"A Thesis for the Master of Science. Tar sands from three Utah deposits were processed in a small-scale two-stage fluidized-bed reactor. The oil products obtained were analyzed for several physical and chemical properties, including viscosity, refractive index, density, sulfur content, distillation data, and nmr spectra. The effluent gas was analyzed for individual components, and coke was also analyzed for yield values. In this reactor, the heat pipe was found to be an effective means of transferring heat, transferring as much as 2000 Btu/hr. This amount of heat was sufficient to supply the heat of cracking as well as most of the heat needed to raise the sand temperature. There was found little effect of process temperature upon oil viscosity in the Sunnyside and Tar Sand Triangle oils. Aromaticity, however, was found to increase with increasing process temperatures is the Sunnyside oils. Sulfur content of the oils passed through a minimum at a process temperature of 490 degrees C. Heating values of the effluent gas ranged from 30 to 130 Btu/ft3 and could easily be increased. Coke yields ran from 6 to 18 per cent, decreasing slightly with increasing temperatures."