As part of United Energy Corporation’s multilateral strategy, the Company recently purchased certain rights to a technology that will revolutionize oil extraction from shale deposits. It is a technology more economical, higher-yielding, energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly, rapidly-producing, and lower-maintenance than traditional methods of oil extraction from shale reserves.

This micronized technology can remove either pollutants or the coveted precursor to crude oil in seconds and minutes versus hours and days. It reduces levels of emissions and toxic materials many times over that of conventional processes.

The technology’s design and development are poised to bring substantial savings to the production of oil shale deposits as an alternative to conventional methods. Pulsewave conducted proprietary research for its patented resonance disintegration technology and scientifically performed tests that have proven its immense success.

Clean Removal

Several industries will benefit from this technology. In the energy industry, separating raw oil shale and the crude oil precursor, called kerogen, is of particular interest. Resonance disintegration technology is considered “clean removal”. It is performed before the retorting, or heating process, and retains the natural composition without activating toxic elements. This results in a purer product and greater yield of shale oil over conventional methods.

Until recently, removing oil from shale rock focused on crushing, pulverizing, and grinding milling processes using high-impact machines. In contrast, this causes materials to be liberated from within, maintaining the integrity of the original material while protecting nearby groundwater. Rapid shock waves, or resonance, are applied in lieu of pressure force.

Kerogen is Key

Although oil shale itself does not contain oil, it possesses the precursor to crude oil – an organic material called kerogen. The goal is to remove the kerogen. When kerogen is heated it can be converted to synthetic crude oil and other derivatives. Using this technology, the kerogen is shattered from within the shale matrix instead of being ground or crushed.

The fine particles enable the coveted separation of the oil from the mineral solids. Because only the kerogen is heated and not the solid particles, the amount of energy expended in the retorting process is drastically reduced from conventional methods. Another economic benefit.

Conventional oil shale mining requires a process called retorting. This involves heating organic shale to about 900 degrees F after which it decomposes into gas, a solid residue, and condensable oil. If this process takes place while the shale is still in the ground, it is known as “in situ” mining. This necessitates an explosive to create injectable spaces or voids, hydraulic pressure, and an injection of hot fluids. The downsides of this method are low efficiency rates of recovery, collapsing surfaces, and the potential for groundwater contamination.

Another method of processing oil shale is called, “ex situ” mining. During this method, oil shale is first extracted from the Earth by surface or through underground mining. Once above ground, the rock is crushed, and then retorted to release the shale oil. This method is able to recover up to 90% of the oil shale reserves. After the complex procedure of pulverizing the ore, the oil and organic materials are finally separated during the heating process.

When complete, the remaining solid material is 20 – 30% greater in bulk than initially. Most of the retorted shale can be disposed of in the original mine, but the remaining increased volume will need to be trucked to other disposal sites. As a result, both the environment and operating costs are negatively affected.

Cleaner, Purer, Cheaper

However, using Pulsewave for that same mine, by separating the kerogen before the retorting process, the oil yield is much higher from the concentrated kerogen. Also, expansion of the mineral matter does not occur and it could be returned in whole to the site from where it was mined. The need for above ground disposal would be eliminated, reducing operating costs while benefitting the environment.

Generative pulsating resonances break down, or disintegrate biomass materials near their natural fracture sites. Particles are reduced to submicronic or granular size, in under a second in many cases, via vortex-generated shearing forces and shock waves.

No physical contact is needed, and costs are significantly reduced compared to conventional processes. The technology will work on hundreds of materials. Each material has a unique frequency for the best results of disintegration. Currently most of those materials are destroyed by conventional pulverization methods.

Abundant Oil Shale Reserves Within Our Own Borders

Oil shale exploration in the United States has faded since 1991 because of high start-up and operational costs coupled with lower energy prices. Yet, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program, almost 35% of the known oil shale reserves in the world can be found in the Green River formation.

This is an area in western Colorado, eastern Utah, and southwestern Wyoming covering about 17,000 square miles. There is an estimated 1.2 trillion barrels of oil that could supply enough oil for the U.S. for more than 100 years at the current rate of consumption.

Major oil companies received several patents for new recovery technologies for oil shale previous to the current favorable price of oil. This conveys interest in extracting oil shale deposits concurrent to the rise of oil prices. With Pulsewave’s technology already on the market, multi-national oil companies who own mining rights to vast oil shale deposits in the Green River formation are considered potential end-users. These sites are the easiest to recover, and by far the richest oil shale reserves in the world.

Colorado Kudos

In a letter from the former Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Brian Vogt said, “I understand the potential this technology has for mining applications specific to the State of Colorado. The comments advanced by the technical review personnel of the Department of Energy anticipate the great contribution this technology will make toward resolving our dependence on foreign oil…and will make a significant contribution to national oil requirements for decades to come.”

“It is clear that Pulsewave (Mill) is energy efficient, environmentally sound, and economically competitive and the production of mill equipment and its related industries could add significant capital and thousands of jobs to the State’s economy. Opportunities exist beyond shale oil and range from hard rock mining industry to the agricultural sector.”

Pulsewave continues to explore, study, and expand an array of commercial applications in other industries beyond oil and gas. It is anticipated that large-scale use of this resonance disintegration technology will make a significant impact on both the environment and operating costs, especially for energy companies.

It’s no small matter then that a component of United Energy’s developing corporate strategy is to capitalize on the technology that will revolutionize production of domestic oil shale deposits. This is good news for our shareholders and our country. Clean. Safe. Efficient. Economical. Innovative. American.