Oil and sands exploration and development company American Sands Energy Corp. announced it has developed an “environmental solution” with its proprietary oil sands extraction technology.
“Continued testing of our extraction process at our pilot facility confirms that our technology is scalable and environmentally friendly, recovering over 99 percent of our proprietary extraction solvent without the use of any water,” said CEO William Gibbs. “This is a first in our industry.”
The company’s solution results in no tailing ponds or associated environmental hazards, in contrast with traditional oil sands extraction methodologies. American Sands has also completed initial engineering and mining feasibility studies and, based on those studies, has calculated its targeted production to be $49 per barrel or less. The company is continuing efforts to further define those costs.
American Sands has now successfully run oil sands through its pilot facility from various different locations, including its Sunnyside, Utah, site, and oil sands from deposits at Asphalt Ridge, Utah, as well as Africa – producing clean, dry sand and bitumen (a heavy oil) in each case. The results confirm that the company’s process not only works on the oil sands from its own large resource deposit at Sunnyside but also on other “oil wet” deposits from other locations. This greatly expands the company’s potential to deploy its technology on similar oil sands deposits, both domestically and in locations throughout the world.
“American Sands is to be commended for developing this new technology,” said Justin R. Swift, a company director and former U.S. Department of Energy official.“This clean technology is good for the state and its economy and will help the United States become energy independent, while not harming the environment.”
The company additionally announced it is in the process of completing environmental studies and other requirements to file for its large mine permit for 1,800 acres of private land. American Sands has completed most of the environmental work and mine planning and plans to file for the permit before September 2013.
For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.americansandsenergy.com
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