Organic materials in an oil shale retort water produced in situ were fractionated using macroreticular resins, ion exchange resins, and activated carbon Approximately 50 percent of the material was adsorbed on the macroreticular resin. Of the materials adsorbed on the macroreticular resin, 26 percent were basic, 36 percent were acidic, and 38 percent were of neutral character. Of materials passing through the resin, 21 percent were adsorbed on a cation exchange resin (basic), 58 percent were adsorbed on anion exchange resins (acidic), and 20 percent were not adsorbed (neutral). Activated carbon adsorbed quantities of material similar to those adsorbed by the ion exchangers if the sample was acidified before adsorption. Based on these fractionation experiments, a procedure to perform a preparative scale fractionation of an oil shale retort water produced in situ into representative organic compound classes has been developed. The four primary fractions isolated include hydrophobic bases, hydrophobic neutrals, carbon adsorbables, and nonadsorbables.