| Chronos and Non-conventional oil reservoirs | | | | called marls containing a waxy substance called |
| Oil sands | | | | kerogen. The kerogen trapped in the rock can be |
| As we know oil-eating bacteria biodegrades oil that | | | | converted into crude oil using heat and pressure to |
| has escaped to the surface. Oil sands are reservoirs | | | | simulate natural processes. The method has been |
| of partially biodegraded oil still in the process of | | | | known for centuries and was patented in 1694 under |
| escaping and being biodegraded, but they contain so | | | | British Crown Patent No. 330 covering, "A way to |
| much migrating oil that, although most of it has | | | | extract and make great quantityes of pitch, tarr, and |
| escaped, vast amounts are still present—more than | | | | oyle out of a sort of stone." |
| can be found in conventional oil reservoirs. The lighter | | | | Although oil shales are found in many countries, the |
| fractions of the crude oil are destroyed first, resulting in | | | | United States has the world's largest deposits and our |
| reservoirs containing an extremely heavy form of | | | | new operatives in the USA are able to help with any |
| crude oil, called crude bitumen in Canada, or | | | | project that arises. Alternative methods Chronos has a |
| extra-heavy crude oil in Venezuela. These two | | | | long history in the alternative methods arena. During the |
| countries have the world's largest deposits of oil sands. | | | | oil price increases since 2003, alternative methods of |
| Chronos has local offices, operations and legal entities | | | | producing oil gained importance. The most widely |
| to serve both locations. | | | | known alternatives involve extracting oil from sources |
| Venezuelan Oil | | | | such as oil shale or tar sands. These resources exist in |
| Located in eastern Venezuela, north of the Orinoco | | | | large quantities; however, extracting the oil at low cost |
| River, the Orinoco oil belt vies with the Canadian tar | | | | without excessively harming the environment remains |
| sand for largest known accumulation of bitumen in the | | | | a challenge. |
| world. Venezuela prefers to call its tar sands "extra | | | | It is also possible to chemically transform methane or |
| heavy oil", and although the distinction is somewhat | | | | coal into the various hydrocarbons found in oil. The |
| academic, the extra heavy crude oil deposit of the | | | | best-known such method is the Fischer-Tropsch |
| Orinoco Belt represent nearly 90% of the known global | | | | process. It was a concept pioneered during the 1920s |
| reserves of extra heavy crude oil. Bitumen and | | | | in Germany to extract oil from coal and became |
| extra-heavy oil are closely related types of petroleum, | | | | central to Germany's war efforts when imports of |
| differing only in the degree by which they have been | | | | petroleum were restricted due to war. It was known |
| degraded from the original crude oil by bacteria and | | | | as Ersatz (English:"substitute") oil, and accounted for |
| erosion. | | | | nearly half the total oil used in WWII by Germany. |
| The Venezuelan deposits are less degraded than the | | | | However, the process was used only as a last resort |
| Canadian deposits and are at a higher temperature | | | | as naturally occurring oil was much cheaper. As crude |
| (over 50 degrees Celsius versus freezing for northern | | | | oil prices increase, the cost of coal to oil conversion |
| Canada), making them easier to extract by | | | | becomes comparatively cheaper. |
| conventional techniques. Although it is easier to | | | | The method involves converting high ash coal into |
| produce, it is still too heavy to transport by pipeline or | | | | synthetic oil in a multi-stage process. Currently, two |
| process in normal refineries. Lacking access to | | | | companies have commercialised their Fischer-Tropsch |
| first-world capital and technological prowess, | | | | technology. Shell Oil in Bintulu, Malaysia uses natural gas |
| Venezuela has not been able to design and build the | | | | as a feedstock, and produces primarily low sulfur |
| kind of bitumen upgraders and heavy oil refineries that | | | | diesel fuels. Sasoil in South Africa uses coal as a |
| Canada has. In the early 1980’s the state oil | | | | feedstock, and produces a variety of synthetic |
| company, PDVSA, developed a method of using the | | | | petroleum products. The process is today used in |
| extra-heavy oil resources by emulsifying it with water | | | | South Africa to produce most of the country's diesel |
| (70% extra-heavy oil, 30% water) to allow it to flow in | | | | fuel from coal by the company Sasol. The process |
| pipelines. | | | | was used in South Africa to meet its energy needs |
| The resulting product, called Orimulsion, can be burned | | | | during its isolation under Apartheid. This process |
| in boilers as a replacement for coal and heavy fuel oil | | | | produces low sulfur diesel fuel but also produces large |
| with only minor modifications. Unfortunately, the | | | | amounts of greenhouse gases. |
| fuel’s high sulphur content and emission of | | | | Chronos is happy to be involved in both these locations |
| particulates make it difficult to meet increasingly strict | | | | with its qualified oil and gas teams. An alternative |
| international environmental regulations. Venezuela's tar | | | | method of converting coal into petroleum is the Karrick |
| sands crude production, which sometimes wasn't | | | | process, which was pioneered in the 1930s in the |
| counted in its total, has increased from 125,000 bbl/d | | | | United States. It uses low temperatures in the absence |
| (19,900 m³/d) to 500,000 bbl/d (79,000 m³/d) | | | | of ambient air, to distill the short-chain hydrocarbons |
| between 2001 and 2006 (Venezuela's figures; IAEA | | | | out of coal instead of petroleum. As we have already |
| says 300,000 bpd). We at Chronos feels there is | | | | mentioned oil shale can also be used to produce oil, |
| enormous potential in Venezuelan extra heavy oil and | | | | either through mining and processing, or in more |
| this was one of the driving factors in our establishing a | | | | modern methods, with in-situ thermal conversion. |
| fully functional operation in Venezuela to service the | | | | Conventional crude can be extracted from |
| recruitment and software needs of the oil industry - | | | | unconventional reservoirs, such as the Bakken |
| both in tar sands and more conventional offshore | | | | Formation. The formation is about two miles (3 km) |
| projects. | | | | underground but only a few meters thick, stretching |
| Oil shales | | | | across hundreds of thousands of square miles. It |
| Chronos Consulting is also active in the oil shales area. | | | | further has very poor extraction characteristics. |
| Oil shales are source rocks that have not been | | | | Recovery at Elm Coulee has involved extensive use |
| exposed to heat or pressure long enough to convert | | | | of horizontal drilling, solvents, and proppants. Again |
| their trapped hydrocarbons into crude oil. Technically | | | | Chronos can help find crucial staff for this type of |
| speaking, oil shales are not really shales and do not | | | | project. |
| really contain oil, but are usually relatively hard rocks | | | | |