The objectives of this study were as follows: Characterize, in detail, the mineralogy of a restored oil shale unaffected by moisture and carbon dioxide; characterize, in detail, the mineralogy of hydrated and recarbonated retorted oil shale; determine the solubility of major, minor, and trace elements in retorted oil shale as a function of hydration and recarbonation and experimental variables (e.g., solid:solution ratio, reaction time, temperature,6074 ); thermochemically characterize retorted oil shale and hydrated and recarbonated retorted oil shale aqueous extracts to provide an indirect characterization of mineralogy; examine the leaching behavior of chemical constituents as a function of hydration and recarbonation under saturated flow conditions. Detailed mineralogical characterizations were conducted through the use of indirect and direct methods of analysis. Equilibrium solubility experiments were conducted to indirectly characterize and evaluate the mineralogical alterations in retorted oil shale as a function of time, carbon dioxide partial pressure, temperature, and solid:solution ratio. Analytical solution data from these experiments were used as input to a geochemical model to predict trace and minor phase mineralogy. Direct mineralogical characterization was accomplished through x-ray diffraction analysis following the nondestructive preconcentration of mineral phases into distinct physicochemical subfractions. Elemental solubilities as a function of recarbonation were obtained from the equilibrium experiments. Finally, the leaching behavior of trace and major chemical constituents as influenced by hydration and recarbonation was evaluated using columns packed with retorted oil shale and leached under saturated flow conditions. 38 refs., 34 figs., 26 tabs.