Technology Development Network

New Patent: Oil Shale to High-Value Products

On December 8, 2020, Ron Stites, of Stites & Associates, LLC (SALLC), was awarded a patent on a process to convert oil shale into high-value products. US Patent 10,858,592 discloses a unique method for retorting oil shale that vaporizes the oil and feeds it directly into a distillation column that can split the oil into various cuts. These cuts can be used as feedstock for producing multiple, high-value products.

This unique approach completely avoids burning the valuable kerogen oil as a fuel. Unlike many other approaches, this method does not consume additional energy making the oil into a fuel, only to burn it and put even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Instead, the oil is separated into cuts that can be used as the starting materials to make high quality asphalt, synthetic lubricating oils, adhesives, chemicals, and other high-value products. This process provides a unique, low carbon footprint method for turning oil shale into high-value products rather than low-value, commodity fuels.

The multiple benefits of this new process include:

1. Dramatic reduction in the CO₂ footprint of an oil shale industry by creating chemicals and building materials rather than fuels,
2. A closed system allowing capture of all environmentally troublesome compounds,
3. Creating products of higher value than crude oil,
4. Allows small plants and mines to be economically viable rather than huge strip-mining operations,
5. Eliminates the need for huge amounts of water to make the hydrogen needed to turn the kerogen oil into a precursor for fuels and
6. Allows small plants to be sited on only the best, most available oil shale resources.

The process has been studied and proven at large, bench scale at a temporary research facility in Vernal, Utah, using Utah oil shale. The studies were supported by a USTAR TAP grant awarded by the State of Utah. Development and commercialization of this process is still underway at both SALLC and a related Utah company, Kerogenic Products, LLC.

Your view the entire patent by clicking here: US Patent 10,858,592

For more information on this process and on-going efforts feel free to contact Mr. Stites at [email protected].

 

Ron Stites is the Founder and Principal at Stites & Associates, LLC, a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve decision making in technology driven companies by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking. For more information see: www.tek-dev.net or email us at [email protected] .

Dragon Shale/SALLC Successfully Complete Phase I of USTAR Contract

Adapted from an article by Paul Owen of Dragon Shale, October 2, 2018

 VERNAL, Utah, October 02, 2018: Dragon Shale LLC (Dragon), having been awarded a grant by USTAR (the Utah Science Technology And Research initiative) has now successfully completed its first milestone, production of Kerogen Oil from its novel retorting process. This validates the first step in the Dragon Shale Process that was co-developed by Stites & Associates (SALLC). Ron Stites of SALLC is the Principle Investigator in the USTAR TAP Project. Mr. Stites worked with Petroleum Engineering Interns, Sami Kahn and Cameron Giometti and a number of Vernal, Utah, contractors to design, build, commission and test the prototype device. The prototype met all of the operational requirements set by the USTAR TAP contract. The prototype successfully extracted the Kerogen Oil from the oil shale at good yields while preserving the high-value petrochemical feedstocks.

Kerogen Oil is rich in chemicals that have high value in the petrochemical and related industries. Instead of destroying these chemicals to make fuels Dragon intends to extract and separate them. The operating performance of the prototype device validates this plan.

Completion of this first milestone demonstrates the benefits of the ex-situ Dragon Shale cross-flow process technology.  This technology will enable construction of small, modular, environmentally friendly commercial plants.  These smaller plants with their minimal process water requirements can be sited where the oil shale richness, infrastructure constraints and environmental sensitivities align.

Dragon Shale is now adding continuous feed and product separation capabilities to the prototype system.  This will enable us to complete the second milestone by providing samples of kerogen oil for analysis by manufacturers seeking new sources of petrochemical feedstocks.

Mr. Stites of SALLC continues to spend most of his time in Vernal, Utah, working on this exciting and challenging project.

Ron Stites is the Founder and Principal at Stites & Associates, LLC, a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve decision making in technology driven companies by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking. For more information see: www.tek-dev.net or email us at [email protected] .

Ron Stites of SALLC to Support Dragon Shale Efforts in Vernal, UT

Ron Stites of SALLC to Support Dragon Shale Effort

Ron Stites, Founder of Stites & Associates (SALLC) and co-Founder of Dragon Shale, LLC, will be spending most of his time in Vernal, Utah, supporting the USTAR TAP contract. The contract focuses on validating the oil shale technologies co-developed by SALLC. Called the Dragon Shale Process, the technologies use a unique retorting method directly coupled to separation processes to create high-value petrochemicals from oil shale. This is a big departure from the traditional (and so far, completely unsuccessful) processes to try to make commodity fuels from oil shale.

The benefits of the new technologies include:

1. Dramatic reduction in CO₂ footprint by creating chemicals and building materials rather than fuels,
2. A closed system allowing capture of all environmentally troublesome compounds,
3. Creating product values in excess of crude oil prices instead of being at below typical crude oil prices,
4. Allowing small plants and mines to be economically viable rather than huge strip-mining operations,
5. Eliminates the need for huge amounts of water to make the hydrogen needed to turn the kerogen oil into a useful crude oil for making fuels and
6. Allows small plants to be sited on only the best, most available oil shale resources.

