Atlas Engineered Products Ltd. (APEUF)

[DDhawk]

The story of Logan County Bitumen deposits...
*This informative (yet, separate) article (from last year) was composed w/ input from our closely-allied collaborator in the region, Imperial Petrolem, presumably using the same advanced tech of-which Mr.Wilson speaks of here: http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/ncp/products/sandklene.htm
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And here:
"Company to mine sand tars in north Logan
by Chris Cooper
Managing Editor
a year ago | 2168 views | 0 | 6 | |
Traveling through north Logan County, you expect to see beautiful rolling fields mixed with lush canopies of billowing tree tops. This land is known for it’s rough landscape, but hidden just beneath the surface, unknown by most, lies a hidden natural source that a company out of Indiana has big plans to tap into.

Arrakis Oil Recovery - a subsidiary of Imperial Petroleum of Evansville, Ind. - will soon be taking up residence in north Logan on a 121 acres in the Homer area the company has purchased to mine tar sands. The company also has a lease option on an additional 500 acres and is actively looking to obtain even more.

Tar sands are a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, a heavy black viscous oil. Tar sands can be mined and processed to extract the oil-rich bitumen, which is then refined into oil. The bitumen in tar sands cannot be pumped from the ground in its natural state; instead tar sand deposits are mined, usually using strip mining or open pit techniques.

Jeffrey Wilson serves as President of Imperial Petroleum as well as manager of Arrakis. His son, Aaron Wilson will be the project manager for the Logan County project.

“We are a small public company,” said Jeffrey Wilson, adding that although the process is similar to strip mining, it is less invasive.

The sands in Logan County are at surface level, said Wilson, which will make it easier to get to.

“You could take a shovel and hit the oil sands,” Wilson said, adding you can use a front end loader or bull dozier to get down to the sands,” he said.

Wilson added their target is 17 to 20 feet but they could go as deep as 50 feet.

Although a small company, Imperial Petroleum is making a mark in the sand mining industry also having presence in the states of Louisiana and Texas.

What is so special about this company is the recent technology it is responsible for creating that is actually changing the way sands have been mined in the past. According to Wilson, there has been a lot of sand tar mining done in Canada; however, the process being used calls for steam and heat, which can leave chemicals behind in the sands after the bitumen is extracted.

“Canadian tar has always gotten a bad name. They are wet sands and steam is used to release the oil. The only problem with that is it doesn’t completely clean the sand which leaves hydrocarbon on it. There are huge piles left and lagoons of oily water which creates an environmental problem,” said Wilson. Another issue, Wilson said, is using heat in the process which he says can cause admissions into the air.

The technology created by Imperial Petroleum does away with the old ways.

“We have been working two to three years developing our process with a technology group in Texas,” said Wilson. “With our way we use a recycled water based chemical that allows us to clean the sand 100 percent free from hydrocarbon. It’s been certified by third party labs,” added Wilson. The chemical is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Wilson said his company is currently sending the technology to Canada to help clean up what was left behind from the old ways.

Imperial Petroleum has formed a joint venture with PEKA Concepts out of Texas to help move the unit that will extract the Bitumen from the sands to Logan County. Right now, the company is planning to build a pole barn type structure to house the equipment. Plans are also in the works for hiring workers to operate the equipment.

Wilson anticipates after the mining gets going they will be able to collect around 1,000 barrels a day. This product can be used in asphalt or can be sent to refineries. It can also be used as bunker fuel (crude oil) and used for ships.

The sand mines in Kentucky run northwest of Russellville up through Butler, Edmondson, Warren and Breckenridge Counties, says Wilson. A company mining in Edmondson County will be using their technology as well.

Wilson said his company is dedicated to making sure they are doing better than what is out there and not polluting the environment. They hope to begin the process in Logan County early to mid-summer of this year."
http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/view/full_story/18459046/article-Company-to-mine-sand-tars-in-north-Logan