Simulation of leachate quality from Rundle spent shale

This paper presents a method of predicting the transport of solutes through and from an oil shale waste dump. The model accepts unsaturated and saturated flow regimes and any suite of aqueous complexation, ion exchange and precipitation reactions. The flow conditions and chemical reactions can be specified in the input file. The model predictions were compared with results from column experiments conducted on two types of Rundle spent shale, namely shale taken from the Kerosene Creek seam and retorted by the Lurgi-Ruhrgas process, and shale taken from the Lower Ramsay Crossing seam and retorted by the Exxon process

Simulation of salt migration in an oil shale dump subject to natural rainfall

A solute transport model is presented that predicts the inorganic composition of leachate from solid wastes produced by the mining and processing of Rundle oil shale. The model can predict leachate compositions from each of the main categories of waste (i.e. overburden, interburden and shale ash) and also simulate leachate from mixed and layered arrangements of waste material. Salt migration under unsaturated conditions is handled by interfacing the solute transport model with an unsaturated flow model or experimentally measured moisture content profiles. Laboratory and field experiments were used to provide input data and validate the solute model