PROSPECTS FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF JORDANIAN OIL SHALE
J. O. JABER
S. D. PROBERT
O. BADR
Department of Applied Energy
Cranfield University
Bedford, England
| Oil shale is the major indigenous fossil-fuel in Jordan:
its predicted reserves, of about 5 x 10 10 ton- nes, should be sufficient to satisfy Jordan's energy-requirements for several centuries. Jordanian oil shale has, on an average, a gross calorific value of between 5 and 7 MJ/kg, an oil yield of ~10 %, and a sulfur content of approximately 3 % by weight of the raw shale (i.e. 7 to 9 % of the organic matter content). Using the oil shale as the input fuel, a multipurpose production process (i.e. retort- ing, electricity generation, thermal water-desalination, chemicals production as well as mineral extraction) could achieve high utilisation-factors of both its chemical and energy potentials. In the long-term, oil shale is the only indigenous energy resource that could reduce Jordan's dependence on imported crude oil and hence ease the pressure on the national economy. The conversion of oil shale into a liquid or gaseous fuel and raw materials will be of decisive importance in attempts to secure the future of energy supplies. So national efforts devoted to the exploration for, and harness- ing more economically, this energy resource, while limiting the associated adverse environmental impacts, should be accelerated. |