Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Energy News .




ENERGY TECH
Utah oil sands projects gets green light
by Staff Writers
Salt Lake City (UPI) Oct 26, 2012


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

The United States' first commercial oil sands mining project, in Utah, has been approved.

Calgary company U.S. Oil Sands has been working since 2005 to get the green light from Utah officials to develop its proposed PR Spring project.

The company anticipates that the 212-acre PR Spring project area, in the eastern part of the state, will initially produce 2,000 barrels of petroleum product a day.

Through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, the company has a 100 percent interest in bitumen leases covering 32,005 acres of land in Utah.

The Utah Water Quality Board voted 9-2 this week to uphold the state Division of Water Quality's decision to allow the PR Spring project to go ahead without a groundwater pollution permit because the area's groundwater is too deep in the ground to be polluted by any runoff.

That decision, U.S. Oil Sands said in a statement, "ultimately illustrates the merits that our responsible approach to oil sands development has for the environment and local communities."

On its website, U.S. Oil Sands outlines its process: "Using a unique bio-solvent the company is able to separate bitumen from oil sand without the need for tailings ponds. The process requires low energy input, recycles 95 percent of the water used and uses best practice mining methods to rapidly reclaim mined areas."

But environmentalists maintain that the mine would pollute groundwater.

Two of those groups, Living Rivers and legal ally Western Resource Advocates, say they will likely challenge this week's decision in Utah's courts.

"What we're asking for is a more rigorous oversight of this mine." Living Rivers attorney Rob Dubuc was quoted as saying by The Salt Lake Tribune.

U.S. Oil Sands Chief Executive Officer Cameron Todd told InsideClimate News that the company isn't concerned about a possible court fight, just the delays it might cause.

"We don't ever look at it as a fight," Todd said. "Rather we look at it as the company being subjected to another thorough review that will show we have a project that is of the highest industry and environmental standards."

Nevertheless, the company said the PR Spring project is on track for commercial start up late next year.

"This issue has gone through a very thorough review at many levels and at each turn it was determined that the U.S. Oil Sands operation did not pose a threat to water of any kind," Todd said.

.


Related Links
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








ENERGY TECH
Oil prices rise on US growth, Hurricane Sandy
New York (AFP) Oct 26, 2012
Oil prices closed higher Friday, lifted by better-than-expected US economic growth in the third quarter and worries about Hurricane Sandy churning toward the heavily populated US east coast. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December settled at $86.28 a barrel, up 23 cents from Thursday's close. Meanwhile, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in December gained $1.06 at $109. ... read more


ENERGY TECH
Americans use more efficient and renewable energy technologies

Speed limits on cargo ships could reduce their pollutants by more than half

Mideast cyber war endangers gulf energy

Netherlands mulling heated bike paths

ENERGY TECH
Utah oil sands projects gets green light

Oil prices rise on US growth, Hurricane Sandy

Poland must choose between nuclear and shale gas future: utility exec

Crude higher in Asia on China manufacturing data

ENERGY TECH
China backs suit against Obama over wind farm deal

DNV KEMA awarded framework agreement for German wind project developer SoWiTec

Sandia Labs benchmark helps wind industry measure success

Bigger wind turbines make greener electricity

ENERGY TECH
ABC SOLAR To Develop FIT Power Generation Plants In Japan; Inks MOU With European Firms

ATK Selected to Develop MegaFlex Solar Array Structure

Centrosolar Scales Up Distribution and Delivery of Solar in the US

Hanwha Group Launches Hanwha Q.CELLS

ENERGY TECH
China to resume nuclear power construction

Poland still committed to nuclear, shale gas development: PM

Westinghouse SELECTS McAfee SIEM and IPS as core security components to address THREATS TO control systems

Nuclear phase-out possible for Japan?

ENERGY TECH
Boeing-COMAC Technology Center Announces First Biofuel Research Project

Serbia marks opening of new biogas plant

Large-scale production of biofuels made from algae poses sustainability concerns

Lubricants from vegetable oil

ENERGY TECH
China to launch 11 meteorological satellites by 2020

China makes progress in spaceflight research

Patience for Tiangong

China launches civilian technology satellites

ENERGY TECH
EU on track to exceed Kyoto emissions goal

EU on track for Kyoto and 2020 emissions targets

Pollution tax stokes Australian inflation

A sharper look into the past for archaeology and climate research




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement