Reducing Our Dependence on Foreign Oil?

[Aristotle]

I just read this article and found it very encouraging.

Waste-To-Oil Company Selling Oil Commercially

CARTHAGE, Mo., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) today announced that its first commercial plant is selling an equivalent of crude oil No. 4, produced from agricultural waste products. The Carthage, Missouri, plant is currently producing 100-200 barrels of oil per day utilizing by-products from an adjacent turkey processing facility.

RES is a joint venture of Changing World Technologies, Inc. and ConAgra Foods, Inc. established in 2000 as the exclusive vehicle for processing agricultural waste material utilizing CWT's Thermal Conversion Process technology, throughout the world.

TCP is the first commercially viable method of reforming organic waste into a high-value energy resource. The oil being produced by RES is being sold to a local oil blender and to customers who will use it as a heat source for their operations.

Because TCP utilizes above-ground organic waste streams to produce a new energy source, it also has the potential to arrest global warming by reducing the use of fossil fuels, and to create a means of energy independence by reducing U.S. reliance on imported oil. At peak capacity, expected to be achieved by the end of this year, the first-out plant will produce 500 barrels of oil per day, as well as natural gas, liquid and solid fertilizer, and solid carbon.

...

TCP is more than 80% energy efficient. In addition, it generates its own energy to power the plant, and uses the steam naturally created by the process to heat incoming feedstock, In addition, TCP produces no emissions and no secondary hazardous waste streams.

Future plants will be larger and produce more oil. I wish they explained what type of oil "crude oil No. 4" was.

[Khirmint]

I asked a co-worker that's worked in the oil industry a number of years. He has no idea what #4 means either, and I haven't been able to find any links to it either.

So I'm rather curious if anyone knows what it means too?

Interesting article though

-K

[Adrelak]

The No.4 that is referred to is the classification of the carbon type composition on a 1 to 6 scale that identifies the major classes of hydrocarbons(Paraffin, Naphthene, Aromatic). Each class has a different percentage of each of the hydrocarbons which alters the density of the oil. This classification system makes it more easily identifiable for the environmental effect it has with oil spills(viscosity, etc.). Another reason for this class number is to aid in determining the outcome of fractional distilation of the crude oil into lighter gases like naptha, gasoline or kerosene to heavier ones like oils and residues.

A No.4 crude would, if memory serves, have a higher outcome of more heavier fuels like those used for ships, factories, and central heating, with a fair/medium amount of bitumen residual. You will have an average outcome of gas oil or diesel, gasoline blending stock to industrial lubricants, metal working oils, etc. I hope this helps somewhat.

My company deals mainly in exploration, spill containment and recovery, so I am more confident of what I said in the first para then the second. Interesting article, I will have to do some research into the company.