Development of Utah tar sands--a status report

The hydrocarbon resource locked in Utah's tar sands has been estimated to be in excess of 25 billion barrels. Tar sands, known variously as oil sands, bituminous sandstone, or oil-impregnated sandstone, cannot be recovered by conventional primary or secondary petroleum recovery techniques because of the high viscosity of the bitumen. Viscosities of 101 to 10'1 poise are common. Yet, despite its inaccessibility and heavy, asphaltic appearance, tar sand bitumen is convertible in high yields into valuable liquid and gaseous fuels. The technology is currently being developed at the University of Utah and other research laboratories which will afford economical recovery, processing and utilization of Utah's tar sands. This article is an overview of the current state of research and development of this important natural resource.