The contract calls for three phases of work including:

1. Developing and testing a prototype to prove the Dragon Shale Process (co-developed by SALLC),
2. Scaling up the prototype to a semi-continuous demonstration of the Dragon Shale Process and
3. Testing the separated kerogen oil products for commercial value to prove the commercial potential of the Dragon Shale Process.

Ron will be moving much of the R&D Laboratory equipment to Vernal, UT, while the contract is active (through early 2019). He will be spending between ½ and full-time in Vernal, designing and building test equipment and testing product cuts for economic value.

 

Ron can be reached at his usual email, [email protected] or at his Dragon Shale email, [email protected] .

 

 

Dragon Shale (SALLC Client) Awarded USTAR TAP Grant

By Paul Owen|May 4th, 2018

Dragon Shale is delighted to announce that is has been successful in its application for a USTAR TAP grant. USTAR, the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative is a state funded program aimed at accelerating development of technologies that will bring economic benefits to Utah.

Oil shale has long been seen as an economic asset of great importance to Utah. However despite the vast deposits, hundreds of millions of dollars (foreign and domestic) and many years of work Utah has not seen much in the way of sustained income. Dragon believes this is because existing approaches have targeted the wrong end product, fuels. While an obvious target the complexities of converting Oil Shale into fuel end products have typically resulted in failed projects.

Kerogen, extracted from the Oil Shale is rich in a variety of organic products. Many of these have significant value themselves to a number of industries. So Dragon asked itself the question, what if we try and extract these products rather than simply destroy them in order to make low quality refinery feedstocks?

With this grant Dragon has set itself an ambitious timeline, taking its previous bench scale and theoretical studies and constructing pilot scale operations to test and refine its approach. With its partner at Paragon Automation, Dragon will now move its base of operations to Vernal, Utah where construction of its new pilot facility will take place.

Is this Anything?

Ron Stites Speaks at DOE ASP 2016 Workshop

On September 21, 2016, Ron Stites spoke at the DOE Analytical Services Program Workshop in Cincinnati, OH. He has chosen as his topic, “Managing Special Projects in the Lab.” He dealt with the almost inevitable question asked of every laboratory, “Is This Anything?” That is to say, is this process, sample, test result of any significance?

Ron draws from his many years of compliance, quality control and research laboratory experience to help guide the uninitiated in how to approach a new, out-of-the-ordinary project. Ron managed laboratory organization for almost 30 years. Much of it was “routine” work, but he always seemed to be the guy to get that “special project.”

Since 2006 Ron has been engaged full time in “special projects.” He has been applying Design of Experiment expertise, basic organizational techniques and financial modeling to design, manage and assess a variety of technology projects ranging from pilot plant studies to business investment plans.

In this talk Ron revealed some of the basic questions to be asked, techniques to be used and disciplines needed to answer non-routine questions asked of the laboratory. He shared some of his experiences of what can go wrong and how to avoid some of the biggest blunders.

This is not a primer on statistical control of experiments – though there is a little of that. Ron has found that the biggest blunders have their root cause in fuzzy thinking, poor communication and dysfunctional organization.  Those will be covered in serious detail as part of how to effectively answer the question, “Is This Anything?”

If you are interested in learning more please email Ron at:  [email protected].

Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking.  For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.

Energy Tech Go Code Colorado Team Update – Wins $25,000 Award

The Energy Tech Team with Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams 

(Left to Right:  Sam Richard, Wojciech Magda, Danielle Leighton, Ron Stites, Wayne Williams, Emily Hueni, Kelly Wilson, Janel Guerrero)

We can now give an update on the Energy Tech Go Colorado Team.  On May 26 the Team was named one of three groups to be awarded a $25,000 prize/contract from the State of Colorado.  As was reported earlier, this contest was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of State of Colorado.  The idea was to create new businesses around utilization of publically available databases maintained by the State. 

The Energy Tech Team developed an application that allows oil and gas companies, their consultants and other interested stakeholders to view the impacts of well site selections on a number of surface use regulations.  This application helps to minimize conflicts between mineral interests and surface interests, an important and growing issue in Colorado and other places where population densities and mineral interests can collide. 

The name of the computer application is Regulation Explorer.  It allows the user to quickly test and compare various well siting options.  The program gives quick summaries of potential surface conflicts and more detailed final reports.  This allows users of many kinds to compare and evaluate various options. 

The program is live, but not yet available to the general public.  Public availability is scheduled for around July 1, 2016, pending finalization of details with the State of Colorado.  Once live, users will be able to sign up at:

http://www.regulationexplorer.com/

The Energy Tech Team included:

Emily Hueni Visionary & GIS Expert

Danielle Leighton Founder/CEO, Earth Index

Kelly Wilson Petroleum Engineer

Janel Guerrero Energy Policy Professional

Ron Stites MBA Finance, Fmr. O&G Operator

Sam Richard Full Stack Software Engineer

Wojciech Magda Back End Dev & Computer Engineer

Ron Stites of Stites & Associates provided financial and oil and gas operational input into the Energy Tech Team. 

