Oil Extraction
As of 2008, the major shale oil producers are Estonia, Brazil and China, while Australia, USA, Canada and Jordan have planned to set up or restart shale oil production. According to the World Energy Council, in 2008 the total production of shale oil from oil shale was 930,000 tonnes, equal to 17,700 barrels per day (2,810 m3/d), of which China produced 375,000 tonnes, Estonia 355,000 tonnes, and Brazil 200 tonnes. In comparison, production of the conventional oil and natural gas liquids in 2008 amounted 3.95 billion tonnes or 82.12 million barrels per day (13.056×106 m3/d).
Although there are several oil shale retorting technologies, only four technologies are currently in commercial use. These are Kiviter, Galoter, Fushun, and Petrosix. The two main methods of extracting oil from shale are ex-situ and in-situ. In ex-situ method, the oil shale is mined and transported to the retort facility in order to extract the oil. The in-situ method converts the kerogen while it is still in the form of an oil shale deposit, and then extracts it via a well, where it rises up as normal petroleum.
| Company | Location | Method | Status | Annual Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqaba Petroleum | Al Attarat, Jordan | Hot recycled solids (Galoter process) | Memorandum of understanding | |
| Ambre Energy | Utah, USA | Conduction through a wall (Oil-Tech process) | Pilot project | |
| American Shale Oil (parent: Genie Oil & Gas and Total S.A.) |
Colorado, USA | True in-situ process (Conduction, Convection, Reflux Conversion Process) | Pilot project | |
| Beipiao Coal Mining Company | Beipiao, Liaoning, China | Internal combustion (Fushun process) | Operational | |
| Daqing Oil Company (parent: CNPC) |
Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China | Hot recycled solids | Under construction | |
| Eesti Energia | Narva, Estonia | Hot recycled solids (Galoter process) Hot recycled solids (Enefit process) |
Operational Construction |
1.2 million barrels (2011) |
| Enefit American Oil (parent: Eesti Energia) |
Utah, USA | Hot recycled solids (Enefit process) | Testing | |
| EnShale | Utah, USA | Externally generated hot gas | Testing | |
| ExxonMobil | Colorado, USA | Modified in-situ process; reactive fluids (ExxonMobil Electrofrac) | Testing | |
| Fushun Mining Group | Fushun, China | Internal combustion (Fushun process) Hot solids recycle (Alberta Taciuk Process) |
Operational Commissioning |
2.2 million barrels (2011) |
| Hong Sheng Energy Company | Huadian, Jilin, China | Internal combustion (Modified Fushun process) | Operational | |
| Independent Energy Partners | Colorado, USA | True in-situ process (fuel cell process) | Testing | |
| Inter RAO | Al Attarat, Jordan | Hot recycled solids (Galoter process) | Memorandum of understanding | |
| Israel Energy Initiatives (parent: Genie Oil & Gas) |
Shfela region, Israel | True in-situ process | Testing | |
| Jordan Oil Shale Energy Company (parent: Eesti Energia) |
Attarat Umm Ghudran, Jordan | Hot recycled solids (Enefit process) | Testing | |
| Jordan Oil Shale Company (parent: Royal Dutch Shell) |
Azraq and Al-Jafr blocks, Jordan | True in-situ process (ICP) | Testing | |
| Karak International Oil (parent: Jordan Energy and Mining) |
El Lajjun, Jordan | Hot recycled solids (Alberta Taciuk process) | Concession agreement signed | |
| Kiviõli Keemiatööstus | Kiviõli, Estonia | Internal combustion (Kiviter process) | Operational | 0.3 million barrels |
| Liaoning Chengda | Jimsar County, Xinjiang, China | Internal combustion (Modified Fushun process) | Under construction | |
| Longhua Harbin Coal Chemical Industry Company (parent: China National Coal Corporation) |
Yilan, Heilongjiang, China | Hot recycled solids | Demonstration project | |
| Longkou Mining Group (parent: Shandong Energy) |
Longkou, China | Internal combustion (Fushun process) | Operational | 0.7 million barrels (2011) |
| Mountain West Energy | Utah, USA | True in-situ process (IGE process) | Testing | |
| Petrobras | São Mateus do Sul, Paraná, Brazil | Externally generated hot gas (Petrosix process) | Operational | 2.2 million barrels (2010) |
| Petrobras Total S.A. |
Attarat Umm Ghudran, Jordan | Externally generated hot gas (Petrosix process) | memorandum of understanding | |
| Petrobras Total S.A. |
Timahdit, Morocco | Externally generated hot gas (Petrosix process) | memorandum of understanding | |
| Queensland Energy Resources | Stuart Deposit, Queensland, Australia | Externally generated hot gas (Paraho Indirect process) | Construction | |
| Red Leaf Resources | Utah, USA | Conduction through a wall (EcoShale In-Capsule Process) | Testing | |
| San Leon Energy | Tarfaya, Morocco | True in-situ process (IGE process) | Memorandum of understanding | |
| Saudi Arabian International Corporation for Oil Shale Investment | El Lajjun and Attarat Umm Ghudran, Jordan | Hot recycled solids (Galoter process) | Memorandum of understanding | |
| Shale Technologies LLC | Rifle, Colorado, USA | Internal combustion (Paraho Direct process) | Pilot project | |
| Shell Frontier Oil and Gas | Colorado, USA | True in-situ process (ICP) | Pilot project | |
| VKG Oil | Kohtla-Järve, Estonia | Internal combustion (Kiviter process) Hot solids recycle (Petroter process) |
Operational | 2.2 million barrels (2011). |
| Wangqing County Longteng Energy Development Co. | Wangqing, Jilin, China | Internal combustion (Fushun process) | Operational | |
| Yaojie Coal Electricity Group | Gansu, China | Internal combustion (Gas combustion retort) | Operational |
Read more about this topic: Oil Shale Industry
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