Chevron and Los Alamos National Laboratory Launch Research Project to Unlock Hydrocarbons Trapped in Oil Shale Formations
{I think China has a lot of oil shale too - presumably they still have access to Los Alamos research.}
SAN RAMON, Calif., Sep. 25, 2006 -- Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) and Los Alamos National Laboratory today announced the creation of a joint research project to improve the recovery of hydrocarbons trapped in oil shales and slow-flowing oil formations.
The goal of the Chevron-Los Alamos collaboration is to develop an environmentally responsible and commercially viable process to recover crude oil and natural gas from western U.S. oil shales. The joint research and development effort will focus on oil shale formations in the Piceance Basin in Colorado. The work will include reservoir simulation and modeling, as well as experimental validation of new recovery techniques, including a form of in-situ (in-ground) processing that has the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Oil shales are sedimentary rocks containing a high proportion of organic matter called kerogen that can be converted into crude oil or natural gas. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the United States holds 2 trillion barrels of oil shale resources, with about 1.5 trillion barrels of those resources located in the western United States, primarily in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah.
The research project will be conducted under the Strategic Alliance for Energy Solutions launched by Los Alamos and Chevron in 2004. The alliance supports Los Alamos in its mission, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States through scientific and technological innovation. It also supports Chevron's strategy to develop innovative research and educational partnerships within the energy industry. |