Arrakis has been granted a license to the new technology for oil sand processing outside of Canada, using a non-thermal, mechanical and chemical closed-loop process to recover the bitumen. The chemical employed in the process is not a solvent and is both non-toxic and bio-degradable.
In connection with the formation of Arrakis, the company also signed an engagement agreement with Hyde Park Capital and Charlotte Capital Partners to raise $6.1m for the initial facility installation planned for late summer 2010.
Jeffrey Wilson, president of Imperial, said: “We believe that the technology developed and licensed to Arrakis is the most advanced, cost-effective and environmentally friendly processing technology available for recovering bitumen from tar and oil sands. The process operates without hot water or steam and without any solvents, either hydrocarbon or otherwise, so there are no emissions issues.
“The process produces a clean sand residue while separating the bitumen in an eco-friendly manner. Operating costs are significantly less than conventional processes because the chemical medium is re-cycled and re-used. The process has been pilot tested on several tons of material at the research and development facility owned by the technology provider on oil sands from Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.”
