UPDATE: 2/15/2013 - I have found 5 Tar Sand Projects that have been authorized. Over 32,000 acres of Eastern Utah, Uinta Basin have the Green Light for Tar Sand excavation! 32,000 acres! Details below.
And if that's not bad enough, the State of Utah put 88 tar sand leases up for sale in October, 2012. Details here:
You might want to check to see if a tar sand mining project is headed your way.
October 4, 2012 COMPETITIVE LEASE OFFERING FOR OIL, GAS AND ASSOCIATED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER MINERAL COMMODITITES (Bids to be opened October 29, 2012)
Here's is the Official information that has been reported by the press.
There was a great deal of press regarding one permit authorized in October, 2012 Utah announced that the "first tar sand project" was approved. Not much was reported about a second permit authorized in November, 2012. And I can find nothing in the press about 3 other projects up and running and/or recently permitted. And not a jot about the 88 oil and gas permits put on the market in October, 2012.
And nothing in the press that I could find about a tar sand mine and processing facility ALREADY IN OPERATION!
I know this is a long report and perhaps poorly written. It has grown over the last few days. However, for anyone concerned about the future health of the Green & White Rivers that flow into the Colorado River, this research will be helpful.
Today I found five different companies with five different agreements with the State of Utah to excavate and process tar sands!
I researched to see if maybe there had been company name changes and/or mergers that might explain my discovery of 3 different Tar Sand Projects in eastern Utah. I searched all three company names and found out that, in fact, there are 3 projects owned by 3 separate companies. They are:
U.S. Oil Sands of Alberta, Canada;
MCW Energy Group,; and
Crown Asphalt Ridge LLC (aka CAR LLC aka Crown aka Crown Enery Corporation or Company)
On Page 27, from the DECEMBER, 2012 Utah Environment Report:
On October 24, 2012, the Utah Water Quality Board concurred with an Administrative Law Judge to uphold the ground water discharge permit-by-rule issued for the U.S. Oil Sands PR Spring project in eastern Utah based on the documented absence of ground water in the project area to a depth of over 1,800 feet and the de minimis effect the project will have on ground water quality. A permit-by-rule was also issued to MCW Energy Group for an oil sands pilot project at Northwest Asphalt Ridge,AND a permit-by-rule is pending for the Crown Asphalt Ridge LLC oil sands project at Asphalt Ridge. Red Leaf Resources has applied for a ground water discharge permit for a proposed oil shale mining and hydrocarbon extraction project at the Red Leaf SITLA lease site located about 55 miles south of Vernal in Uintah County.
Oddly,
Crown Asphalt Ridge LLC (CAR LLC) has youtube videos beginning in
January, 2012 (almost a year before the December 2012 Utah Report above), showing their mining and production facility being built and even fully operational by
June, 2012 EVEN THOUGH the DECEMBER, 2012 report says that CAR LLC hasn't been approved yet. Very curious.
Go Utah! Seriously, Utah seems hell bent on destroying its vast, diverse, natural spendor in pursuit of the filthiest forms of profits: Tar Sands & Shale bitumen extraction.
Utah has enough sun, wind, and geothermal energy potential to provide its own energy. Located so very far from the dangerous coasts and tornado strewn areas, Utah could be a respite for those seeking a break from Mother Nature. There's no humidity here in the summer, folks.
But no! Instead, Utah's environmentally ignorant and/or immoral governing bodies will allow eastern Utah to be raped and pillaged by the greedy Oil & Gas moguls, seemingly hell bent on destroying as much land and water as they can!
And the EPA is just immoral for allowing this, they know better. Obama is letting them. Congress is letting them. All those agents the people need to protect resources are allowing Oil & Gas moguls to destroy our waters and lands.
I thought the Housing Heist was bad. Hell, that was kids play compared to the fracking, tar sand, and shale extractions.
KEEP IN MIND: All this activity is taking place in, around, and even up hill from the Green and White Rivers of Utah which flow into the Colorado River.
KEEP IN MIND: Their are thousands of fracking wells in this area, too.
KEEP IN MIND: The EPA's "Effects of Fracking on Drinking Water Report" won't be finished until 2014 AFTER most of the well pads are in place. And if that's not bad enough, the INPUT information will come from 9 Fracking Companies.
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT DRINKING WATER!!! But only we little people seem to care.
I started to write today because I found a second Utah approved tar sand project: MCW.
I am now so angry I can hardly write, having found a third player that is already in full tar sand extraction/processing production - CARS LLC
Whatever. Here we go with the facts:
U.S. Oil Sands
October 24, 2012 - Utah board OKs the nation’s first commercial tar sands project Well that seems like a BS story now for this 213 acre project!
Water Quality Division Director Walt Baker signed off on the proposal last year without requiring a groundwater-pollution permit.
