Oil shale in Jordan represents a significant resource.Oil shale deposits in Jordan underlie more than 60% of Jordanian territory. The total resources amounts to 31 billion tonnes ofoil shale.[1]
The deposits include a high qualitymarinite oil shale ofLate Cretaceous to earlyCenozoic age.[2] The most important and investigated deposits are located in west-centralJordan, where they occur at the surface and close to developed infrastructure.[3][4]
Although oil shale was utilized in northern Jordan prior to and duringWorld War I, intensive exploration and studies of Jordan's oil shale resource potential started in the 1970s and 1980s, being motivated by higher oil prices, modern technology and better economic potential. As of 2008, nooil shale industry exists in Jordan, but several companies are considering bothshale oil extraction and oil shalecombustion forthermal power generation.[5]
Jordan has significant oil shale deposits occurring in 26 known localities. According to theWorld Energy Council, Jordan has 8th largest oil shale resource in the world.[6] Geological surveys indicate that the existing deposits underlie more than 60% of Jordan's territory. The resource has been estimated to consist of 40 to 70 billion tonnes of oil shale, which may be equivalent to more than 5 million tonnes ofshale oil.[3][4][6][7] However, according to a report by World Energy Council in 2010, Jordan had reserves of 34,172 billion tonnes as of the end of 2008.[8] The Jordanian government said in September 2013 that they had reserves of 31 billion tonnes.[1]
The Jordanian oil shale is amarinite of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to early Cenozoic era; it lies within theMuwaqqar Formation and is composed predominantly ofchalk andmarl. The rock is typically brown, gray, or black in color andweathers to a distinctive light bluish-gray. It is characterized by its content of lightfine-grainedphosphaticxenocrysts, some of which is accumulated inbone beds.[4] An uncommon feature of Jordanian oil shale is that the includedforaminiferal shells are filled withbitumen instead of the usualcalcite.[2]
In general, Jordanian oil shales are of high quality, comparable to the western United States oil shale, although theirsulfur content is usually higher. While the sulfur content of the most of oil shales in Jordan varies from 0.3 to 4.3%, theJurf ed-Darawish and the Sultani deposits have sulfur content of 8 and 10% respectively.[3] Sulfur is mostly associated with the organic matter with minor occurrence aspyrite.[9] The moisture content of the oil shale is low (2 to 5.5%). The major mineral components of the Jordanian oil shale are calcite,quartz,kaolinite, andapatite, along with small amounts ofdolomite,feldspar,pyrite,illite,goethite, andgypsum. It has also a relatively high metal content.[3]
The eight most important deposits are located in west-central Jordan within 20 to 75 kilometres (12 to 47 mi) east of theDead Sea. These deposits are Juref ed Darawish, Sultani, Wadi Maghar, El Lajjun,Attarat Umm Ghudran, Khan ez Zabib, Siwaga, and Wadi Thamad. The best-explored deposits are El Lajjun, Sultani, and Juref ed Darawish, and to some extent Attarat Umm Ghudran.[3][4] They are all classified as shallow and most are suitable foropen-cast mining, albeit some are underlain by phosphate beds.[6] In addition to the west-central deposits, another important deposit may be theYarmouk deposit occurring near Jordan's northern border, and where the resource was first developed.[3][4] This deposit would be exploitable by underground mining as it reaches some 400 metres (1,310 ft) in thickness.[6] A third oil shale region lies in southern Jordan in theMa'an district.[4]
Humans have used oil shale as a fuel since prehistoric times, because it generally burns without any processing.[10] Its occurrence was known in Jordan from ancient times, as evidenced by its use as a building and decorative material from the ancient Greek, Roman,Byzantine,Umayyad andAbbasid periods. The modern exploitation of Jordanian oil shale began underOttoman rule prior to and during World War I, when theGerman Army produced shale oil from the Yarmouk area. The oil shale was processed to operate theHejaz Railway. It was mined and processed near the Maqarin station along the Haifa spur of the railroad, which partly follows theYarmouk River valley.[2][4] In addition to the shale oil production, oil shale was also utilized as a mix with coal to fuel locomotives.[4]
The German Geological Mission studied the El Lajjun deposit in 1968. In 1979, the Natural Resources Authority of Jordan commissioned a study from the German Federal Institute of Natural Resources and Geosciences to evaluate the Juref ed Darawish, Sultani, El Lajjun, and El Hisa deposits and in 1980 fromKlöckner-Lurgi to evaluate the pre-feasibility of construction of an oil shale retorting complex usingLurgi-Ruhrgas process and a power plant with 300 MW capacity using Lurgi's Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) combustion process.[4][7][11] In 1980, the SovietTechnopromexport company conducted a pre-feasibility study of the 300–400 direct-burning conventional combustion power plant.[11] In 1986, updated and expanded studies were ordered from Klöckner-Lurgi.[4][7]
In 1985–1986, Chinese oil companySinopec carried out a test for processing El Lajjun oil shale utilizing theFushun-type retort. Although this process was technically viable, the cooperation with Sinopec was halted due to high operation costs. B.B.C, Lummus/Combustion Eng. andBechtel Pyropower carried out theCIDA andUSAID funded study of utilizing Sultani oil shale for direct combustion in CFB power plants.[4][7]
The Krzhizhanovsky Power Engineering Institute (ENIN) conducted processing tests of Jordan oil shale using Galoter technology, finding the technology suitable.[11][12] In 1999,Suncor Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jordanian government to use the Alberta Taciuk Processing technology to exploit the El Lajjun oil shale deposit.[13] However, the project was never implemented.
