Japan Develops New Technology to Efficiently Utilize Oil Sand to Extract Gasoline
A research team from Kyoto University in Japan has unveiled a groundbreaking technology that uses affordable iron ore as a catalyst to significantly boost fuel production from oil sands. This innovation can increase the yield of gasoline and other liquid fuels by about 40% compared to traditional methods.
Oil sands, often referred to as bitumen, are a complex mixture of clay, water, sand, and heavy crude oil. They resemble thick black molasses and are primarily used to produce transportation fuels. However, their processing efficiency has historically been low, limiting their widespread use.
Currently, extracting crude oil from oil sands involves injecting high-pressure steam underground to separate the oil from the sand. After refining, only less than 50% of the total mass ends up as usable gasoline and diesel, with the rest becoming difficult-to-use ultra-heavy oil. The new method developed by Professor Koichi Miura’s team at Kyoto University aims to solve this issue by reusing that leftover heavy oil.
The process begins by adding iron ore into a reactor and heating it to around 420°C. The iron oxide in the ore acts as a catalyst, breaking down the heavy oil into valuable fuels like gasoline and diesel. With this technique, the percentage of usable fuel has increased to approximately 70%, a major improvement over existing methods.
Most oil sands are found in Canada and Venezuela, but their development has been limited due to high costs and inefficiencies in extracting high-value products. The new technology offers a more cost-effective solution by using inexpensive iron ore and simple equipment, significantly lowering production expenses.
Additionally, after refining crude oil, the remaining heavy oil is typically only used for industrial boilers or ship fuel. This new approach allows refineries to make better use of that leftover material, further increasing overall efficiency.
The researchers plan to collaborate with oil and steel companies to test and implement the technology in real-world settings. Their goal is to bring this innovation from the lab to industry, making oil sands a more viable and sustainable energy source. (Reporter: Lan Jianzhong)
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