U.S. Oil Sands, Calgary, Alberta Canada will be producing this project. From their website:
US Oil Sands is engaged in the exploration and development of oil sands properties and, through its wholly owned United States subsidiary US Oil Sands (Utah) Inc., has a 100% interest in bitumen leases covering 32,005 acres of land in Utah’s Uinta basin. The Company plans to develop its oil sands properties using its proprietary extraction process which uses a bio-solvent to extract bitumen from oil sands without the need for tailings ponds. The Company is in the pre-production stage, anticipating the commencement of bitumen production and sales in 2013.
PR Springs, Utah - Site of US Oil Sands mines. I found this video that depicts how quiet and natural this area is:
MCW Enterprises LTC
Quietly, while the above tar sand project was being debated and ultimately approved, MCW Enterprises LTC met no resistance for their tar sands project. From MCW's website:
MCW has developed an environmentally-friendly, continuous flow, closed-loop technology on which a patent application is pending in both the United States and Canada. While this technology has not been previously proven in the United States or Canada, MCW anticipates that it will extract all types of hydrocarbons from oil sands materials (oil-wet or water-wet).
Apparently, MCW had a "waterless technology"
Listen to this
"Interview with CEO Dr. Jerry Bailey discussing the waterless system and extraction technology of oil from oil sands developed by this oil distribution and extraction company. This is a 90 sec corporate video produced by CEO Clips: http://www.ceoclips.com"
Crown Asphalt Ridge LLC (CAR LLC)
I am unable to provide a link to the Crown corporate website. I tried to open the Crown Energy website but it wouldn't let me because my Java plug in feature is OFF. So I looked up the domain. This is what I found. CrowNec.com Whois Record
Here is a short CAR LLC vid showing the mining that has already begun:
Crown Asphalt Ridge LLC (CAR LLC) cont'd
Here are two videos dated January, 2012 of the oil sand processing plant being built. I guess they were pretty sure that Utah would approve of their tar sand extraction project.
"This completes the installation of the twin cone-bottom shaped oil separators, a process of separating bitumen oil from water and sand/fines in the modified hot water extraction technology, in preparation for commercial oil sands production -- the first ever in the United States."
This CAR LLC vid runs sideways until 0:17 then corrects the view.
And here's the CAR's Asphalt Ridge facility in FULL OPERATION on June 16, 2012.
This is what is written under the CAR LLC Full Operation video:
Published on Jun 16, 2012
Oil Sands Commissioning - continuous bitumen froth production in CAR's Asphalt Ridge facility. June 14, 2012. Total operating time - approximately 40 hours (including shutdown). Total straight production time - approximately 34 hours non-stop (including final PST froth overflow).
Approximately 2,000 tons of oil sands ore was processed and over 1,000 tons of bitumen froth* was successfully produced in CAR's production site in Vernal, Utah, utilizing CAR's proven and modified Clark hot-water extraction process. This continuous froth production exercise also deployed CAR's proven water treatment process to recover process water from dispensed sands (tailings) and thickener/clarifier underflow solids (fine clay), and recycle the water back to the conditioning process for re-utilization.
Two high-powered precision equipment (GEA Westfalia centrifuges) were incorporated into the water treatment process for higher recovery and recyclability of process water. Dry and stackable tailings were produced as a result, with no traceable bitumen residue in the dispensed sand (see video). The recovery ratio between the primary (A & B) for near future evaporation and production of dry froth material was high; no material handling issues were encountered in the ore stockpiling, feeding and conditioning process during the entire froth production. Slurry pipes and pumps were also operating normally; no serious plugging issues were encountered and albeit a few glitches with a couple of the older (level transmitter) instruments, overall PLC/HMI controls were functioning normally during the whole production run.
Overall, the commissioning of oil sands to test and produce bitumen froth at the Crown Asphalt Ridge facility during June 13-14 was a great success!
*Here's a video of the FROTH CAR LLC produced:
4th Project found - Temple Mountain Energy
Oil sands venture is set to begin
In 2008, Temple Mountain Energy will begin commercial production of 150 million barrels of proven oil reserves based on its pilot project located in Uintah County.
Temple Mountain Energy, Inc. (“TME”) website here.
TME’s mining and processing project began at the Asphalt Ridge site in 2006.
TME has full control of 1,300 acres at the “Asphalt Ridge” lease site,
TME estimates its reserves at Asphalt Ridge to be 150 million barrels of oil, of which 80 million barrels are surface-recoverable. The remaining 70 million barrels can be recovered through in situ extraction.
5th Project - EARTH ENERGY RESOURCES INC
UTAH STATE MINERAL LEASE FOR BITUMINOUS – ASPHALTIC SANDS
THIS MINING LEASE AND AGREEMENT (the “Lease”) is entered into and is effective as of JULY 1,2011, by and between the
STATE OF UTAH, acting by and through the
SCHOOL AND INSTITUTIONAL TRUST LANDS ADMINISTRATION,
675 East 500 South, Suite 500,
Salt Lake City, UT 84102 ("Lessor"),
and
EARTH ENERGY RESOURCES INC.
