Recovering oil from tar sand using the ROPE process

Western Research Institute (WRI) is developing a new pyrolysis process called ROPE© (Recycle Oil Pyrolysis and Extraction) for recovering products that require a minimum of upgrading to produce finished marketable fuels (motor gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels). Three tar sand resources - Asphalt Ridge (U.S.), Sunnyside (U.S.), and Athabasca (Canada) tar sands - have been investigated using this concept. Preliminary results indicate that oil yields from the ROPE© process are greater and oil quality is much improved compared with other pyrolysis processes. Experimental results obtained from Asphalt Ridge tar sand tests in a 2-inch diameter process development unit and a 6-inch diameter bench-scale unit are presented. Potential end uses of ROPE© product oil are also presented