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Ionic Liquids Process Recovers Bitumen from Utah Oil Sands With Little Water Use

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A team at Penn State University has demonstrated that a previously developed method employing ionic liquids (ILs) together with a nonpolar solvent such as toluene can effect a separation of bitumen from oil sands in the Western US at ambient temperatures (~25 °C), although with greater difficulty than Canadian oil sands.

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First production from Imperial’s Kearl oil sands project; “about the same” lifecycle GHGs as average of crudes consumed in US

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Imperial Oil Limited has begun the initial development of the Kearl oil sands project ( earlier post ), which incorporates technology innovations to enhance environmental performance. Kearl will be the first oil sands mining operation that does not require an upgrader to make a saleable crude oil.

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Study Finds Water Use for Switchgrass Ethanol Production Approximately the Same as for Gasoline

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In the US, producing one gallon of ethanol from switchgrass consumes approximately the same net amount of water as does producing a gallon of gasoline from conventional crude or oil sands oil, according to a study by Argonne National Laboratory researchers presented at the 238 th national meeting of the American Chemical Society last week.

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UC Davis ITS researchers take a detailed look at water consumption and withdrawal requirements for ethanol

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Water consumption intensity of ethanol from corn grain and crop residue and the avoided/displaced water use credits assigned to coproducts: DGS and electricity. In their paper, Mishra and Yeh analyze the lifecycle water requirement consumption and withdrawal requirements of ethanol produced from corn and from crop residue.

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EPA draft assessment finds no widespread, systemic impacts to drinking water resources from fracking

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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft assessment on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water resources in the United States. The stages of the hydraulic fracturing water cycle. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge.

Water 150
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UT Austin to lead $58M study of methane hydrate in Gulf of Mexico; $41M from DOE

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Methane hydrate—natural gas trapped in an ice-like cage of water molecules—occurs in both terrestrial and marine environments. Post-cruise analyses will determine the in situ concentrations, the physical properties, the lithology, and the thermodynamic state of methane hydrate bearing sand reservoirs.

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Report Finds Water Stress Rapidly Becoming Key Strategic Risk to Commerce; Impending Water/Energy Collision

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Water consumption or withdrawals per unit of energy produced, by energy type, in the United States. With increasing frequency ,” write the Pacific Institute researchers, “ we value energy production over water production. ”. by Jack Rosebro. Source: DHI Group. Click to enlarge. Climate change.

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