New Upgrading Process for Heavy Oil

Sonic Environmental Solutions Inc., (CDNX: SNV) Vancouver, BC, CA, issued an announcement that it has entered into an agreement with PetroSonic Energy Systems Inc. for the development of a crude heavy oil upgrading and processing system utilizing Sonic's patented technologies. 

According to Sonic it has exclusive rights to Sonoprocess™ technology which utilizes a patented family of sonic generators proven in several large scale process applications that provide the Company with a powerful platform for new and enhanced industrial and environmental processes.

According to the press release:

The Under the terms of the agreement, PetroSonic will collaborate and fund the initial development of a new heavy oil Sonoprocess(TM) for the upgrading and processing of heavy oil. The first stage of the agreement is designed to confirm the development concept, after which Petrosonic will engineer and install a complete prototype plant to optimize the design variables of the system.

Following the successful completion of the first stage, Sonic will have a 40% interest in PetroSonic and will work together with PetroSonic on a prototype installation directly in the field. PetroSonic has an obligation to fund the creation of the prototype plant, subject to Sonic's option to fund its pro rata share.

By integrating Sonic's industrial-scale technology into an upgrading Sonoprocess(TM) for heavy oil, PetroSonic expects to be able to significantly improve the economics of the midstream processes. Upon successful demonstration of the prototype plant, PetroSonic will have a right to obtain a global license from Sonic to use the process, subject to paying a royalty to Sonic. PetroSonic anticipates that its contacts with oil producing companies should enable development and commercial revenues to be fast-tracked.

PetroSonic was founded by CEO Dr. David Kahn in conjunction with Sonic and strategic investors, specifically to develop an economic process for upgrading heavy oil from small and medium producers while addressing the concerns of the producer, pipelines and refineries.

Any process that reduces the price of heavy oil, for which we have plentiful supplies in Canada and Venezuela, could help keep the price of oil under control and ensure a greater supply of oil.  It does not however address the huge environmental price we pay for mining heavy oil.

Comments

[greg]

Benefitting Venezuela will not benefit us.

[Ronald Brak]

Benefitting Venezuela will aid you. In Australia we have greatly benefited from the economic success of Japan, China, the United States and other countries. The wealthier the people of Venezuela are the more they will be able to contribute to the world economy. (Unfortunately, dependance on oil revenue can be very damageing to long term economic and social development.)

[Mark C R UK]

Thanks Jim, interesting.

They're beginning to start using Ultrasonics as an alternative (and to better) biomass breakdown in the ethanol industry in the US.

I'm no lover of Chavez. He's far to eager to ignore the separation of powers principle and every power grab of TV and utilities stations makes me suspect him more of ulterior motives of setting up a defacto Venezuela dictatorship. It should benefit our Canadian friends - and anything benefiting them - benefits us.

The issue here (I'll look into the chemistry and related literature more when I have time) is that the primary energy requirement for thermal upgrading - is reduced using Ultrasonics. It'll also provide new Pizeodriver technologies for potential use in the chemical industry and vice-versa (clean technologies development).

Rule of thumb for Ultrasonics (ca. 40% of usual thermal energy requirements).

Can't comment on this specific case - don't know the companies involved. But it's interesting.

This is a case of "waste minimisation" / "Process optimisation" rather than a case of "new clean energy resource".

Application here cuts GHGs and therefore by implication Global warming effects - since it's less energy intensive than state of the art. But as for mineral heavy oil... in general - it's not renewable is it? - this merely makes it far more efficient to use.... economically thats good and less polluting.

Relative to other renewables etc = the juries out however. There I'm sitting on the fence...

[J.P. Mack]

Think about the DRASTIC reduction in the usage of Gas in the refinery process. That alone, should cause large-scale development of the sonic technology to proliferate.
Diminished Gas usage has a widespread downstream effect, benefitting all Americans' wallets.

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