Pyrolysis of Chinese Huadian oil shale using carrier gases N-2 and CO2 was investigated by TG-FTIR method. The results show that carrier gas does not change weight loss or mechanism of pyrolysis, while decomposition of carbonates in the mineral part can be retarded by CO2. This regulation was found to be in accordance with kinetic analytical results. The pyrolysis of oil shale in a fixed bed from room temperature to 500 degrees C at heating rate of 10-20 C/min was also investigated. Hydrocarbons are the main components in shale oil, and hydrocarbon derivatives concentrate in the number of C-16-C-23 by CO2 retorting, the chains being longer than those of hydrocarbons obtained by N-2 retorting.