Kentucky Tar Sand Resources processing alternatives and operating experience with a 200 ton per day pilot plant

Conference · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Coal Technol. (Houston); (United States)

OSTI ID:5878561

Fedde, P A; Kelley, M N

Tar sand deposits in the U.S. have acquired new stature since a Lewin and Associates, Inc., report, prepared for the Interstate Oil Compact Commission, estimates in place reserves to be 53.7 billion barrels. For comparison, total petroleum usage in 1982 was approximately 5.5 billion barrels. Oil production from U.S. tar sands is a high cost operation, but the magnitude of the resource argues that the national interest is served by developing technology, both in situ and surface processing plants, that can be called upon to produce tar sand oil in a future emergency. Kentucky, with an estimated resource of 3.4 billion barrels, has been the scene of tar sand development activity since the late 1950's. The oil supply crisis of 1979 accelerated tar sand leasing and development in Kentucky. Its tar sand resources are located in the counties of Edmonson, Warren, Butler, and Logan, in the southcentral portion of Kentucky. The tar sand formations outcrop in Logan County and dip to the northeast where they are found 400 to 800 feet below the surface in Edmonson County. Many companies are experimenting with oil recovery from Kentucky tar sand, but only two are being considered by the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation for funding support. These are Kensyntar, an in situ recovery project in Edmonson County, and the Kentucky Tar Sand Project in Logan County. The Kentucky Tar Sand Project, sponsored by Texas Gas Development Corporation of Owensboro, Kentucky, proposes to build a 5,000 barrel per day extraction plant in Logan County, Kentucky. Development and another company hold leases on 20,000 acres of tar sand land that contain over 100 million barrels of recoverable heavy oil or bitumen. These reserves are within 100 feet of the surface and are easily strip mined and reclaimed. The tar sand formation varies from eight to forty feet in thickness and contains three percent to eight percent bitumen by weight.

• Research Organization: Texas Gas Development Co.
• OSTI ID: 5878561
• Report Number(s): CONF-831112-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Coal Technol. (Houston); (United States) Journal Volume: 5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040100* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Reserves & Exploration-- (-1989)
040400 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Oil Production
Recovery
& Refining
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
KENTUCKY
LAND LEASING
LEASING
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
OIL SAND PROCESSING PLANTS
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RESERVES
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
TAR
USA