987 and totalled 270 days (including 100 days continuous operation) by the end of 1988. The pilot plant operated smoothly and stably. JNOC dismantled the pilot plant at the end of March 1989 and the research and development activities of the pilot plant operations were successfully completed as scheduled. Based on the results of the pilot plant operations. JNOC conducted the conceptual study of a 50000 ton per day commercial plant for processing Condor shale in Australia and Maoming shale in China.
