Jordan to Launch Major Oil Shale Production

---

Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--After eyeing and probing the prospect for the last few years, Jordan is readying a project to exploit the country's oil shale potential. The large, high-grade shale resources are seen as a source of major downstream benefits to the country. The general manager of Petrobras' (NYSE:PBR) (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) International Development Group, Demarco Epifanio, estimates that there is enough oil potential for the installation of an oil shale industrialization complex, which would include an oil refining facility.

"Petrobras and its partners are still evaluating the oil shale project feasibility, with government support," Epifanio said. "Once it is proven, the oil shale project would solve infrastructure demands, energy supply and water shortage in the country. The benefits of oil shale in Jordan are dual; first, is its geographical location, and second, the country does not have any oil source."

Jordan's oil imports make up about 20% of its GDP. Investing in and exploiting the oil shale reserves will create high-value energy exports and lower energy costs in the domestic market. The country is set to promote its oil shale reserves as a new source of energy by adding 11% to its energy mix in 2015, increasing it to 14% in 2020.

Private investment will be encouraged in the oil shale industry, specifically in relation to power generation, through the exploration of deep shale, direct fuel burning and surface retorting.

Prospects for the country's oil shale industry are the central topic at the Jordan Energy Investment Summit this week in the capital city of Amman. Operations, incentives and environmental issues will be covered. There also will be presentations on state-of-the-art technologies and oil shale mining techniques.