Omnishale process (also known as the ''Petro Probe process'') is an ''
in situ
''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...
''
shale oil extraction
Shale oil extraction is an industrial process for unconventional oil production. This process converts kerogen in oil shale into shale oil by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. The resultant shale oil is used as fuel oil or up ...
technology to convert
kerogen
Kerogen is solid, insoluble organic matter in sedimentary rocks. Comprising an estimated 1016 tons of carbon, it is the most abundant source of organic compounds on earth, exceeding the total organic content of living matter 10,000-fold. It ...
in
oil shale
Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitut ...
to
shale oil
Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil c ...
. This process is classified as an externally generated hot gas technology. The technology is developed by General Synfuels International, a subsidiary of Earth Search Sciences.
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History
The Omnishale shale oil extraction ''in situ'' technology was invented by Ron McQueen and developed and tested by Petro Probe and General Synfuels International. On 11 October 2005, a subsidiary of Earth Search Sciences Petro Probe acquired an unlimited license to use Omnishale shale oil extraction technology developed by General Synfuels International, Inc. On 15 August 2008, Earth Search Sciences acquired General Synfuels International and oil shale activities of Petro Probe were transferred to General Synfuels International. In 2009, General Synfuels International started a cooperation with
Anadarko Petroleum
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation was a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration. It was organized in Delaware and headquartered in two skyscrapers in The Woodlands, Texas: the Allison Tower and the Hackett Tower, both named after former CEOs of ...
.
[
] On 30 March 2010, General Synfuels International started construction of the test plant on the Anadarko-controlled test site near
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,036 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is ...
, in the
Green River Formation
The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the present-day Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The sediments are deposited in very fine ...
.
[
] In April 2010, a $10 million Patriot's Oil Shale Technology Fund L.P. was formed to complete funding of the Phase 1 construction of the test shale oil plant.
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Technology
The Omnishale shale oil extraction ''in situ'' technology of Earth Search Sciences was invented by Ron McQueen and developed by Petro Probe and General Synfuels International. In this process, holes are drilled into the oil shale formation and a processing inlet conduit is placed within holes. Pressurized air super heated by an above-ground combustor is directed into the oil shale formation through the inlet conduit. As a result, the kerogen in oil shale is heated and converted to a gaseous state.
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References
{{Reflist
Oil shale technology