Queensland Energy Resources
Encyclopedia
Queensland Energy Resources Limited (QERL) is an Australia
n oil shale
mining and shale oil extraction company with the headquarter in Brisbane
. It is the developer of the Stuart (Yarwun)
and McFarlane oil shale projects.
from receivers of the project's former developer, Southern Pacific Petroleum N.L. On 21 July 2004, QER announced that the plant would be shut down for economic and environmental reasons. From 2005 to 2007, oil shale from its deposits were tested in a pilot plant facility in Rifle, Colorado
owned by Shale Technologies
. On 14 August 2008, Queensland Energy Resources announced that it had shunned the Alberta Taciuk Processor (ATP)
oil shale processing technology in favor of the Paraho II technology
and that the ATP technology-based plant was being dismantled, and obsolete components were being sold. On 24 August 2008, the Queensland Government announced an oil-shale mining moratorium over the company-owned McFarlane deposit for 20 years.
On 10 May 2010, the company announced a plan for construction of a small-scale shale-oil demonstration plant at Yarwun (the site of the Stuart Oil Shale Project). The new plant produced its first oil on 6 October 2011.
, Australia. Two major resources are Stuart, located at Yarwun, Queensland, and McFarlane, located near Proserpine
. The McFarlane oil shale resource, one of Australia's largest, remains under a 20-year mining moratorium. QER operates a visitor's center at the Yarwun site and is completing a technology demonstration plant based on the Paraho II Technology.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
mining and shale oil extraction company with the headquarter in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. It is the developer of the Stuart (Yarwun)
Stuart Oil Shale Project
The Stuart Oil Shale Project was an oil shale development project in Australia near Gladstone, Queensland. It was Australia's first major attempt since the 1950s to restart commercial use of oil shale...
and McFarlane oil shale projects.
History
Queensland Energy Resources Limited was formed in February 2004, when it acquired the assets of the Stuart Oil Shale ProjectStuart Oil Shale Project
The Stuart Oil Shale Project was an oil shale development project in Australia near Gladstone, Queensland. It was Australia's first major attempt since the 1950s to restart commercial use of oil shale...
from receivers of the project's former developer, Southern Pacific Petroleum N.L. On 21 July 2004, QER announced that the plant would be shut down for economic and environmental reasons. From 2005 to 2007, oil shale from its deposits were tested in a pilot plant facility in Rifle, Colorado
Rifle, Colorado
The City of Rifle is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,769 at the 2000 census. Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry located along Interstate 70 and the Colorado River just east of the Roan Cliffs, which dominate the...
owned by Shale Technologies
Shale Technologies (company)
Shale Technologies, LLC is an American privately held oil shale company with the headquarter in Rifle, Colorado. It is an owner of the proprietary information relating to the Paraho oil shale retorting technologies . The Paraho Direct is an American version of a vertical shaft retort similar to...
. On 14 August 2008, Queensland Energy Resources announced that it had shunned the Alberta Taciuk Processor (ATP)
Alberta Taciuk Process
The Alberta Taciuk process is an above-ground dry thermal retorting technology for extracting oil from oil sands, oil shale and other organics-bearing materials, including oil contaminated soils, sludges and wastes...
oil shale processing technology in favor of the Paraho II technology
Paraho process
The Paraho process is an above ground retorting technology for shale oil extraction. The name "Paraho" is delivered from the words "para homem", which means in Portuguese "for mankind".-History:...
and that the ATP technology-based plant was being dismantled, and obsolete components were being sold. On 24 August 2008, the Queensland Government announced an oil-shale mining moratorium over the company-owned McFarlane deposit for 20 years.
On 10 May 2010, the company announced a plan for construction of a small-scale shale-oil demonstration plant at Yarwun (the site of the Stuart Oil Shale Project). The new plant produced its first oil on 6 October 2011.
Operations
Queensland Energy Resources holds mining tenement rights to several oil shale deposits in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. Two major resources are Stuart, located at Yarwun, Queensland, and McFarlane, located near Proserpine
Proserpine, Queensland
-External links:* * * * *...
. The McFarlane oil shale resource, one of Australia's largest, remains under a 20-year mining moratorium. QER operates a visitor's center at the Yarwun site and is completing a technology demonstration plant based on the Paraho II Technology.