In 2006–2007, the government of Jordan signed four memorandums of understanding for above-ground processing of shale oil and one memorandum forin-situ conversion processing. The memorandum of understanding with Estonian energy companyEesti Energia was signed on 5 November 2006. According to the agreement, Eesti Energia was awarded with the exclusive right to study about one third of the resources of the El Lajjun oil shale deposit.[14][15] Later this right was transferred to cover a block on the Attarat Umm Ghudran oil shale deposit as the shallow aquifer that underlies the El Lajjun deposit provides fresh water to Amman and other municipalities in central Jordan.[16] On 29 April 2008, Eesti Energia present a feasibility study to the Government of Jordan. According to the feasibility study, the company's subsidiary the Jordan Oil Shale Energy Company will establish a shale oil plant with capacity of 36,000 barrels per day (5,700 m3/d).[5] The shale oil plant will use anEnefit processing technology. The concession agreement was signed on 11 May 2010 in the presence of Jordanian and Estonian prime ministersSamir Zaid al-Rifai andAndrus Ansip.[17]
On 24 February 2007, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Brazil'sPetrobras awarding with the exclusive right to study a block at the Attarat Umm Ghudran deposit. The development will be carried out in the cooperation withTotal S.A. The company will present a feasibility study at the beginning of 2009 and it will use thePetrosix technology.[5]
In June 2006, a memorandum of understanding was signed withRoyal Dutch Shell to test itsin-situ conversion processing in the Azraq and Al-Jafr blocks of central Jordan. A formal agreement was concluded in February 2009 by which Shell's subsidiary Jordan Oil Shale Company committed to begin commercial operations within 12–20 years.[18] According to the company a decision to invest in a commercial project is unlikely before the late 2020s.[19] It is expected to start production in 2022.[20]
On 9 March 2011, the government of Jordan signed a concession agreement with Karak International Oil, a subsidiary ofJordan Energy and Mining, a project company established for Jordan's oil shale activities.Karak International Oil (KIO) will build a 15,000 barrels per day (2,400 m3/d) shale oil plant in a 35-square-kilometre (14 sq mi) area of El Lajjun inKarak Governorate by 2015.[21][22][23] The company plans to use theAlberta Taciuk Processing technology.[16][24][25]
On 5 November 2006,Saudi Arabian International Corporation for Oil Shale Investment (INCOSIN) signed a memorandum of understanding for evaluation of El Lajjun deposit and Attarat Umm Ghudran resources.[24][26] The concession agreement was approved by the Jordanian government on 3 March 2013. The company cooperates with RussianAtomenergoproekt to utilize the Galoter (UTT-3000) process to build a 30,000 barrels per day (4,800 m3/d) shale oil plant.[27][28] It plans to start production in 2019.[20]
In March 2009, the government of Jordan approved a memorandum of understanding on oil shale extraction with Russian companyInter RAO UES andAqaba Petroleum Company.[29] Also theAbu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) has shown interest to invest into Jordan's oil shale extraction sector.[30] The memorandum of understanding for exploration in Wadi Al Naadiyeh is ready for signing with theFushun Mining Group.[31] In 2014, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Al Qamar for Energy and Infrastructure Company.[32]
For dealing with increasing power consumption, Jordan plans to utilize oil shale combustion for the power generation. On 30 April 2008, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan, theNational Electricity Power Company of Jordan, and Eesti Energia signed an agreement, according to which, Eesti Energia will have the exclusive right to develop the construction of an oil shale-fired power plant with capacity of 460 MW.[33][34][35] It is calledAttarat Power Plant and is expected to be operational by 2017, revised to 2021.[36] It will be among the largest power stations in Jordan (the largest beingAqaba Thermal Power Plant), and the largest oil shale-fired power plant in the world afterNarva Power Plants in Estonia.[35][37]
Inter RAO is planning to build an oil shale-fired power plant with capacity of 90–150 MW.[38]
On 29 September 2013, Jordan and China made a deal to build an oil shale-fired power plant inKarak for $2.5 billion.[1] It will be built byShandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO III), HTJ Group and Al-Lajjun Oil Shale Company.[1] The capacity is 900 MW.[1]
In November 2005, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Jordan Cement Factories Company (JCFC). According to this memorandum, JCFC will utilize El Lajjun oil shale from Karak Governorate for cement production.[39]
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