article thumbnail

American Sands Energy announces successful operation of oil sand pilot facility in Utah

Green Car Congress

American Sands Energy Corp., an oil sands exploration and development company operating in the state of Utah, announced the successful operation of its oil sand recovery pilot facility. This is a key differentiator between us and more traditional oil sand companies.

Oil-Sands 306
article thumbnail

Utah Water Quality Board upholds issuance of permit for oil sands mine in Utah

Green Car Congress

The Utah Water Quality Board, in a 9-2 vote this week, agreed with the August 2012 recommendations of an administrative law judge (ALJ) upholding a permit-by-rule issued by the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) for the proposed PR Spring an oil sands mine on state land in eastern Utah.

Oil-Sands 210
article thumbnail

US DOI finalizes plan for oil shale and oil sands research, demonstration and development

Green Car Congress

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced the Department of the Interior’s final plan for encouraging research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of oil shale and oil sands resources on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Earlier post.).

Oil-Sands 225
article thumbnail

US BLM issues draft PEIS for oil shale and oil sands; significantly scales back public land available for commercial leasing

Green Car Congress

The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has published the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Possible Land Use Amendments for Allocation of Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources on Lands Administered by the BLM in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Oil-Sands 252
article thumbnail

Ionic Liquids Process Recovers Bitumen from Utah Oil Sands With Little Water Use

Green Car Congress

A team at Penn State University has demonstrated that a previously developed method employing ionic liquids (ILs) together with a nonpolar solvent such as toluene can effect a separation of bitumen from oil sands in the Western US at ambient temperatures (~25 °C), although with greater difficulty than Canadian oil sands.

Oil-Sands 210
article thumbnail

Penn State team develops more environmentally friendly method for separating bitumen or oil from sands using ionic liquids

Green Car Congress

Separation of bitumen from a Canadian oil sand sample using an ionic liquid. A team of researchers at Penn State has developed a new, more environmentally friendly method of separating bitumen from oil sands utilizing ionic liquids (IL). Oil sands represent approximately two-thirds of the world’s estimated oil reserves.

Oil-Sands 257
article thumbnail

US Department of the Interior Offering Second Round of Oil Shale Research and Development Leases; Cuts Potential Commercialization Acreage 87.5%

Green Car Congress

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is offering additional opportunities for energy companies to conduct oil shale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects on public lands in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Earlier post.) Potential lessees may nominate up to 160 acres for RD&D. Earlier post.) Secretary Salazar.

Oil 170