For more information on the Go Code Colorado Program visit:

http://gocode.colorado.gov/2016-go-code-colorada-winners/

Ron Stites holds a BS in Chemistry and an MBA in Finance and Accounting.  Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking.  For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.

Dr. Erik J. Stites Publishes Article on Transplant Rejection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Erik J. Stites, one of the inventors of the Wine Aging Device (see:  wine-tek.com ), has published an article on transplant rejection in the peer-reviewed, Journal of Immunology, December 15, 2015.  To view the abstract or order a copy of the full article go to:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26637661/?ncbi_mmode=std 

or

http://www.jimmunol.org/content/current 

 

Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking.  For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.

Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most cultures have a regular time where thoughts turn to thanksgiving.  Often these come from religious traditions, but that is not universally the case.  More frequently these sentiments arise from thankfulness for community.  When we reflect on the challenges of facing life, our thoughts turn to family, friends and even neighbors known and yet to be known.  We share with them a meal, a sporting event, a parade – something unique for the time, but calling to remembrance times before and creating hope for shared times in the future.  We share the joy of belonging and the desire to remain – at least for a time.

At this time of thanksgiving, as I think about this past year, I am struck by how wonderful life can be and, of course, how it can be a challenge.  Unlike last year, this year was not much of a financial success.  Oh well.  This year brought unexpected joys, accomplishments and insights.  I met wonderful people.  People who touched my life so deeply that when I now think of them it brings tears to my eyes.  I reconnected with many people I had lost contact with or with whom my relationship had grown staid and cold.  I have seen beauty that leaves speechless.  I have been given a few glimpses – so rare and profound – into my own soul.  This has left me both profoundly in awe and inconsolably sad.  In awe that life can be so rich and beautiful and so sad that it can be, at times, such a horror. 

Let us heartily rejoice together when times are good.  Let us hold hands in loving silence through times of unspeakable trouble.  Let us find the true meaning of ourselves in both.

Update on SALLC Interns

Our interns from Singapore have arrived safely at the Research Lab of Stites & Associates, LLC (SALLC).  They are Matthew James and Lee Yuan Ming from Nanyang Technological University.  They began their 10 week project on the evaluation of oil shale technologies and markets on May 26.  They will be attempting to evaluate the current and near term U.S. fuel industry, and the role that might be played by the non-conventional fuel, shale oil.  This will be a significant undertaking since it involves economic, technical, environmental and even political considerations.  They will be assisted by Ron Stites of SALLC, O. J Schneider of Ettanet and Dr. Jeremy Boak of the Colorado School of Mines.  Precision Pipe and Vessel of Commerce City, CO, has also agreed to make additional work space available as needed. 

Matthew and Lee will also be collaborating with four additional interns from Singapore who are working on somewhat related projects.  That group, located at UC Berkley, will be focusing on specific aspects of the oil shale industry.  The entire group will be collaborating through a secure server set up by Ettanet.

We at SALLC would covet any assistance that you might be able to give these interns.  They hope to be able to publish a significant study at the 35^th Oil Shale Symposium, October 5-7, 2015, in Salt Lake City, UT.  Feel free to contact Matthew or Lee directly at:

[email protected] or [email protected]

 

  Lee and Matthew touring the fabrication facilities of Precision Pipe and Vessel, LLC, in Commerce City, CO.   Pictured left to right are James Klepper, Bud Klepper, Lee Yuan Ming and Matthew James.

 

 

 

 

Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking.  For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.

Introducing SALLC Interns

Stites & Associates, LLC (SALLC) is pleased to announce the sponsoring of two Technology Management students from Singapore for a 10 week Internship.  The students will be working on a project to evaluate current U.S. crude oil reserves and the impact that alternative fuels may have on those reserves.  They will be looking at technological, market and economic issues.  It is hoped that this study will give additional insight into economic justifications for the development of alternative fuels.

 

The students are Matthew James and Lee Yuan Ming.  Both Mr. James and Mr. Lee are working on dual-degree programs comprising Bachelor of Engineering Science (Chemical Engineering} and Masters of Science in Technology Management from Nanyang Technological University.  They have been doing academic work this past year at the University of California, Berkeley.  They will be doing much of the work for this project at the SALLC Research Lab in Arvada, CO. 

 

Partnering in this work will be Mr. O. J. Schneider, Managing Director, of Ettanet, a technical consulting firm based in Arizona with offices in the San Francisco, CA area.  Also supporting in this work will be Dr. Jeremy Boak, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

 

One of the goals of the Internship Project will be to publish findings at the 35^th Oil Shale Symposium, October 5-7, 2015, in Salt Lake City, UT, if practical.  Work will commence May 26, 2015.

Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking.  For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.