A 
system and process is disclosed for retorting 
oil shale and extracting 
shale oil and other hydrocarbons therefrom, in which a cased heat delivery well is drilled generally vertically through an 
overburden and then through a body of 
oil shale to be retorted to the bottom thereof, generally horizontally under the body of 
oil shale to be retorted, and then back to the 
earth surface. 
Heat energy is transmitted conductively to the body of oil shale to be retorted from a 
closed loop heat delivery module in the well, the module comprising a fluid transmission 
pipe containing a heating fluid heated to at least a retorting temperature. 
Heat energy is also transmitted to the body of oil shale to be retorted above the fluid transmission 
pipe by vapor conduits that conduct 
retort vapors upward through the body of oil shale to be retorted; the ascending 
retort vapors condense and 
reflux, delivering their 
latent heat of 
vaporization to the body of oil shale to be retorted, and the condensed 
retort liquids descend. If not recycled, the retort liquids are collected in a 
sump at the bottom of a production well and are transmitted to the surface for 
processing. The vapor conduits communicate at upper ends thereof with the production well, so that vapors that do not 
reflux are collected in the production well and are transmitted to the surface for 
processing.