633-6TH AVENUE S.W., SUITE 950
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA T2P2Y5
having a business address as shown above ("Lessee").
Containing 2,517.59 acres, more or less.
The Uinta Basin area, where this is and will continue to take place, is already suffering with horribly polluted air events.
2010 - Air pollution becoming a Basin concern
High levels of ozone pollution measured in rural Uintah County last winter have federal officials and others concerned about a growing public health risk.
June, 2012 - Does snow cause air pollution? Scientists talk air quality at Vernal conference
VERNAL — Dozens of scientists have begun the process of analyzing the mountains of data they collected in their effort to determine why the Uintah Basin experiences unhealthy concentrations of ground-level ozone during the winter.
January, 2013 - State report details work on Basin air quality
The report states that the DEQ’s six divisions continue to make improvements toward protecting Utah’s air, land and water, according to Amanda Smith, director..
“Understanding and improving air quality in the Uintah Basin remains a top priority,” says Smith.
In other news, partial approval has been given to U.S. Oil Sands, Inc., from the Utah Water Quality Board for the development of the PR Springs oil sands mine.
And what are the toxins already in the air in very rural Vernal, Utah/Uinta Basin?
Winter 2012 highlights for Basin air and water quality
*No ozone exceedance of the 75 parts per billion (ppb) National Ambient Air Quality Standard was observed. The highest 8-hour average ozone concentration at the surface was 62 ppb.
*Observed levels of ambient Volatile Organic Compound species were highest in gas-production areas, lower in oil-production areas, and lower still in population centers.
*Observed VOC and methane concentrations at the Horsepool monitoring station were higher than those typically observed in U.S. urban areas.
*The highest Oxides of Nitrogen concentrations were observed in the Basin’s population centers; Vernal and Roosevelt. Concentrations were lower in gas-production areas and lower still in oil-production areas.
*NOx sources include all motorized vehicles, oil and gas production equipment, and coal-burning power plants.
*Methanol, a source of formaldehyde or an ozone precursor, was observed in concentrations that could significantly contribute to ozone formation in the Uintah Basin.
And if all of this news isn't quite bad enough, Salt Lake City and Northern Utah have some of the MOST polluted air in the country. Could the five (5) oil refineries, some who are already refining tar sand bitumen, in Salt Lake City be part of this problem?
For a close look at pollution culprits in and around Salt Lake City, read this:
PICS of SALT LAKE CITY'S WORST POLLUTERS: 5 Oil/Bitumen Refineries, HUGE Sand Pit, GIANT Copper Mine
and this article
Utah's air may be killing you
Go Utah! Could the stewarts of this beautiful state do a worse job?
Personally, I weep for my grandchildren, the land, the air, and all of nature that will be negatively impacted by this ridiculous destruction.
________
Additional research found
A New Utah Rule?
Rule R850-22. Bituminous-Asphaltic Sands and Oil Shale Resources. As in effect on February 1, 2013
Utah had 88 leases for sale last October, 2012!
You might want to check to see if a tar sand mining project is headed your way.
October 4, 2012 COMPETITIVE LEASE OFFERING FOR OIL, GAS AND ASSOCIATED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER MINERAL COMMODITITES (Bids to be opened October 29, 2012)
I wonder who snatched these up? The counties where the leases are located include:
Uintah
Duschesne
Carbon
Sanpete
Emery
Grand
San Juan
Millard
Summit
Rich
Beaver
Piute
The oil, gas and hydrocarbon leases on the lands listed below have expired and the lands are available for leasing. These lands are hereby offered for oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons lease by competitive filing by the State of Utah, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, at a 16-2/3% royalty rate, 5-year term, unless otherwise specified for the individual leasing unit, in accordance with the provisions of State law and the Rules Governing the Management and Use of Trust Lands in Utah. The offering of these lands for leasing of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons does not guarantee that there are deposits of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons on these lands. The filing period ends at 5:00 P.M., Friday, October 26, 2012.
Each lease seems to have a different royalty rate and leases for about $1.00 an acre. Don't be fooled by the 16-2/3% stated above.
Utah has been waiting for the Tar Sands boom for decades.
BITUMINOUS SANDS AND SOME LEGAL ASPECTS OF LEASING 1964
Injection Wells
August, 2012 NEW WATER FINANCIAL, LLC, by and through its undersigned attorneys, petitions the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining for an order approving the Harley Dome #l-X SWD Well as a Class II injection well
Grand County Class II injection well
All Utah mining dockets (doesn't include sand and shale oil & gas)